2019 Lincoln Continental Review: A Grand Old Gentleman

The style of the latest generation Continental harkens back to a time when such large luxury sedans were more popular, and that's still part of its appeal today. While it may look like a blast from the past, the latest offering from Lincoln is eminently modern, with all the safety and tech features you'd expect from a vehicle with this price tag. Speaking of which, the luxury sedan has a relatively low starting price for the segment at $46,145, putting it more in line with the midsize sedans it seems better equipped to compete with. This is because, unlike the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S-Class, the Continental sticks to V6 engines, in either standard or turbocharged form. The base engine supplies 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, while the most potent pushes out 400 of each. Sadly, none of the engine options offer competitive fuel economy. Similarly, while the sedan presents buyers with superior passenger space, it skimps quite a bit on cargo.

What's the Price of the 2019 Lincoln Continental?

The price of the Continental starts relatively low, but it quickly scales the spectrum as you move through the trim levels and add the optional packages and accessories. Getting behind the wheel of the base-model Continental will set you back $46,145, while the Select, which shares the same engine, adds $3,800 to that price. With the mid-tier turbo V6, the Reserve will cost you $59,700. It is quite a jump from there to the premium Black Label, which starts at $70,045. Opting for the more powerful turbo V6 will see you paying in excess of $76,200. If you're one of the lucky 80 customers to get their hands on the special Anniversary Edition Continental, you will have to pay out $110,000 dollars for the privilege. These prices exclude tax, registration, licensing and the $995 destination charge.

2019 Continental Exterior

Dimensions

2019 Continental Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

Despite all the power at its command, especially with the optional turbo V6 engines, the large sedan is far from being considered sporty. It is pretty good at wide-open stretches of straight road, where it can simply let its engines do all the work. However, it's when you try to tame that power on more winding roads that the Continental falls behind its more well-rounded competitors.

The steering isn't as light as it is in most luxury sedans, which is nice, but it still offers little to no feedback, draining any confidence a driver might have about pushing this stately cruiser to its limits. To its credit, the Lincoln manages to maintain its composure, even at higher speeds, but it suffers from quite a bit of understeer when taking corners too sharply, something that isn't mitigated even with the all-wheel drivetrain.

Ride comfort is quite good, with comfortable seats and an adaptive suspension that absorbs most road abrasions. However, regardless of settings, the suspension isn't as refined as pricier luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. On the plus side, the cabin is well-insulated, with wind and road noise only mildly intruding. That changes at higher speeds or over rougher roads, where the noise can be quite intrusive.

2019 Continental Interior

2019 Continental Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Verdict: Is the 2019 Lincoln Continental A Good car?

Despite being relatively new, with the latest model first introduced in 2017, the Lincoln Continental is still a bit of a dinosaur. In some ways, that's a good thing. It has an old-school style that reminds people what they loved about large luxury sedans in the past. This works in its favor in a market that is moving away from hefty cruisers.

But it's disappointing that the American sedan doesn't complement this aesthetic with some of the more modern advances that its rivals across the pond have refined to the point of perfection. Despite the throaty V6 engines on offer, the Continental can't compete with the road royalty that is the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and sadly even the 6 Series Gran Turismo or Audi A7 best it in most regards, even though they are from a smaller segment.

The Lincoln may have an appealing price tag, but if you want a luxury sedan at the same level as those the Germans offer, you will end up spending almost the same as you would if you simply bought a foreign car, and you'd have a lot more disappointment. The Continental isn't as fuel-efficient, doesn't have the same refined tech features, uses lower-grade materials, and doesn't feel as well-built. Add to this the subpar trunk space and less-than-stellar driving dynamics, and you really have to ask yourself why you aren't driving away from this relic of a bygone era as fast as you can in your new BMW or Merc.

What Lincoln Continental Model Should I Buy?

In terms of value for money, the base-level Standard trim covers most of the bases. It gets enough comfort features to keep the family happy, and the leatherette is supple enough. The sedan also gets the full suite of now-standard safety features like forward collision alert and blind-spot monitoring. It isn't powered by the more powerful twin-turbo V6, but to get that, you will need to fork over an extra $15k. However, if your budget allows for it, we recommend you skip over the Select and go straight for the Reserve, which sees the addition of a plethora of advanced safety features and even more comfort and convenience options.

2019 Lincoln Continental Comparisons

2019 Lincoln Continental vs Cadillac CT6 Sedan

The CT6 and Continental are two sides of the same coin, each offering similar performance and utility, but each falling short of the benchmark set by the Germans and Japanese. The CT6 also presents buyers with a choice of several engines, including a 500-hp turbo V6, but it comes mated to a more refined transmission and has better handling dynamics. Add to this the CT6's similar trunk space and overall better passenger space, and you can easily overlook its $4k higher starting price, if you are able to get your hands on the Luxury trim that was discontinued halfway through the year; otherwise it is a $10k hike for the Premium Luxury. After all, if this is the segment you're shopping in, then that's chump change. It's still cheaper than other large luxury sedans, and it gets better mileage than the Continental. At the end of the day, the Caddy is the better choice here.

2019 Lincoln Continental vs Lincoln MKZ

The MKZ is the smaller brother to the Continental, even though it shares many of the same underpinnings. However, its focus on more affordable luxury shows not only in its price tag, which is about $10k less than than the Continental, but also in its better fuel economy. This is courtesy of an admittedly less powerful 245 hp inline-four engine. Unfortunately, it shares the same unrefined six-speed automatic gearbox. Still, it is lighter and more athletic than the large luxury sedan, meaning it feels a lot more enjoyable to drive despite these shortcomings. It isn't as luxurious inside, but it manages to be relatively spacious and maintains almost similar trunk space. You may not look as stately in the MKZ, but it's the better buy all-round, unless money really isn't an issue.