functional, with just four dials to deal with--a speedometer and tachometer, fuel and
temperature gauges.
The right side of the panel has a dot-matrix display screen that's part of the
Memory Profile System. This is supposed to be a great technological breakthrough that
sets the Continental apart from all of its competitors. This electronic marvel lets
you customize just about every operational aspect of the car. Select how much effort
you wish to exert in steering: low, normal or firm.
The car remembers everything from how you like to position the six-way power seats
and how the outside mirrors should be adjusted, to what radio stations you like to
have available on the preset pushbuttons.
When you unlock the doors with your key fob, the car knows it's you and adjusts
everything--seat, mirrors, radio--just the way you like it. So if your spouse has been
driving the car and reset the button for your classical music station to play
country-western tunes, don't worry. It will all change back.
The idea sounds great, but in real life driving the memory profile system just
seems like another electronic gadget that doesn't add anything to the true substance of the car.
Anyone who ever drove the old Continental will recall how it could turn a simple
turn onto a busy street into an adventure that required careful planning and nerves of
steel.
Yes, it was that slow.
Each horsepower that its V6 engine generated had to haul around 22 pounds of car.
While the Continental is a little heavier, its engine is a lot more powerful. The
InTech V8 only has to move 15 pounds per horsepower.
The difference is stunning. Folks who measure such things say '96 models can go
from 0-60 mph more quickly than the LS 400 or the Oldsmobile Aurora. The powertrain is
now one of the Continental's strengths.
You notice the Continental's heft a little more in sharp curves. The body rolls a
bit, and there is some understeer. (That means the car resists turning and wants to
keep going straight.)
We'd love to report that the adjustable steering and suspension systems help the
Continental make the transition from freeway cruiser to backroad bandit. They don't.
Firm. Plush. Low. Normal. The differences are real but subtle enough that many
drivers will probably be disappointed they can't feel greater changes in the ride and
handling as they switch between settings.
But don't worry about that. All in all, the handling is quick and sure enough to
satisfy most drivers under most conditions, no matter what settings you use. After
all, Lincoln doesn't portray the Continental as a sports sedan. It's a luxury car.
Most drivers should also find the Continental to be one of the quietest cars
they've ever been in. Wind and road noise is minimal. Engine vibration is virtually
banished from the cabin. You walk away with the overall impression that the
Continental is an easy and pleasant car to drive. Maybe one of the easiest and most pleasant cars you've ever driven.
The Continental is now a worthy competitor for the Cadillac Seville and a rational
alternative to even more expensive German and Japanese cars for some buyers.
If sporty performance is what you're after, then the Continental is probably not
for you. A Seville STS, BMW 540i, or Infiniti Q45--to name just a few--offer a more
exciting driving experience.
But if you're after comfort and room, convenience and understated elegance, with
plenty of V8 power, then the Continental could make you very happy.
We wouldn't call it a bargain at $40,000. More like a sound buy.
