We orderd our MKX back in September and took delivery of our White Chocolate Tri-coat MKX last week. This is primarily my wife's vehicle (car? truck?). We traded in our '04 Aviator and overall we are pleased with fuel economy which is about 4 mpg better. The 3.5 V6 is not as smooth as a BMW I6 (what six is?) however it accelerates as well as the lusty 32v 4.6 in the Aviator. And with the 6 speed, there is no wait to get in the sweet zone over 3k RPM like the 4.6 for max go off the line. Since it is still not broken I do not know how it is at high speed compared to the Aviator. It is pretty sweet though to get this kind of power from a six using regular fuel and move 4400 lbs with gusto!
The main cabin is MUCH roomier than the Aviator, however it of course does not have third row seating and the cargo area is smaller. The power liftgate and auto fold down 2nd row seating is handy, although I may miss the Aviators quick and convenient upper hatch. The driving position offers a variey of choices in terms of sitting high or low, whereas the Aviator was only a high seat (somewhat cramped) position. It should be noted that when you sit in a high position, it demands that you lower your head to see out of the rear view mirror - as the sun roof/map light controls come in the line of sight of the mirror. Not having that third row has really opened up the main cabin area for everyday comfort at the expense of the occasional handiness of the 3rd row (for us).
The THX Audio system is excellent, the controls are logically located and operate in a crisp and refined manner. The heated seats are a little quicker to warm your butt, the steering is lighter, and the ride is overall smoother than the Aviator.
Overall, the MKX is quick, looks very sharp, has a nice ride and a very accomidating "main" cabin, with decent fuel economy. My only reservations are based on my very satisfying experience with our Aviator. Perhaps it is the different driving feel, or smaller displacement less torquey drivetrain, but it somehow does not seem as thrilling to drive as the Aviator when the mood struck - although the Aviator looked stodgy it really offered up an engaging Muscle car like experince (and fuel economy...), kind of like a big comfy 2.5 ton Mustang GT, where the MKX feels feminine/Japanese - easy going, percise and refined but its not a "drivers" car in terms of tacticle feedback (more Lexus than BMW). Hopefully the lighter feel of the MKX will bear out more convincingly with additional seat time. Hey, my wife already loves it and its her daily driver!
Bottom line if you like the way the MKX looks you won't be disappointed with the way it rides and drives.
