Americans can be suckers. Think about it – in the grocery store, many consumers buy the cereal in the colorful box or the milk with the amiable cow on the label, despite knowing that what’s inside is often the exact same stuff as found in the generic or store-branded containers. A popular show on TV religiously demonstrates how a little paint and a new lawn will get buyers to fork over $500,000 for a house that was $250,000 last week. And with the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT, Ford Motor Company is attempting to get an extra ten grand for a gussied-up F-150 pickup.

Sadly, people have – and will – continue to buy it.

In all fairness, the Mark LT is a fine truck, marked by a spacious five-passenger cabin, a capable 300-horsepower V8 engine, a long list of standard features, and impressive five-star safety ratings. But here’s the thing – all of that can be said of the Ford F-150, a truck that, sans all the chrome and a few visual tweaks, is identical but sells for thousands less. Granted, the Lincoln comes with a longer warranty, but buyers can purchase an extended warranty with their F-150 and still come out ahead. Plus, the Ford is available in regular and extended cab versions, whereas Lincoln dealers only offer crew cabs.

Cadillac has made a successful go of rebadging trucks like the Chevrolet Suburban and Avalanche in a way that attracts buyers. However, unlike those Caddys, the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT looks and feels every bit a Ford, from the identical headlights to its similar interior materials, and that glued-on tailgate reflector isn’t fooling anyone.

Next time you head to the grocery store, do yourself a favor and give the no-name stuff a try, and make the trip in an F-150 instead of a glitzy but nearly identical Lincoln Mark LT.