1988 Lincoln Continental | Retro Review

Lincoln hoped to catch the attention of younger more Euro luxury inclined buyers, and they almost nailed it with the '88 Continental.
Show 704 | Original Airdate 10-22-1987
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[@cardo1111]

Problems with the electronic suspension on these Continentals put many of them in the bone yard. The cost of suspension repairs was astronomical often more than the car was worth after several years of ownership.

[@benscampers1818]

Yep my mom had one, rode great until it was sitting on the ground one day. She had a Taurus spring conversion installed

[@amethystdeceiver6874]

Righto. Failed suspension and frequent 3.8 head gasket troubles seemed to be the bane ov these jawns.

[@DS_IndustrieZ]

I see many 80s Lincoln's in backyards glued to the ground

[@palebeachbum]

@@amethystdeceiver6874 And transmission failure. So basically, the entire car.

[@AndreLaplante-xu1le]

My mark VII was converted to steel. I’m returning it back to air ride. Amazing how inexpensive the air bag springs are now.

[@patricktam4278]

Lookat how much the button panel flexed as they pushed on the trip computer buttons was crazy.

[@CalledbyGrace-zs1dl]

Everything in it looks cheap. I had a 1984 Mercury Cougar, bought brand new and it was same. The upholstery and parts were super cheap and plastic parts started falling off and breaking. Haven't owned a Ford product since.

[@jordancheyne7939]

Those controls are "top rate"!

[@irieite100]

Dude. In-dash CD player though.

[@patmanz28]

Yeah but you could still put 230k on them

[@attackb5349]

And Ford logos all over the electronics

[@albear972]

4:41 Look how cheap those buttons are. You press one and they all move.

[@drivedb7]

Not an uncommon sight on a pre-production test mule.

[@LrulestheworldM8]

Man these were terrible. Who at Ford thought it was a good idea to put a Fwd V6 into these? I've honestly never seen one of these on the road. They must have all died in the 90s. The only ones I see around now are the V8 rwd cars. Also, those electronics probably put these cars into early retirement. The button flex alone on that trip panel was enough to break the whole car. Big yikes.

[@palebeachbum]

The problem wasn't that they were V6 FWD. RWD cars were considered old, outdated technology as everyone was moving to FWD. The problem with the Continental was the abysmal 3.8L V6. It had good torque, as John noted, but it was only 140hp. Very underpowered for a car of this size at the time. It was also an unreliable engine prone to blowing the head gasket. What killed this car was the horrid reliability of the engine, transmission, and suspension.

[@Stressless2023]

@@palebeachbum Yeah pretty much all the mechanicals in these cars was junk - Weak transmissions, fragile air suspensions, head gasket blowing 3.8L engines - They were pretty on the outside, I'll give them that, but total garbage underneath.

[@michaelpfaff6009]

Today's MW should look at these previous road tests and return to this format. 0-60 should not make or break a car. I love how MW use to do a comparison to other car brands at the end of the review. It seems to me that auto journalists no longer realize that some consumers wanted a large and comfortable car. Some consumers were not obsessed with 0-60 rocked speeds or how well a car cornered. They wanted a large, comfortable car that isolated them from the road rather than how well they can feel the road. I think that auto journalists killed the large luxo cars.

[@joez.2794]

There was absolutely nothing that rode like a Lincoln air suspension. It's only boring if you test cars for a living.

[@devinbiz]

I agree, but I think the 0-60 can be pertinent, when thinking about passing, merging or going up a hill. I can’t imagine the embarrassment of paying for a luxury car and then not being able to merge into traffic or maintain speed going up hill

[@michaelpfaff6009]

@@devinbiz yeah that's true....

[@jeremyb4493]

It's all relative to time. How fast does anyone really need to go? Of course because of auto related media and journalists, everything has to accelerate and corner like a sports car and people obsess over numbers, even tenths of a second. People used these cars and went on with their lives despite the lack of over the top features and low performance compared to modern autos.

[@theKevronHarris]

I wish MW would bring back the hits and misses segment of the road test which I think is interesting.

[@cardo1111]

The Mark VII LSC was bad ass, still looks great today.

[@hellkitty1014]

Those things were so cool when they first came out. Plus the 5.0 was big stuff back then.

[@lousanto1054]

@@hellkitty1014 agreed. The LSC and the LeBaron coupe were both Bad-Ass. Believe it or not, that turbo engine had a much horsepower (140) as most Mark VII's

[@GoodBeat101]

I would drive one today if they released one.

[@owlnswan4016]

It's really incredible how well the Mark VII has aged. They barely look "old". The Mark VIII actually looks "dated" in comparison to my eye.

[@Mabeylater293]

Emphasis on “ass”.

[@robertborne895]

They should have used the Yamaha V-6 from the Taurus SHO for the power plant.

[@taurussho86]

Didn't that come out in 89?

[@m.hstudioproductions6642]

​@@taurussho86Yes, the Yamaha SHO V6 debuted in 1989 on the Ford Taurus SHO.

[@jeremyb4493]

The sho yamaha engine was well balanced but excelled in the top end. Would've been a waste in that much larger, heavier Lincoln chassis.

[@Fleetwoodjohn]

Sharp cars at the time. My dad wanted one but a rental had an abs issue and that scared him off. The LSC’s back then we’re awesome. He had a few of those. 😎

[@pimphand00]

My dad bought a used 88 continental back in the early 90's. It was constantly in the shop. It was a money pit.

[@ChrisHsuCars]

These were fine if you wanted a luxo boat ride. But no one back then (of my generation at least), would ever have picked this over a similar BMW, Acura, Lexus or MB of the same era. And I still wouldn't. Looking at the way the car nose dives and leans in the slalom just proves that Ford was trying to please their traditional buyers while still trying to update the stodgy image. History proves that it didn't work. Too bad because the Taurus / Sable of the day was outstanding in execution. Shame they didn't apply the same formula to this car

[@dave1956]

I rented two new 1991 Continental’s for road trips. What an enjoyable ride.

[@4jp]

I cannot imagine that a "new generation of luxury car owners" would have purchased this boat in 1987. Even for the 1980s, this looks like a grandma car and the performance is, well, not the best.

[@tonyvargas368]

In 1990, I purchased an ‘88 Audi 80. While it was was a fun car, it constantly overheated and had a host of other problems. Dam I loved that car. 😂

[@ShelterCats]

My father had an 88 and a 90. I remember them being comfortable but I also remember them being very very unreliable and Lincoln service was awful. The 1990 was sold for a Q45 and we never got a Lincoln again.

[@dannyg6592]

I had a 1989 Continental, fully loaded, as my company car for that year. Very impressive highway/road trip car. It rode extremely well, yet still handled. My '85 Mark VII LSC was much more fun to drive, but the Continental was far more practical when taking more than one passenger. Thanks for the memories.

[@fernandorocha901]

Beautiful Lincoln Continental 88, confortable car

[@carexpertandy]

The following year, it became the first American made car to offer standard dual airbags.

[@seannyice8130]

These were nice, but I never figured out how a car with such "advanced" suspension would always appear lower at the back. Even this car in the video appears loaded in the back, but isn't.

[@merchantman5635]

its because its broken lol, they sagged from the factory

[@mzrzfxr]

Friend of mine had one that was a few years old back in high school that rear air suspension just kept developing leaks:-/

[@Skyisthelimit4me]

You're all wrong. The car is not sagging. It just appears that way. This car uses a very highly modified Taurus/Sable chassis. If you look closely, the rear fenders are not as tall as the front fenders. When the frame of the car is perfectly level, it appears as though the rear is sagging even though it is level. Taurus/Sable have the same optical illusion. Now the rear of any of these three cars will drop significantly with any prod of the throttle pedal for sure, the Lincoln drops more under acceleration because it's air springs air super soft.

[@TVHouseHistorian]

The microprocessor that controlled the air suspension in these was very problematic. New technologies developed in the 1980's brought with them a *ton* of teething issues.

[@spencermunson6044]

If you wanna know why Lincoln doesn’t make sedans today watch this such garbage

[@realgtasacramentodashcam7292]

I sat behind the wheel of this car at the '89 Detroit auto show for so long my dad had to come over and say there are other people waiting to get in.

[@jaws10278]

My Grandmother had a 94. What a nice car! I miss the luxoboats. I owned 3 Grand Marquis until they went away. Now I'm a happy to have switched to Toyota.

[@McVaio]

I had a Grand Marquis too back in the day. Very solid and comfy car. Also extremely reliable.

[@esteban1973]

Had a 91 and except for the air suspension never gave any problems. Donated it after the suspension decided to lower itself on the Brooklyn Bridge where a road plate bolt ripped open the oil pan. Suspension work would have cost more than the value of the car so bye bye. Very comfortable and spacious car. Could have used a little more power.

[@AP-st1li]

Lol the conversion takes less than an hour and cost less than $150

[@BReal-10EC]

@@AP-st1li But the oil pan being ripped of meant it needed a new engine.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

@@BReal-10EC ford 3.8 V6 engines were widely available in boneyards

[@BReal-10EC]

@@matthewcaughey8898 They still cost money to buy used and then have installed. I'm sure if the car was mint otherwise they would have tried to save it. Northern rust will destroy them all.

[@xrmerkur]

MotorWeek making classics classy. Thanks for always uploading these retro reviews, its quality is immeasurable compared to today’s sponsored saturated rookie content.

[@mph5896]

My dad had one of these in the early 90's. He bought it used with about 75k on it. Thing constantly broke.

[@devinbiz]

This Continental was a big shift for the brand, though I never really saw these as often as I did the Town Car or the Caddy competition. I just never saw how this looked like a luxury model.

[@nb7466]

I bought one from a friends brother for 50 bucks. It had a car phone in it. The air suspension is what took it took the junk yard. The 3.8l was strong in it still.

[@Stressless2023]

@JDns-we4fw The air suspension in these was very expensive back in the day and these had virtually zero resale value once they were a few years old on top of that - Most people just sent these to the junkyard because they turned into money pits that weren't worth anything.

[@Stressless2023]

@JDns-we4fw The air suspension components were absolutely very expensive before these vehicles became obsolete - It was a complex setup in the 1980's. And The original LS400 had an optional air suspension setup, it came standard with coil springs.

[@Stressless2023]

@JDns-we4fw These were VERY expensive to service when new like I've said, the computer-aided systems and proprietary componentry were FAR more advanced than early 80's air ride systems by Ford, and were not durable long-term or cheap, let alone readily accessible in earlier years - These also were known for weak AOD transmissions and defective head gaskets in the 3.8L - These in particular WERE junk. Not "all" Lincolns - And I have no first-hand experience with Lexus, but I do know I've seen many more LS400's with coil springs roll through my shop than air suspension-equipped models, and typically for no more service than basic maintenance and timing belt replacements... And not sure where in the country you're from, but Lexus models in general have virtually always had strong resale value.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

@@Stressless2023 Taurus Struts literally bolted right on. When mine had the airbags go haywire it was my dad who figured Taurus/ Sable parts should go right in. We pulled it into the garage and 4 Taurus quick struts later it was level again. Though we did pull the dash light for the suspension and removed the air compressor that ran it. I got another 6 years out of that car until the 3.8 blew a head gasket ( something the 3.8 was noted for ). After I got it fixed I sold it to a friend who got another 3 years out of it till a drunk driver torpedoed it in front of his house. He hit it so hard he punted it 3 houses down and got it stuck on a broken fire hydrant. It was totaled then

[@nb7466]

@JDns-we4fw hey jack. I was 19 when I bought it as a joke and at that time it was almost 1200 a shock. If you think that's a luxury car then you don't know what luxury is. I had a town car way later. Was way better then that continental

[@sweetdaddy77]

In 88 it would have been Mark VII LSC or Town Car all day long for me.

[@JohnEvans-ct6mz]

I wonder how many Continentals from ‘88 until they were dropped in 2002 kept their air suspension? Almost every Lincoln I’ve seen with air ride had been converted to the Ford equivalent spring suspension. In my opinion, Cadillac (after 1992) did a way better job of giving the Euros a run for their money.

[@roddydykes7053]

@JDns-we4fwwhat and pay several grand for it? Springs are much more reliable

[@JohnEvans-ct6mz]

@JDns-we4fwI said all of the ones I HAVE SEEN have been converted, my statement wondered how many had been. I did not by any means say they all have been. And while yes, when rubber anything breaks, you replace it. However, I don’t know of any belts, hoses, tires that will run you several thousand dollars to replace. Also, a more common failure for air ride is the pump/valve block assembly. That itself is a couple of grand. You can swap in steel springs and struts at all four corners of the vehicle for roughly the cost of one air spring/strut.

[@xxtaas777]

@JDns-we4fw You know you bring an interesting theory, that the air springs are replaceable parts rather than a unchangeable and thus a "failed component". What do you think is the average mileage/age for Lincoln Air Springs?

[@xxtaas777]

@JDns-we4fw Yes, most don't care. But in the end of the day one has to wonder what effects the air springs & if they have a general replacement time, just because a shock absorber functions over it's lifespan doesn't negate replacing it, I'm wondering the same for the air springs because there isn't much information on the whole system and there are those who want it rather than a simple steel springs conversion.

[@xxtaas777]

@JDns-we4fw Well true, however the replacement interval for tires is usually 5 years , except as you've mentioned leaking or excessive wear occur prior. But since the air spring is made of rubber then that will help in identifying an interval. As for the sensors, I think there is the air suspension relay, which if breaks can cause the whole rear air suspension ( in 1990+ Town Cars) to fall, everyday we learn something new on how to preserve the system.

[@Skyisthelimit4me]

That acceleration time is way off. The same car tested in several other places did the 0-60 in 10.5sec and top speed of 110mph. They only weigh 3,500lbs. Test car probably had one of those early slipping transmissions that was common on these.

[@ydmf2]

God that thing is ugly. Still love it though.

[@mph5896]

Bloated Taurus with styling not yet conceived of the Grand Marquis.

[@connor_flanigan]

can't decide between a Taurus or Town Car? why not have the worst of both worlds? may we introduce the Continental.

[@Stressless2023]

😂😂😂😂 Accurate.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Yikes only 140hp from a 3.8 V6. I guess that's a major improvement from the 140hp out of a 5.0 V8 from Oldsmobile.

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw In 1988 the 3800 had 165 HP. The Ford had 140 HP.

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw And how much did the Ford 3.8L have when it was introduced? 112 HP, then 120 HP when it got throttle body injection ( or CFI in Ford parlance) , then 140 HP for multi-port . 145 HP when EEC-V came along. There was rare 165 HP variant used in the Police Taurus. But it didn't get a big boost until 1996 with the split port model, those were 190-200 HP. But by that time, the Buick 3.8 was up to 205 HP N/A. The point here is that there was never a time when both engines were in production where the Ford 3.8L had a power advantage over the Buick 3.8L.

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw The transverse Ford 3.8L was first used in 1988. It made 140 HP/215 torque. In 1988 the transverse Buick 3.8L. made 165HP/210 torque. So I'm not sure what your point is. You can't compare a 1980 engine to a 1988 and call it fair.

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw "it is not rare at all for one." Other that the Taurus police package and the Conti. I'm not aware of any other vehicles getting the 3.8L H.O. Maybe the Windstar did. I wasn't aware of it, but it's possible as it had a little more power than the civy taurus (155 vs 140 IIRC), but not as much as the Conti or police Taurus (which never sold that well anyway). Apparently the dual exhaust accounted for most of the gains there. But anyway, it was rare in the context that there were way, way more non- H.O. 3.8L's that there were "normal" ones. "Regardless of the hp output for any of the front wheel drive Ford 3.8 engines, they all made more torque than the comparable fwd GM 3800 V6 for whatever generation model year they're competing." Here's the thing, the difference in HP was usually quite a bit more than the difference in torque. The single port 3.8L was giving up 25-30 HP to the 3800 while only having a 5 lb/ft of torque advantage. That's a very worth tradeoff in my book, even on a family car. "Torque is more important than horsepower. " Depends on what you're doing. In my coyote powered Mustang, If you can give me 20-30 more HP but have it cost me 5 lb/ft of torque. Sign me up.

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw You're missing the point, I know if you delve back into the mid 80's you can find a FWD Buick 3.8L with 125 HP or whatever. But you also can't find a 1984 transverse Ford 3.8L to compare it to either, since it didn't exist back then. So what's reasonable is to compare both engines when they were both available at the same time.

[@benscampers1818]

Mom had a 1993. Great car when it worked. Electronics melted down.

[@chaseman94]

My mom had a 1988 the same thing happen to her and my little brother while out shopping one Saturday in 1997 with fire shooting from under the hood. How the car still drove after that puzzled me.

[@user-sk1eh3pg6j]

Not once did he talk about the way the air suspension makes all the bumps disappear. This is why there's now no such thing as a smooth riding car. If it can swallow bumps the automotive media doesn't like it. The Continental was a beautiful automobile with a huge luxurious interior. Some of them were optioned out with a subwoofer out back and a floor shift console upfront. Rule of thumb with any Lincoln, when you buy new tires buy new air springs. They're all rubber and need to be replaced periodically. Rubber tires don't last forever neither do rubber air springs.

[@Skyisthelimit4me]

Exactly

[@traviscalvin431]

I did not realize this was based on the Taurus. It seems to me that the term luxury is very vague, subjective and changes with time. In this case was it all of the wood trim, excessive crappy control buttons, soft ride and fluffy seats that made it "luxurious"?

[@palebeachbum]

Loosely based. If I'm not mistaken the platform was stretched for the Continental. As for what defines luxury, and even does to this day, real wood costs more for interior trim, so it's seen as a more premium way to decorate an interior. It's an extravagance. In the 1980s, there were advancements in electronics, so digital displays and a lot of buttons for additional features were premium, which is still the case today when you think about it. A quiet interior with thickly padded surfaces epitomized a premium experience. Still the case today, though advancements in engineering and technology allow for that soft ride without all of the floatiness and poor handling. The American luxury brands had poor build quality and reliability compared to their European and Japanese competitors back then.

[@mph5896]

It was a good looking, stylish car at the time with alot of technology. Now I just see a bloated, Stretched out POS Taurus.

[@joez.2794]

The only thing I remember about these is flooring one (they were kinda quick), getting the pedal stuck in the floor mat, and a brick wall get rapidly bigger until I thought to turn the key off.

[@thedomitabletraveler7198]

This car was such a slap in the face of the Continental name and the name never recovered. You don't see many nowadays because they were unreliable barges when new but they still sold new because American pride

[@mph5896]

Well, also because that was 35 years ago.😆

[@user-sk1eh3pg6j]

The 1988 was a huge leap forward from the 1987 Fox Body rwd Continental in every way. The V6 performed just as well as the 4.9 V8.

[@fp5495]

Not sure people realize this, but at the time, one of the most shocking aspects of this car were the fact it stopped using white-wall tires, like most American luxury sedans were expected to wear. Obviously, it was common practice for European and Asian cars not to use them, but in 1988, almost every American luxury sedan was STILL using white-wall tires to go along with those wire-spoke wheel covers and faux-coach canvas roof tops.

[@Dac54]

The previous Continental from 1982 through 1987 was a better vehicle in pretty much every way possible. And that 3.8 liter V6 was known for head gasket failures. Funny thing is that the smaller version of this engine, the 3.0, was one of the better engines Ford ever had. The Town Car was a much better and more desirable vehicle than the Continental from 1988 going forward.

[@dohc1067]

I remember riding in one with my classmates, and yes... it was a smooth ride. There was plenty of room. I like the classy rims.

[@RobJaskula]

Nobody's grandpa had one of these. They all had Town Cars. That interior is brutal

[@mikalnaylor]

All of the Lincoln containers we sold were good solid cars except one. It was made and sold to us to sell without head gaskets and we went through hell getting that car to run right. :D lol We didn't know about the head gaskets until disassembly.

[@chaseman94]

My mom bought her 1988 Continental used in 1992 it was gray at first then in 1996 when I graduated high school and got my driver's license she had went to Earl Scheib and repainted it white. It rode and drove fine until 1997 when the problems started. One of the bolts that held the seat track on the driver's seat broke on one side , the trip computer kept on beeping repeatedly "OIL PRESS" though there was nothing wrong with the oil pressure, one the struts failed and made the car bounce like a lowrider, there was an electrical fire from under the hood while my mom and little brother were in the car and the car still drove after that. But the biggest issue which puzzled me was the brakes got so bad the pedal goes to the floor but we still drove it until one day I was with my cousin's coming back from buying Playstation games on our way home when i was approaching a red light and the car wouldn't not stop. I had 3 of my cousin's and my little brother with me so in order to try to slow the Continental down i had to literally run into the curb 3 times to try to slow the car by the time i reached the intersection I turned the corner and pulled into a parking lot to figure out how the hell were getting home. I called my uncle and he said just keep pumping the brake pedal and I managed to make it home safely which was nothing short of a miracle. My mom eventually sold the car for scrap because the repairs it needed would be more than what it was worth. So she drove my 1989 Corolla in the meantime saved a little extra money and later bought a used 1997 Infiniti I-30 which was a million times better and back when Nissan made solid vehicles.

[@Cheezwizzz]

140 horses from a 3.8 V6?! Help me understand 😂

[@MPMeterman]

Still in the 80s. That explains most of it.

[@runoflife87]

I can help you. Cadillac v8 had 145 horses.

[@therealjayseh]

It looks like a Bentley or Rolls Royce from the back.

[@john_barnett]

You think it's getting to the point where you can probably include the original Tire Rack sponsor spots as part of the Retro Review?

[@HereForAStorm]

This car was the definition of, "just more to break."

[@KartKing4ever]

@JDns-we4fw Sure, except all of those were built better, maybe with an exception for Intiniti at the time. Even then.

[@MercOne]

Wrong. A Mercedes of this era was the best car on the road. This shit was trash by comparison.

[@MercOne]

@JDns-we4fwWow you are clueless. The 80s is when Mercedes was head and shoulders above the competition. You think something changed in 1994 that wasn’t present in 1993? See if you can erase that exceedingly dumb comment.

[@melvinharris7859]

@@MercOne Ah yes, 80s Mercedes-Benz, with their antiquated trailing arm rear suspension, recirculating ball steering, diesel engines with 0-60 times in excess of 15 seconds, or occasionally gas engines that guzzled so much fuel you'd think you were driving a '74 Coupe Deville, with enormous US spec bumpers and hideous sealed beam headlights despite even US competition having moved to composite headlamps, cramped interiors, stiff rides, vinyl upholstery, crank windows, and MSRPs so high you could have bought a Cadillac and a Chevy and still had a few thousand left to spare. Truly just head and shoulders above the competition. I mean, no comparison, really.

[@MercOne]

@@melvinharris7859Yet Mercedes beat the snot out of Lincoln and Cadillac during this time. Only someone with a total disconnect from reality would try to frame an argument in which Lincoln and Cadillac made superior products to Mercedes in the 80s. Crank windows? Money left over after you bought a POS Chevy? Are these arguments from a person with a brain?

[@michaelre7556]

3:58 wow, is that ever a lot of brake dive

[@citibear57]

"...it should even make European luxury car owners stand up and take notice" Yeah, they got up because they were laughing too hard 👎

[@timothyhh]

Did Ford management really believe the marketing department's BS about anyone other than Old Farts buying this car?

[@jamieshields9521]

I would see comparison with 88 Ford Lincoln vs 88 Ford Australia EA Falcon, I was surprised no leather seats in LC.

[@herbienbrian2]

Oh gross man it's just a big Taurus 😂 I think they reused that rear window for the redesigned Crown Vics.

[@weirdshibainu]

I bought one new in 1992. Within 10,000 miles it was in the shop so many often, the dealer shuttle driver knew my name and where I worked. It was a beautiful car-blue with dark blue interior, but it was a complete lemon. How bad was it? I would rent a car if I needed to travel out of town. After 30,000 excruciating miles and literally dozens of trips to the dealer ( I had 2 banker boxes full of work orders) I was driving from work and steam started coming out of the hood. I opened the hood and the top end was splattered with oil and antifreeze. I put my foot into it and raced it to the dealer, trailing steam and oil. I wheeled into the lot and shut off the engine, it seized on the spot. I walked into the sales area and the owner of the dealership asked me" if he could help me" I tossed him the keys and told him where he could shove the car and that I'm done. He laughed and said " We'll sue you for the loan." I received a call from Fords legal department threatening to sue. I informed them of the service history. They asked if I could prove it and I said I could and I'd love to go to court, bring my 2 banker boxes full of work orders, totaling thousands in repairs for a 2 year car. They said they'd get back to me. I never heard from them again, I didn't pay the balance of the loan nor did it hit my credit.

[@jamescorfield534]

No such thing as too much wood trim.

[@eddieg6436]

My 83 year old father loved this car…..until it was stolen, and stripped by a couple of Mexicans. 😂😂🤷🏼‍♂️

[@AndreLaplante-xu1le]

I owned an 89 a few years ago. Rode and drove great esp considering mine was kinda beat up. Slow with the v6 but a nice car. I prefer my 89 Mark VII LSC.

[@MercOne]

Utter junk. They had some good ideas, but typical 80s piss poor Detroit quality killed it.

[@theKevronHarris]

The 1988 Lincoln Continental is the Nebula car on GTA San Andreas video game.

[@grovermayersjr8025]

My late Dad had a 1993 Lincoln Continental. Drove it for 16 years. That troublesome air suspension system and blowing head gaskets on the 3.8 V6 seemingly every 40,000 miles soured the owner experience. For him and me. I bought it from him when he bought the Grand Marquis LS Premium. Which we still have. Otherwise, the Lincoln was a solid car. I drove it for three more years. It was suffering another head gasket leak and had replaced the air suspension system with a conventional one. I sold it to a mechanic friend of mine when I inherited the Mercury. Haven't seen the Lincoln since.

[@eldo59]

Looks like Ford took a Plymouth Acclaim stretched it out and rebranded it as a Lincoln.

[@McVaio]

I miss velour seats a lot. I like them much more than leather and especially modern cloth.

[@owlnswan4016]

I love many old Lincolns. My '77 Mark V Cartier (Dove Grey car) is my favorite car ever. It's pretty crazy looking at these cars in hindsight. We bought a wonderful 1988 Mark VII LSC in the summer of that year, in beautiful Dark Shadow Blue with the Shadow Blue all leather articulated seats. It was a fabulous car. We actually looked at these Continentals and for whatever reason...likely they way it was marketed, including the dealer's brochure...it seemed as if this was a shinier new toy vs the Mark. Looking back, it really wasn't, and time hasn't been kind with them, especially in comparison with the Mark VII. The engine, which is part of what turned my father off with them (along with the front wheel drive), is a joke compared with the 5.0 HO sold alongside these cars. I recall Motorweek somehow found the slowest '88 Mark VII LSC imaginable, because anywhere else they were tested in the high 7's 0-60, and ours must have been tweaked quietly at the factory because it serious was getting around 7 seconds 0-60 or not much more, and once it got moving it was even more impressive, keeping up with the non-turbo Nissan 300s and non-turbo Supra's into the early 90's off the line, and embarrassing them after. I've had others who've had '88 LSCs tell me similar results with their cars. At least the JBL system actually was outstanding as Jim said in these cars, but it was in the Mark VII too (except you couldn't get a CD player in one until 1990, and never both together in the dash as there was no room for both). Although the imaging may not be up to better systems made nowadays, its overall sound was better than any other car we have owned since. The bass response they got from a mere pair of 6x9s with the JBL system in the Mark VII was amazing...it was solid down to I think at least 35hz, and still decent at 30hz or so. I'd honestly take an '84-87 bustleback Continental over these and improve the engine, at least to the 225hp HO version.

[@AndreLaplante-xu1le]

The DE-ICE feature didn’t last long on Fords’ option list. Don’t scrape ice off the windshield lol

[@owlnswan4016]

I think it was officially added as an option in 1989 for a few years...the Instaclear windshield...also in Sables. Lincoln had this option...it was called Quick Defrost then...in the Mark IV from 1974-76, with some late production '73s (my Father had a '73 with it, and both him and Mom said it was amazing).

[@AndreLaplante-xu1le]

@@owlnswan4016 yeah. I think it was in other cars too. I know my 78 Mark V doesn’t have it lol. Was a good idea but

[@Tuppoo94]

Let's be honest, US luxury cars and European luxury cars never really competed against each other. The Europeans did compete against the Japanese, though.

[@BrunoMalan]

3:58 look the rear lol

[@michaelsimko7694]

I remember seeing this generation of Continentals all over the place. They were much more popular than the Fox Platform sedan. I'm a fan of the contemporary exterior design of the 1989-93 Cadillac Deville, 1988-94 Lincoln Continental, and 1991-97 Lincoln Town Car.

[@muhammadabyzard7970]

Also known in GTA San Andreas as the Nebula. GTA SA 4 Lyfe!

[@lawrencehodge6273]

A 3.8 liter V6 with just 140 horsepower is crazy 😂.

[@CoasterTurbo]

The Buick 3800 was far superior to the Ford 3.8, but in 1996 the Ford made 200hp with the 3.8 Windstar

[@CoasterTurbo]

@JDns-we4fw it's just not about the power, at that time the 3800 was known for its low NHV, strong power and 30mpg on hwy, they limited the supercharged to 280 tq because of the tranny, i had a 96 Regal and it had a very strong 0-60 time and very relaxed hwy ride

[@777jones]

@JDns-we4fwthe late 90s Mustang got 190hp from the V6

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw Which one was more reliable? How many head gaskets failed on the Ford?: I'm a Ford guy, but the non-split port 3.8L's were turds. The Buick 3.8 was the superior 3.8L. ". The most powerful put out 240hp/280tq for the 3800 & 230hp/335tq for the Ford. " You're forgetting about the Grand National/GNX.

[@FoDaddy]

@JDns-we4fw I read it, it's just that you're wrong. The 3800 *never* had the same kind of head gasket problems as the single port Ford 3.8L. GM never had recall the 3800 for head gasket failure like Ford did. The reason for this is widely known. The government banned asbestos in the late 80's. Ford happened to use asbestos in the head gaskets of the Essex V6 from it's inception up until the ban. The revised (asbestos-free) head gaskets were not as durable, failed often, particularly in front wheel drive applications where underhood temps tend to be higher. Consequently head gaskets failures were ridiculously high. The 3800 on the other hand had both an iron block and iron heads. The block and heads expanded at the same rate when the engine heated up, this is much easier on the head gaskets (Ford used an iron block with aluminum heads). So they didn't see any more head gasket failure than the industry average.

[@Tennesseestorm76]

They took care of that "nose-dive" issue by 1991 on the Town Car, but the 1990 had lots of it. I have a 1991 TC and it has no front end nose-dive at all on hard braking. I guess they stiffened up the suspension. Mine has 35k miles, original suspension.

[@Skyisthelimit4me]

All Town Cars have nose dive regardless of model year or suspension specs, so does yours. They didnt stiffen the suspension from 1990-1991. Yours just has the optional handling and performance package, which was always an option. It insignificantly lessens front lift, front squat & body roll. This is because it uses firmer bushings, thicker sway bars, and stiffer dampers. The HPP also comes with a stickier set of tires, larger wheels, a higher rear gear ratio and a few extra ponies courtesy of true dual exhausts.

[@JesuIsTheOnlyWayToSalvation]

Look at that luxurious, huge Tempo!

[@Matt-Ionman]

I bought a 1993 with 64k miles as my first car in 2006. Transmission broke the day after i bought it and never recovered to full usability, but i loved that thing for the 2 years i had it.

[@ssimon84]

Why did Lincoln have both this and the Town Car? Both were luxury sedans, just the Town Car was on the RWD Panther platform. Same basic dimensions inside. Very redundant and self-defeating.

[@runoflife87]

Because Town Car was a fleet/old man's car.

[@McRocket]

Suprising (as mentioned) they did not put a small V8 in them. I generally like it otherwise. Apparently, they sold pretty well. ☮

[@Skyisthelimit4me]

It got the V8 for 1995. At the time Ford did not have a front wheel drive transmission capable of handling V8 power, let alone the SHO's 220hp V6. The AXOD can barely handle the 140-160hp 3.8 V6 these came with.

[@westiedad9481]

Had two 1994 continentals. My favorite all time car! ❤️

[@joshthemediocre7824]

These should have had a 5.0l HO right out of the gate, I thought there was always a 5.0l option at least but i guess not.

[@GKMess42]

It's crazy to see how far cars have come in 30+ years. They seem to change more in the past 30 years than in the 30 years prior to that.

[@saganich74]

3.8 blown head gasket…….Standard

[@killerb4202]

Love these retro reviews...makes ya appreciate how shitty these cars actually were lol

[@displayfireworks]

Those cars were junk . Suspensions an air spring issues.

[@american1476]

the 85 was much nicer

[@AnthonySirizzotti]

140 horsepower!! Omg. The emission standards really choked off the engines power back then.

[@runoflife87]

Still better than dreadfull DeVille or K-car derivatives.

[@mikewest6569]

Even for 1988 that was a piece of crap.

[@hailstorm1986]

This car was begging for the 4.6 modular v8 that was years away from production..

[@glx68]

You're right. Was a great powertrain. Very reliabe and a good mileage too!🎉

[@NSH_2814]

The Nebula from GTA San Andreas

[@Mike-hu3pp]

Took a little to realize he was saying "Taurus" and not "Tars" Is that how it's pronounced in the US?

[@AlphanumericCharacters]

Tore-us

[@everett8811]

Count 12 seconds right now in your head and that 0-60 is crazy lol

[@therealjayseh]

Watch it on KZbin and it's not even as crazy! Hah!

[@davidaubin3902]

4:32 John: AND THERE’S TOO MUCH, ALBEIT REAL WOOD TRIM! LOL

[@Stressless2023]

Looked fake to me lol.

[@palebeachbum]

The exterior is very handsome, but the interior is a busy mess and looks cheaply finished. It's a car I always admired from a distance, but would never own. The reliability of these things was horrendous. They basically started with a Ford Taurus, which wasn't tremendously reliable to begin with, and added a bunch of crap to make it even more unreliable.

[@runoflife87]

The interior looks actually better than other 88 US- made luxury cars. It was the 1989 redesign that added truck-like dashboard and ugly steering wheel.

[@OLDS98]

Than you for posting this Lincoln video. This car was indeed a hit. There was only two things I did not like about this car: the headlight design ( too Taurus like) and the power of the 3.8 liter V6. It eventually got more power. Ford rode the Taurus and Sable themes well into the 90's. This car influenced the look of Australian Ford LTD. I liked everything else about this car. It competed against GM's C Body cars.

[@mzrzfxr]

3:58 that’s some brake dive

[@tonychavez2083]

A very handsome car then and now, buttery smooth ride with air suspension 👌🏼

[@MarkMeadows90]

My neighbor from across the street of me when I was growing up had a 1990 Continental in white that he bought new. He later bought a 1994 Town Car in the same color some years later. I got to ride in the Continental a few times. It was such a smooth ride. I thought the digital gauges were so futuristic at the time.

[@opieandoliver]

These were junk from the get-go. I knew several who owned them in the 80's and 90's. Air suspension on these was a nightmare. I could never understand why someone didn't just pick a Town Car over these. My grandfather owned two Town Cars - an '88 and a 2003. Both bought new, and both were rock solid and reliable. Smoothest riding cars too!

[@stuartlee6070]

Always amazes me how under performing US power plants were back in the day. Ford Australia were building local straight 6 fuel injected engines with 180 plus horsepower as standard back in 88. Even our home grown V8’s we’re putting out 220-250hp in standard state.

[@ftr911drvr]

It's no wonder European and Japanese luxury cars took over...look how horrible that interior is cheap materials, poor design and Terrible build quality. How lincoln could go through all that development think it's as good as Benz, and BMW was insane smh

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

Man these were UGLY. They looked like a Plymouth Acclaim, which came out around the same time and cost half as much. Amazing how well Cadillac and Lincoln sold in the 1980's while producing such utter crap like this(the 1986+ Fleetwood Brougham, Mark VII and Town Car were pretty solid cars though).

[@johnjuarez8005]

140 HP==>LOL.

[@everioke]

OMG! When you push one button, they all move! This is when American luxury cars turned to sh!t.

[@MegaRetr]

A 3.8 liter V6 with just 140 horsepower

[@runoflife87]

Don't you remember the (in)famous Cadillac V8 producing 145hp?

[@SkaBob]

Even in the 80s that was grandpa car styling, not something younger buyers were looking for