Unlike the late and not-at-all lamented Lincoln Blackwood that came and went a couple of years back, the $43,500 Mark LT is a no-bull, full-size pickup at heart, sharing much of its DNA with the king of Ford trucks, the mighty F150. That accounts for the marked physical similarities between the two. Both have powerful, angular lines that echo those of Ford's Heavy-Duty line, including the little cutaways at the A-pillar on both the driver and front-passenger doors - cutaways that improve the driver's view of the side mirrors for improved vision and safety while towing or parking. Some will find the huge swaths of chrome a little over the top, but for most of us, the bling sings.

The 5.4L Triton V8 under the Mark LT hood doesn't sing so much as roar, and it's a great, throaty noise. At 300 hp and 365 pounds-feet of torque, the Triton has the strength to give the Mark LT an 8,900-pound towing capacity, and to get both truck and trailer up and moving easily. Those boaters who actually put stuff in the beds of their pickups will be glad to see that the Mark LT has a traditional bed (unlike the Blackwood's clamshell design that was more trunk than truck bed) and a payload capacity of 1,620 pounds, so it can handle a load of camping or watersports gear as well as a trailer and boat.

Remember the saying about an "iron fist in a velvet glove"? That pretty much sums up the Mark LT. The powerful engine and drive train make up the fist; the interior is the glove. But in this case, the interior's not velvet - it's leather. OK, Lincoln actually does describe the Nudo leather upholstery as "velvety," so we'll call it close enough. Everybody who rides in the Mark LT during the Boating World test calls it brilliant. The seats have the boxy, industrial shape of those found in the F150, but these are far superior in terms of overstuffed, over-the-top comfort.

"Over the top" is a good description of the entire Mark LT interior. Everything's a little oversized, from the floor-mounted shifter to the extra-thick (but comfortable) steering wheel. It's a little like getting into your Dad's truck when you were a kid, only now you're the Dad - kind of weird, yet enjoyable.

The driving experience isn't weird at all - just enjoyable. The power rolls on easily, but if you mash the gas, the Triton responds with a nice, sharp burst of power. The steering is easy but precise. The ride isn't quite as squishy as that of the Navigator or Aviator, but it's not as rugged as the F150, either. "Mannered" is probably the best description of the Mark LT ride, cocooning you in quiet and letting just enough road feel come through the floor, seat, and steering wheel to keep the driver aware of conditions, but not so much that any of the passengers will be perturbed. That may be too soft for some hardcore truckies, but the luxe crowd will most likely find it very much to their liking. If so, the LT may just be a Lincoln that hits its mark.