Slap the Lincoln grille on this and you’d have one nice Continental

 

So to defend the Lincoln Continental. The Lincoln has outsold the LS500, the G90, the Lexus GS, the LaCrosse (last year), the CT6 (all years)....

 

Continental business is 85% fleet sales. That’s straight out of the sales manager of my local Lincoln dealer’s mouth.

He says they very rarely even test drive a Continental to a private buyer.

Crossovers/SUVs are a totally different story, Navigator has 35% fleet business but Aviator buyers are all private owners.

 

Lincoln has a great-looking Continental as it is.....problem is that no one goes to look at it. As Steve mentioned (probably correctly)...few private buyers even test drive it. Of course, G90 sales are not exactly in the RAV-4 range, either.

 

The Continental as a vehicle isn’t in the same league as the G90. It should be, but it’s not.

 

One of the best looking sedans on the road. This door handles and the arch over the rear wheels is just excellent. My other half does not really agree.

 

I know you don't like it because it is a Taurus-based FWD/AWD platform....you've said that before. With most people (including me) that's not an issue...I don't think that is what is holding down its sales. part of it is Lincoln's (formerly) Geezer-image, part of it is the poor job that Lincoln did in the past (which no longer applies) of simply doing rebadged Fords with a little more woodtone and leather, and part of it is Lincoln operating out of Ford shops. Also, Lincoln lost a lot of customers when they dropped the Town Car, and a number of them have simply not come back.

Now, of course, the same can be said for the G90 operating out of Hyundai shops, but not for most of the rest of what I described above.

 

It’s not just that. The Continental is nowhere near as refined as the G90, nor is it as well made inside. It’s just not an impressive car aside from “it’s less crappy than you would expect a Lincoln to be”

People don’t buy them because it’s just not an excellent product. The Navigator and Aviator are and the sales and recognition are a result of that.

Many of the people who bought the Town Car didn’t come back because they’re in a graveyard. Just saying.

 

What people? Have you chatted with some people that use to own a Continental? Post some articles to back up your statement.
I honestly don't pay any attention to Lincoln or Ford so I have no idea. But I would love to see the facts your based your opinion on.

 

Fixed that.

 

Are you talking to me?

 

Nice remark. Lots of people like them. Those suicide doors are pretty special edition

Sells out in 48hrs

 

they only made 80 for '19 and 80 for '20 and no doubt livery/limo companies would like the reverse doors.

 

I agree its road manners aren't quite as refined (but it's close). I don't agree, though, that the interior is much worse inside. Both are well-crafted inside and use nice materials.....the ones inside Lincoln are just a little different, that's all.

Yes, the Navigator and Aviator are excellent products......for people who want SUVs. And that, of course, assumes that Ford can get the major QC problems in the Chicago plant, where the Explorer and Aviator are built, straightened out. As it is now, they are shipping the worst examples from Chicago to the Flat Rock, MI plant for attention.

A few have passed on, but a whole lot more have simply moved on to other competitors...Lincoln lost their business.

On the thread-topic, I suspect that at least some of the G90 customers were former Town-Car jocks, although, of course, the G90 itself hasn't sold in high numbers either.

 

I wouldnt say its close at all. The G90 feels like a proper flagship car, the Continental doesnt, it feels more like say a Cadillac XTS. As for the interior, the Continental has hard plastic in places the G90 doesn't, and the material quality in general in the G90 is a step above.

As for the Town Car, the average buyer age in 2000 was 68, so yes many Town Car buyers are no longer alive, and the % of buyers in their late 70s/80s who are buying new $70,000 cars is pretty small.