We'll have to wait and see if Ford (and Lincoln) can make the kind of turnaround that has helped Nissan (and Infiniti) resurrect itself these last few years. The main reason for Nissan's recent success was that they started to deliver wonderfully designed vehicles. Overall quality may be what seals the deal for consumers, but design is what gets them to the showroom. The new crossover MKX definitely has sex appeal. It looks sporty yet sophisticated, modern and a little bit classic, probably due to its front grille. The interior may not impress as much as the exterior, but the technology package goes a long way toward making up for it.
This second-generation THX-certified system, also available in the MKZ, Navigator and Navigator L, comes wrapped in a simple and modest setup. Looking at the dash you may not be inclined to expect much. However, the truth of the system is in the audio playback and not its presentation. For an OE system, the THX in the MKX is certainly above average.
I started off the listening test with a difficult track, Philips' recording of Gorecki's "Symphony No. 3." During the first movement of this piece, Lento, begins with a foreboding bass that isn't easy to pick up. With a sufficiently powered system you can feel as much as hear the long drawn out notes. With a weak car audio setup you may not get much out of the first minute or so. The THX did a decent job of reproducing the almost mournful quality conveyed by the long bass notes, but we had to turn up the volume so much so that it accentuated the hiss on the concert recording. As the music began to build, the system came into its own and more than adequately captured the richness of the first movement.
The first track on Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Long Walk to Freedom is impressive for its vocal arrangement, but we can't say we love the way the vocals were recorded. They sound too amplified and almost artificial. But I've played this on a few different really good systems and it always plays that way. The same can be said with the THX system. You should be able to hear little details of authenticity that counter artificial quality, like singers' lips lightly smacking. Imaging here was good, especially the vocal accents panned right and left.
Next, it was a track off the JMLabs' disc, "Boxenkiller" by Cyrill Lutzelschwab/Martin Hess. This track should make you feel as though you're in the recording or rehearsal space with the drums and bass in front of you. You should be able to hear the movement of the drumrolls from one side to the other. The toms should have a fat, round hollow quality to them. Good midbass combined with the subwoofer should give you the feeling of being there. Overall, the THX system was fairly successful. It falls short of the providing the impact you would feel with an aftermarket system, but in terms of imaging, it did well. The toms lost some of its realism and the bass drum was a bit muddled, but the snare hits and the cymbals were realistic enough and the sense of the room came across.
We followed that up with Yello's "Resistor" off the same disc. Typically, on an OE setup the low-end is insufficient for this type of music. Hard-hitting electronic/dance tracks aren't the best material for factory systems. The bass doesn't really cut it here on "Resistor." Despite the 600-watt rating, there's just not enough power to make this sound the way it should.
But when we played Telarc's Some Skunk Funk, especially the first track off the disc by Randy Brecker with Michael Brecker, the THX system really excelled. Of course, this is really a great live recording, one that has the live feel, naturally, as well as the polish that you might expect through studio engineering. This funk jazz tune rocks, if you'll excuse the mish mash of music terms, and the THX system did well in terms of the separation of instruments with very good imaging and nice detail. It also beautifully reproduced Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1," off a Reference Recordings disc. The delicate cymbal should be subtle but very much defined and that's exactly how it played. But on Liszt's "Prelude on B-A-C-H," where the pipe organ should make you feel like you're in a grand cathedral, it felt more like you were in an average-sized church. The THX seems muted here, with the range of dynamics and the impact of the notes humbled.
By the time we got to Primus' "Tommy the Cat" off the new Universal greatest hits release, we were ready to listen to something loud. The mix of riffs and the perfect meshing with the drums combined with the terrific vocals from Tom Waits and Les Claypool make this one of the greatest (quasi-novelty) rock songs from the last couple of decades. This track should be in your face. There's not a lot of sophisticated placement of sounds. In particular during the verses, the drum and bass rhythm fit very tightly together and it's a great moment in the song. The only drawback while listening was some resonance from the speakers (probably a panel somewhere around the dash near the center channel); but the THX system held it together for the most part. The kick drum is a bit buried, but the overall feel and integrity of the music is miantained.
The THX system may be the best value for an audio upgrade from any automaker. The cost for the THX on the MKX is a mere $995! It's a pity that the navigation system and ease-of-use issues detract from the complete system. As well, aesthetically, the graphics for the touchscreen could use an upgrade. But then again, at this price point we'd have to say the package is more than fair.
| RATING |
| Audio score | 8 |
| Ergonomics | 7.5 |
| Navigation | 7 |
Key Features
14-speaker system
600 watts of power
Pioneer navigation
Sirius Satellite Radio