“Just ride in the Continental and you'll see it reminds you of the old Town Cars, ride is like being on a cloud.”
Lincoln Continental: Trims, Generations & Buyer's Guide
Last updated August 4, 2026
The Lincoln Continental is a full-size luxury sedan known for quiet, relaxed travel, elegant styling, and a roomy cabin. The revived 2017-2020 model favors comfort and calm over sporty handling.
The Continental returned for 2017 as Lincoln’s flagship sedan and carried the brand’s “quiet luxury” approach through its final U.S. model year in 2020. Its consistent focus was a hushed ride, generous passenger room, and easy long-distance comfort. Distinctive details and strong V6 power gave it presence without turning it into an aggressive sport sedan.
Strengths
- The cabin is quiet and roomy, which makes the Continental well suited to relaxed highway trips.
- The back seat has generous space for adults, with 41.3 inches of rear legroom in 2020.
- Its 16.7-cubic-foot trunk in 2020 provides useful luggage room for a luxury sedan.
- The revived model offers strong V6 performance, ranging from 305 to 400 horsepower in 2020.
- Models from 2019 onward include a broad standard safety suite with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking.
- Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive were both represented in the 2020 lineup, giving used-car shoppers options for different climates.
Who it's for
It best fits someone who wants a traditional American luxury sedan for commuting, road trips, or carrying adult passengers in comfort. It is especially appealing to shoppers who value a soft, calm driving experience more than sharp cornering or a sporty feel.
Lincoln Continental lineup
Base or Standard models are the straightforward entry point and retain the Continental’s core comfort and technology. Select models from earlier years add more built-in tech without moving to the upper end of the range. Reserve is the step up for richer comfort and audio equipment, while Black Label is the luxury-focused version with its own interior themes and more features included. The rare 2019 Coach Door Edition stands apart as a limited anniversary model with distinctive rear-hinged back doors.
Lincoln Continental generations
From 2017 to 2020, the Continental spans 1 generation. The current 10th Generation arrived for 2017.
10th Generation (2017–2020)
The Continental returned for 2017 as a roomy full-size luxury sedan after a long absence. It emphasized a quiet, comfortable cabin, distinctive electronic door releases, modern touchscreen connectivity, and a range of V6 engines, including a 400-horsepower twin-turbo V6.
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2020Trim changes
The regular lineup was reduced to Standard, Reserve, and Black Label. This was the revived Continental’s final U.S. model year.
2019Trim changes
The limited 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition joined the lineup. A driver-assistance suite with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking became standard across the range.
2018
A built-in Wi-Fi hotspot became standard, while upper trims received additional comfort, audio, and driver-assistance equipment.
2017New generation
The Continental returned as Lincoln’s flagship sedan with a new full-size body, a comfort-focused cabin, electronic door releases, and a touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What's new by year
See what changed in a specific model year of the Lincoln Continental.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Lincoln Continental a sedan or an SUV?
The Lincoln Continental is a four-door, five-seat full-size luxury sedan. The revived 2017–2020 model emphasizes a spacious cabin, a quiet ride, and relaxed road manners rather than SUV-style utility.
What is the Lincoln Continental known for?
The Continental is known for quiet, easygoing travel and generous passenger space. Its soft, calm personality and strong rear-seat comfort matter more than sharp, sporty handling.
Is the Lincoln Continental a hybrid?
No. The revived 2017–2020 Continental is gas-powered and uses V6 engines. The lineup includes a 3.7-liter V6 and stronger twin-turbo V6 choices, depending on trim and year.
Does the Lincoln Continental have all-wheel drive?
Yes. Revived Continentals were sold with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, depending on the engine, trim, and individual car. Check the listing or vehicle itself because the drivetrain is not the same across the lineup.
Is the Lincoln Continental roomy enough for rear-seat passengers?
Yes. The Continental seats five and has 41.3 inches of rear legroom in the final lineup. Its roomy back seat is one of the sedan’s defining strengths, especially for adults riding on longer trips.
Is the Lincoln Continental a sporty luxury sedan?
Not primarily. The Continental favors a hushed cabin, a soft ride, and relaxed cruising over aggressive handling. It suits shoppers who value comfort and classic American luxury more than a sharp sports-sedan feel.
Is the Lincoln Continental still in production?
No. Lincoln revived the Continental for the 2017 model year, and the tenth-generation sedan ran through 2020. The 2020 model was the final U.S. model year of that revival.
Lincoln Continental Reviews
What owners are saying about the Lincoln Continental.
4.3
Lincoln Continental
(747 reviews)
“Great car for the money. If it were rear wheel drive with a V8 it would have had a lot more attention like a Continental should be. A front wheel drive vehicle is no fun to drive.”
“Highlights: Turns heads! Very comfortable. Low Lights: Remote trunk closing stopped working and the app no longer works without upgrading to a 5G cellular module.”
“Luxury is the "complete" word that centers around Lincoln. I've owned a number of luxury vehicles in the past but I continue to come back to Lincoln because of their focus on luxury in all areas of design, features, operation and performance. Consistency counts and Lincoln "hits that ball out of the park" every time.”
“The car has great styling and it handle and drive very well and it has great safety features.”
“it is a large car with a good pick up, stylish and comfortable had several compliments by people”