2017 Lincoln Continental AWD Reserve Review: American Cheese
Chris Davies - Feb 16, 2017
slashgear.com
PROS
CONS
EDITOR'S RATING: 7/10
The 2017 Lincoln Continental had a strong start: indeed, few auto-show cars capture the spirit of their predecessors – and the attention of the buying public – like the 2015 Continental Concept did. Unapologetic in its lavishly-chromed exterior and purple shag-pile cabin, it was far from the milquetoast sedans that had ill-borne the Continental name up until their demise in the early ’00s. Instead, it summoned memories of icons from the fifties and sixties, a conspicuous and distinctive play on the “American Luxury” slogan of the brand.
A surprising amount of that concept made it through to the production model, even if hopes for rear-hinged “suicide doors” didn’t make it past the accountants. The 2017 Continental is a big, imposing car. Though ostensibly an E-Class competitor, at almost seventeen feet long the Continental is closer in size to the S-Class. The core shape is solid and slab-sided, punctuated with some flowing creases; Lincoln’s chrome-heavy grille pays not-so-subtle homage to Bentley. It all works better at the front than the back, which feels like an afterthought.
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Images courtesy of, and credited to, slashgear.com
Chris Davies - Feb 16, 2017
slashgear.com
PROS
- Bold styling is eye-catching
- 3.0 twin-turbo V6 has plenty of power
- AWD makes the Continental sure-footed
- Class-above space in the cabin
CONS
- Six-speed gearbox struggles at times
- Cabin finish lacks polish in places
- Gets expensive with the right toys added
EDITOR'S RATING: 7/10
The 2017 Lincoln Continental had a strong start: indeed, few auto-show cars capture the spirit of their predecessors – and the attention of the buying public – like the 2015 Continental Concept did. Unapologetic in its lavishly-chromed exterior and purple shag-pile cabin, it was far from the milquetoast sedans that had ill-borne the Continental name up until their demise in the early ’00s. Instead, it summoned memories of icons from the fifties and sixties, a conspicuous and distinctive play on the “American Luxury” slogan of the brand.
A surprising amount of that concept made it through to the production model, even if hopes for rear-hinged “suicide doors” didn’t make it past the accountants. The 2017 Continental is a big, imposing car. Though ostensibly an E-Class competitor, at almost seventeen feet long the Continental is closer in size to the S-Class. The core shape is solid and slab-sided, punctuated with some flowing creases; Lincoln’s chrome-heavy grille pays not-so-subtle homage to Bentley. It all works better at the front than the back, which feels like an afterthought.
CONTINUE AT LINK ABOVE
Images courtesy of, and credited to, slashgear.com