There was a time the term “lady driver” came with a whole lot of condescension and insult — and more than inferred women can’t drive as well as men can.
That negative connotation is one of the reasons I decided to take the phrase as the name for this column. I see it as a way to break all of those old gender stereotypes when it comes to writing about cars and trucks. Though, truth be told, I do like a good option, especially when it comes to comfort and safety features. Not being an automotive engineer (though my husband is), there’s not a lot of opinion I can offer when it comes to describing engine details and some of a vehicle’s operating systems, but what I can do is tell you how it runs, whether it’s comfortable, if it’s practical for city use or road trips, if it's family friendly and which options I’m most impressed with. I commute between 30 to 40 minutes each way to work Monday through Friday depending on traffic, so safety features and stopping power are also important to me.
I recently had the opportunity to test drive the 2017 Lincoln Continental and while it drove like a dream, albeit a powerful 400-horse power, V-6 dream, it also had some features and options I wish had been included in the vintage Nissan I drive. With the new Continental, Lincoln has made it clear it’s aiming for the top of the luxury automotive market.
Meanwhile, here are five of the features the Continental boasts that impressed me most.
- Exterior features: Living in Vancouver, I often find myself fumbling with my keys in the dark — and even more often in the rain. And while Vancouver isn’t considered a dangerous city, there are times I’ve been creeped-out while standing in a dark parking lot. So I was impressed when I walked up to a Continental with the key fob in my hand and it created an illuminated welcome mat on the ground beside the driver’s door. As well, LED lights flash underneath the front door handles making it easy to see what you’re doing.
- Massaging seats: One of my favourite options on the Continental is the Perfect Position seats, which include a massage function. I was assured the massaging seats weren't designed to lull the driver to sleep, but instead to help ease the stress of long commutes or road trips. You can also adjust the seats so they’ll wrap around you, holding you in your preferred position and use the temperature controls to heat or cool your seat, depending on your preference.
- Power cinching: So long as you can convince the kids not to slam your car’s door, all it takes to close up a Continental is a light push. This feature is handy when parking in tight spots such as an underground lot in the city, because all it takes is a touch to close the door, not the usual slam.
- Audio system: The Continental includes 19 well-placed speakers included in the Revel Ultima Audio System and three listening modes, including stereo, audience and on-stage.
- Adaptive cruise control: The system automatically slows the Continental in stop-and-go traffic and resumes speed when traffic clears. It also helps with parking by using ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear to help locate an appropriate parking space and then automatically steer the car in. A 360-degree system uses views from cameras mounted in the grille, on the trunk and the 180-degree side mirrors to create an image on the screen so drivers can see around the entire car.
@sthomas10
