Used 2018 Lincoln Continental

Comfortable and opulent, with nifty features like “magic” door handles and 30-way-adjustable front seats, the 2018 Lincoln Continental is the brand’s flagship luxury sedan. All-new just last year, it offers powerful turbocharged engines, all-wheel drive and a design worthy of the legendary Continental name, which first appeared on a sexy convertible in 1941. Prices start around $46,000 and the smooth-riding Lincoln’s list of competitors includes the Volvo S90, Cadillac CTS and Lexus GS. Four trim levels are available, starting with the front-wheel-drive Lincoln Continental Premiere powered by a 305-horsepower 3.7-liter V6. Lincoln also offers the Continental Select, Reserve and Black Label, with the upper-trim levels powered by a 2.7-liter V6 packing twin turbos and 335 horsepower. All-wheel drive is available across the range, but it’s standard on Continental Reserve and Black Label models with the optional 400-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6.

Despite its big horsepower numbers, available all-wheel drive and low and hunkered-down stance, the 2018 Lincoln Continental is not a sports sedan. It’s quick and it can cruise comfortably at 100 mph all day if you bought up the Mojave with your lottery winnings, but driving enthusiasts won’t find satisfaction in the Continental’s cushy ride and isolated steering feel. The Lincoln performs well, but it’s for luxury lovers, not g-force junkies. It cruises effortlessly. Its cabin is quiet and plush. And its overall driving character is relaxed. The Continental does have a Sport mode that livens its steering, suspension and throttle response, however, which does make it a bit more fun to drive, but the Lincoln is best for long and straight highway runs and when used as an isolation chamber in the hustle and bustle of the urban sprawl. Oh, have I been in traffic for the last two hours? I didn’t notice, sitting here in my new Continental with my massaging seat set on “hard.”

The days of Lincolns with outdated interiors full of hard plastics and cheap bits are long over. The cabin of the 2018 Lincoln Continental is modern, stylish and filled with upscale materials and precise fit and finish. It’s also spacious with room for five and comfortable with front seats with 10-, 24- or 30-way adjustment with heat and massage. The configurable gauge cluster is digital and minimalistic and the Sync 3 infotainment system is easy to use, featuring an onboard 4G Wi-Fi hotspot and a large touch screen. The Continental’s unique push-button shifter takes a little getting used to, but you’ll acclimate to it quickly.

The new Lincoln Continental looks expensive and draws inspiration from classic Lincoln Continental models from the early 1960s. Just take in that shiny honeycomb grille, the bulging hood, sleek sides and tapered rear. Its size itself makes a statement, living large at over 201 inches in length. Among the Continental’s most notable design elements are the E-latch electronic door handles, situated in the beltline just below the windows and sitting stationary. Rather than pulling them, you simply reach and press a button to open. Optional is a feature that gently opens and closes the doors — just like on a Rolls-Royce.

LINCOLN PICKUP AND DELIVERY
Saving you time and inconvenience should be as much a part of luxury ownership as soft leather and a smooth ride. Lincoln agrees so every 2018 Lincoln, including the new Continental, comes with complimentary vehicle pickup and delivery for all service and maintenance. A loaner car is also part of the deal.

MASSAGING FRONT SEATS
The Continental’s 30-way-adjustable front seats are exceedingly comfortable. And of course, they are heated. But they also offer massage and you can even dial in the intensity as it gives your back and buttocks a thorough working. Perfect after a long day at the office, but they also fight off fatigue on long drives.

The 2018 Lincoln Continental comes in four trims: Premiere, Select, Reserve and Black Label. A base Premiere model includes heated and 10-way-adjustable front seats, power-operated steering-wheel adjustment, universal garage-door opener, auto-hold brake system (convenient at stoplights), rearview camera and parking-aid system, dual-zone automatic climate-control system and 18-inch wheels. The Lincoln also includes an 8-inch touch screen and the Sync3 infotainment system that’s compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and includes a 4G onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. For around $3,000 more, we suggest the Select model, which adds leather interior, hands-free power-operated trunk, self-closing/opening doors, and the ability to add more option packages.

A new Lincoln Continental Reserve model adds navigation, blind-spot monitoring, tri-zone climate control and the 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with 335 horsepower. In addition to more features like Venetian leather and other fancy bits, the Black Label model comes with exclusive services ranging from culinary adventures to complimentary car washes and travel perks. Other goodies include the 400-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which makes the Continental one of the most powerful sedans in it class, a rear-seat package with recline function and heat/ventilation, the Revel premium 19-speaker audio system, and active safety and driving aids such as dynamic cruise control, lane-keep assist and automatic emergency braking. All-wheel drive is available on all models.

A trio of V6 engines is available in the 2018 Continental. Standard is a naturally aspirated (non-turbo) 3.7-liter V6 with 305 horsepower. Optional are a 335-horsepower 2.7-liter twin-turbo or 3.0-liter twin-turbo with a serious 400 horsepower. The Lincoln Continental is front-wheel drive (FWD), but all-wheel drive (AWD) can be had on all three engines for about $2,000 and is exclusive to the 3.0-liter. All use a 6-speed automatic transmission that does a fine job. The big Continental isn’t especially thrifty with fuel, with all engines achieving about 20 mpg combined.

3.7-liter V6
305 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
280 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/26 mpg (FWD), 16/24 mpg (AWD)

2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6
335 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm
380 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/27 mpg (FWD), 17/25 mpg (AWD)

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
400 horsepower @ 5,750 rpm (estimated)
400 lb-ft of torque @ 2,750 rpm (estimated)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/24 mpg