Review and Test Drive: 2017 Lincoln Continental
Despite its heft (it weighs around 4,500 pounds or 2,040 kilograms), the car handles with aplomb. With the 3.0-liter turbo-charged engine, it can accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) in roughly 5.5 seconds,, a figure that is significantly faster than the 1964 Continental, which took 9.6 seconds to achieve this. The six-speed automatic transmission works well with the engine but I sometimes wished for an additional gear or two.
While the Continental is not intended for hard cornering it doesn’t shy away from such activities either.
BOTTOM LINE
Purchasing a membership in the Lincoln Continental club isn’t exorbitant. The base model starts at $45,485, the Continental Reserve, which is nicely outfitted and what we had, has a base price of $54,840, and the Black Label tops out fully equipped at $78,510.
Lincoln still has its work cut out for it in restoring the luster of the brand, but resurrecting the Continental name was clearly the way to go and it just may be the best American luxury car on the road.
THE DETAILS
| 2017 Lincoln Continental AWD Reserve | |
| Base price/price-as-tested | $56,075/$75,020 |
| Drivetrain | Front engine, all-wheel drive |
| Engine | 3.0-liter V6 |
| Horsepower/Torque | 400 / 400 |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Curb weight (lbs) | 4,547 |
| Wheelbase (inches) | 117.9 |
| Length x width x height (inches) | 201.4 x 63.2 x 58.5 |
| 0-60 mph (seconds) (est.) | 5.5 |
| Fuel economy (mpg) (city/hwy) | 16/24 |
(Photos: Accura Media Group)
