this car seat check was written in march 2017 about the 2017 lincoln continental. little of substance has changed with this year's model. to see what's new for 2018, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
lincoln resurrected a storied name for its new flagship sedan. the 2017 continental features a backseat that the automaker said can be compared with a private jet; available features include reclining, heated, cooled and massaging seats; audio and climate controls; and sunshades. it sounds too nice for toddlers, but in the unlikely event the continental is tasked with family duty, it offers plenty of room for two car seats.
how many car seats fit in the second row? two
related: more car seat checks
solid
- latch, grade a: the two sets of lower latch anchors sit under a magnetized leather cover. once the flap is up, the anchors are exposed and easy to access. there are three top tether anchors on the rear shelf behind the head restraints. they're under hinged plastic flaps and are also easy to use.
- infant, grade a: this seat installed easily and sat flat on the lightly bolstered seats. we did not need to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it.
- rear-facing convertible, grade a: this seat also installed easily and fit well. again, we did not need to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it.
- forward-facing convertible, grade a: in forward mode, the seat also went in without a problem and fit well; we did not need to raise the head restraint to fit it.
- booster, grade a: the seat belt buckles are on stable bases and high enough for easy use by kids. the booster fits well on the seat and sits just under the head restraint, so we didn't need to remove it.
so-so
- none
skip it
- none
grading scale
solid indicates an a grade for optimum ease of use and fit. so-so indicates b or c grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. skip it indicates d or f grades.
a: plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. easy to find and connect to latch and tether anchors. no fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. easy access to the third row.
b: one room, fit or connection issue. some problems accessing third row when available.
c: marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. difficult to access third row when available.
d: insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
f: does not fit or is unsafe.
about 's car seat checks
editors jennifer geiger, jennifer newman and matt schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
for the car seat check, we use a graco snugride classic connect 30 infant-safety seat, a britax marathon convertible seat and graco turbobooster seat. the front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. the three child seats are installed in the second row. the booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
we also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. if there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. learn more about how we conduct our car seat checks.
parents should also remember that they can use the latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
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