2018 Lincoln Continental Reserve AWD

2018 Lincoln Continental Reserve AWD

by Bob Cowan

Now I know why Matthew McConaughey is so chill in those ads. The  Lincoln Continental.  It is one of the oldest and most iconic luxury nameplates around having been in production for over 50 years before it was discontinued over 15 years ago.  The marquee finally returned last year as Ford breathes new life into its flagship brand.   The nameplate has recovered nicely  from its low point which is up for debate but for me was in 2005 when the Lincoln Zephyr I was test driving had the same upper vents as the Ford F150 pick up truck.

This is a car that demands a test drive from both front and rear seat. The Lincoln Continental name represents quiet luxury and that is particularly evident sitting in the back of this car watching the world go by in decibels lower than the library we just passed. The rear seat package ($5,000) adds a  beautiful center armrest console with a digital display, sun blinds,  heated and cooled seats with four way active motion power lumbar and power recline to cocoon and pamper you.,   You can also move the front passenger’s seat forward to allow for extra legroom. The rear seat view is enhanced with a huge dual panel moon roof and the climate controls benefit from extra vents. Basically you have your own world back there with its own climate.  It’s easy to start fantasizing about your own personal driver but the Continental is equally luxurious up front and a pleasure to drive.  The seating is like none other with bolster panels that are strikingly beautiful making the seats look more the captain’s chair in a future star ship Enterprise. They are functionally attractive as well with available 30 way adjustable seating and massage settings.

The driving experience is cloud like. While the handling is more than adequate this car is not designed to go hard into the corners.  The adaptive steering is a little too sensitive to give you that road hugging confidence for more aggressive driving.  It’s designed to feel like you’re flying and every passenger is in first class.

There are three driving settings Normal, Comfort and Sport. The latter is nice to firm up the suspension and get you more in tune with the road as opposed to the aforementioned cloud.  My Reserve test unit came with the optional 3.0 litre GTDI V6 with 400 hp and was very responsive with no shortage of power on demand for passing with its six speed transmission.  Even with all wheel drive I was pleasantly surprised to find my mileage was a little better than the specs. My combined city highway driving consumed 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres under the advertised 12.3 L/100 km.

A heads up

Lincoln says it has the brightest and biggest heads up display among luxury vehicles. It’s uses the same Digital Light Projection (DLP).technology you see at your local movie theatre, i did notice it seemed crisper and certainly seemed to be more configurable than other makes. The Lincoln heads up display gives you many choices for display in your windshield including incoming phone calls, navigation, driver alerts, distance to empty, temperature and of course speed.  It’s not a must have but I love heads up displays for their safety and cool factors and this is a good one. Unfortunately it’s not a standalone option. You must purchase the $4000.00 Technology package which also gives you Lane Departure Warning, 360 degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist and Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror.

Curb appeal

The Continental certainly makes a statement with a grille made up of the repeating Lincoln logo shape that sets off a bling look reminiscent of the Jaguar XJ.  The attitude of the car seems to change as you walk around it starting with an authoritative, muscular front end to its elegant side profile and rear deck.

Wow factor

The LED lighting features on the Continental welcome you as you approach the car and it comes to life with the illuminated Lincoln logo projected into the driveway or parking lot from under the door handles. Gimmicky and I don’t care. It looks cool! The illuminated door handles themselves are the nicest I’ve seen with a very cool e latch system.  Yup. Lincoln wins the door handle wars which isn’t really a thing but these are gorgeous chrome handles that open with a soft touch of the hand. The doors electronically open and latch close with just the lightest touch of the door handle.  Besides evoking a feel of elegance it’s also practical in tight parking situations where slamming the door shut isn’t an option.

Reserve editions have three-zone climate control, 13-speaker Revel audio, and 24-way power front seats with cooling.

Sounds Good

The Continental’s $5,500 Luxury Package includes Revel’s Ultima 19-speaker audio system.  It is a pricey package but the sound is concert hall or audiophile quality.  It has 19 speakers and 3 different listening modes.  The exceptional leather and interior trim components such as dash and door coverings enhance the acoustics. Extra points for using old school knobs instead of the on screen interface. There’s nothing more irritating than fumbling for mute or tapping the screen repeatedly just to turn the volume up or down.

Feel safe

The Lincoln Continental gets full marks across the board in the most recent NHTSA testing.. Bigger is better and here is an inherent safety factor in luxury sedans of this size with airbags to spare. The Technology package ($3,000) includes many safety items  like 360 degree cameras and a 180 degree split view in the grille to boost cross traffic visibility. The Technology package also includes Active Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and Collision Alert.  Night time driving is also easier with the beautiful and unique adaptive LED headlights in the tech package.

Choices

The choices are many but the Continentals direct competitor has to be Cadillac’s CT6. You will find similarly priced offerings in Mercedes and BMW showrooms.  Hyundai’s Genesis spin off is a serious threat as well. Some focus more on power and drive than the quiet luxury focus from Lincoln so that preference may be your guide.  Ford of Canada just threw in another enticement earlier this year by offering Concierge service. The dealer pick up, delivery and loaner service is complimentary to 2018 owners for four years or 80 ,000 kilometres. The luxury sedan market is getting new attention  and the return of the Continental name is a fresh and welcome addition.

2018  Lincoln Continental Reserve AWD

3.0 litre GTDI V6 with 6 speed Selectshift transmission

As tested $82,000.00

Mileage 14.4 L/100 km city and 9.7 L/100 km hwy and 12.3 L/100 km combined

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