Is the 2018 Lincoln Continental the best American luxury car? I always thought it was the Cadillac CT6, but after taking a second look at them on a fluke earlier this morning, now I’m not so sure. So, to help me (and you) decide if the Lincoln Continental is the best American luxury sedan, I’ve put together this detailed model review.

With the new Lincoln Continental, Ford’s luxury brand tries to provide a car which honors its long-past glory days while being modern enough to appeal to a new generation of American luxury car shoppers.

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2018 Lincoln Continental Review

The Continental nameplate includes a lot of history for Lincoln. At its inception in the 1930s, it was intended to emulate the sleeker European style language of the day. While the 2018 Lincoln Continental is a far cry from the curvaceous coupe of the art deco era, its mission remains substantially the same: compete with European rivals.

As opposed to competing directly with much more performance-oriented American and European versions, the Lincoln Continental prioritizes a calm ride over grunt and athleticism. But that’s not to say this Continental is your wallowing property yacht that your grandfather (or perhaps great-grandfather) had years past. With its elegant styling and cutting-edge attributes, this really is the very best large sedan which Lincoln has offered in ages.

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Interior, Configurations, and Features

The 2018 Lincoln Continental is a sizable, four-door luxury sedan that comes in four trim levels: Premiere ($45,160), Select ($49,370), Reserve ($54,785) and Black Label ($69,630). Highlights of the entry-level Premiere include adaptive xenon headlights, keyless entry and ignition, an 8-inch touchscreen interface, Apple CarPlay and Android automobile integration, satellite radio, 2 USB interfaces and a 10-speaker audio system.

The Select provides soft-close door assist, hands-free trunk opener and leather upholstery, while the Reserve boasts triple-zone automatic climate control, a navigation system, and ventilated front seats. The fully loaded Black Label counts LED headlights, upgraded leather upholstery and a 19-speaker sound system among its regular features.

Based on trim level, one of three unique motors is fitted into the 2018 Lincoln Continental. The lineup begins with a 3.7-liter V6 with 305 horsepower then moves into the midlevel choice of a turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 with 335 hp. At the peak of the range is turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 making 400 hp. All send their oomph via a six-speed automatic transmission. Based on the engine, you might choose between front or all-wheel drive.

2018 Lincoln Continental Pictures

Colors

The 2018 Lincoln Continental comes in a number of attractive exterior and interior colors. Which ones would you choose? I like the Ivory Peal Metallic Tri-Coat for the exterior and Ebony interior unless I was going with a Black Label.

Exterior

• Rhapsody Blue
• Iced Mocha Metallic
• Ivory Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat
• Blue Diamond Metallic
• Black Velvet
• Magnetic Gray Metallic
• Burgundy Velvet Metallic Tinted Clearcoat
• Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat
• White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat
• Ingot Silver Metallic

Interior

• Cappuccino
• Ebony
• Jade Gray
• Terracotta

Performance Features

Now, navigating traffic may feel a bit more effortless. Available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go marries radar and camera, allowing the Continental to sense and adapt to the speed of nearby cars. Stop-and-go performance enables the car to come to a complete stop and restart when traffic starts to move.

Auto Hold provides a new kind of relief when you come to stop signs, signs and other braking situations. After the machine is engaged and the driver uses the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a standstill, the machine will hold and then release the brakes once the accelerator is pushed.

Active Noise Control heightens overall cabin audio quality by reducing unwanted sound. Microphones track the audio profile of the interior, which is then inverted by means of a signal processor to make an opposing acoustic wave through the speakers. Whenever the opposing wave matches the first sound wave, they cancel out each other, giving a more pleasant driving experience. Looks like somebody’s got their thinking cap on over at Lincoln. Nice.

Technology Features

This 2018 Lincoln Continental is packed with all the latest technology features you’d expected from a luxury automaker. While I won’t list every possible technology featured offered, I do outline the most notables ones below.

SYNC 3

SYNC 3 is Ford’s easy-to-use and responsive voice-activated technology. Discover its fast response to your voice commands. Go through the smartphone-like touchscreen with remarkable efficiency. You’ll also discover a slick, user-friendly interface that will assist you to connect to and control your smartphone. Find your favorite restaurants with easy destination entrance through the optional Navigation System. SYNC 3 is quick, smart and user-friendly.

REVEL  AUDIO

With 19 expertly placed speakers at the accessible Revel® Ultima® Audio System, the Continental delivers music in stunning audiophile quality. QuantumLogic Surround® (QLS), you can immerse yourself in sound by selecting from three distinctly different modes, such as Stereo, Audience, and Onstage. Clari-Fi, a patented HARMAN technology, the audio system rebuilds sound details lost in digitally compressed music.

CONFIGURABLE DIGITAL DISPLAY

A single all-digital, in-dash instrument cluster display. This single uninterrupted screen allows drivers to select what information is important to them and where to put it.

Final Thoughts

I think the Lincoln Continental is the best American luxury sedan you can buy today. Why? Did you watch my build & price video of the 2018 Lincoln Continental above? If you did, then you know the top-of-the-line Black Label, all in, will set you back about $75,000.

While that’s a fair amount of money, the Continental is easily punching above its weight and I think it’s as nice as the Cadillac CT6, which costs about $20,000 more. If you’re in the market for a new luxury sedan, give the 2018 Lincoln Continental a good look.