Lincoln Continental 1988-94

     Like all Lincolns, this is a large luxury vehicle designed to compete with the likes of the Cadillac and Lexus.  Luxury options are numerous and high quality, and the Continental has a computer-controlled suspension that makes for an excellent ride, soaking up most bumps and potholes with little effect on the occupants.  The suspension can float a little bit over wavy surfaces, and the steering tends to be light and without road feel.  The Continental corners well, and is surefooted in wet weather.  The biggest failing of this model of the Continental are its engines, underpowered for a vehicle of its weight and when compared to other cars of its class.  But the interior is posh, and the seats are limousine quality.

Lincoln Continental 1995-00

     This is a major redesign of the Continental, hardly the same car anymore.  The body is rounded and aerodynamic, the engine is a powerful V-8, the vehicle is loaded with electronics from the sound system to engine component control and even electronic steering and suspension control.  The electronic steering is a feature that never worked too well; high mode makes the steering stiff, but without great road feel; low mode makes the most of power steering, but also makes the steering rather light and vague, and most owners leave the steering in normal mode.  Low and high suspension mode have little effect on the ride and handling of the Continental, and taking it out of normal mode is generally done only by the most sensitive drivers.  The interior is even larger and more spacious than earlier Continentals, and even more plush materials and a more generous option package is used. The instruments are very bright at night, which may be distracting, and difficult to read in sunlight.  Climate controls and the seat heaters are recessed into the dashboard and are difficult for drivers to manipulate.  Despite the luxuries, this car did not sell well and RL prices are generally good.

Lincoln Continental/Mark VII 1987-92

     The primary differences are the somewhat lesser luxury package, and the far less powerful engine used; the base 150-horsepower engine was available only in the 1987 model year.   The Mark VII is a coupe, but is not a small car. The Continental of this model is a conventional sedan. The Mark VII and Continental have a traction control package, but it is not a particularly effective one, with the rear tires spinning in snow and ice, and the vehicle tending to hydroplane in heavy rain despite its weight.  On dry pavement or light rain, the handling is sure and agile, and steering precise and braking short. However, the vehicles have all-wheel disc brakes and antilock brakes.  The Continental is front-wheel drive, but the Mark VII has rear-wheel drive. 200 and 225-horsepower versions have a noticeably stiff ride, particularly in the city. Gas milage is nothing to ride home about, but being a Lincoln, they have all the bells and whistles.

Lincoln Mark VIII 1993-98

     This is a luxury car designed for the sporty crowd.  It is almost as luxurious as the Town Car, but not nearly as large and features powerful engines for a car of its size and weight.  That “not nearly as large” is relative – the Mark VIII is still a big car. Those engines are also quiet and run silky smooth, but their drawback is the amount of fuel they consume.  The Mark VIII has a traction control package, but it is not a particularly effective one, with the rear tires spinning in snow and ice, and the vehicle tending to hydroplane in heavy rain despite its weight.  On dry pavement or light rain, the handling is sure and agile, and steering precise and braking short.  Interior space is not a strong point, like most sports coupes, and rear seat room is very limited. 

Lincoln Town Car 1990-97

     This is the top of the Lincoln line, a direct competitor to cars such as the Cadillac Fleetwood.  It was one of the first production cars in the world to feature antilock brakes and airbags, and virtually every luxury conceivable in a car of its class can be found in the Town Car.  The Town Car has the Ride Control Package, designed to make the ride silky smooth, the handling crisp, and cornering tight.  However, the Town Car tends to lean into turns, and it can get somewhat floaty over bumps.  The interior is huge and plush, and the doors wide and tall, able to accommodate even grossly overweight individuals.  The trunk looks like it was designed for an entire fireteam’s worth of cargo.  Most of the controls are high on the dashboard, easy to reach; exceptions are the power window, power lock, and side mirror controls, which are on the door armrests, and are unfortunately not backlit, like the other controls.  Like many Lincolns the weak point of the Town Car is its underpowered engines, especially for a car of the Town Car's weight.