2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair AWD Review

The Lincoln Corsair is a compact luxury crossover meant to compete with the likes of the Cadillac XT4.

(*Note: Starting with this review, I’ll be abbreviating my stats on vehicles that I place at the end of my review. I’ll include links to crash test results. This will hopefully save your eyes some. Thanks as always!)

I had a chance to drive the all-new Lincoln Corsair compact luxury crossover SUV. This is a replacement for the MKC. I’m going to briefly share some of my thoughts on my time in the Corsair. My thanks goes out to Wilson Ford Lincoln in Saginaw for letting me drive this vehicle.

Overall, the Lincoln Corsair is a nice luxury crossover that I like. So much so until I’ve decided to seriously add it to my shopping list for 2021-2022 to replace my 2018 Jeep Compass with. I found the Corsair to be a solid improvement over the MKC and it feels like a major step up from the Escape with which it shares its platform with. On the exterior, it wears the Lincoln design language well, looking like a cross between a Bentley and a baby Aviator, which itself looks like a baby Navigator. The color of my tester was called “Iced Mocha” with a sandstone leather/leatherette interior. I liked this color combo, but I’d also pick “Artisan Blue” as an exterior color – it’s a no cost option. On the interior, everything feels premium to the touch and high quality. Harder plastics are regulated to the lower dashboard and doors. I had plenty of room in my driving position and sitting behind myself in the rear seat, which slides for and aft for more passenger or cargo space. Controls are mostly laid out well and I like the symphonic chimes at startup; they were recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. My tester did not have a panoramic sunroof, but it did have a power liftgate, heated/cooled front, heated rear seats and remote start - features which are always convenient.

A couple of minor complaints: Note that a “Black Label” trim is not offered on the Corsair unlike other Lincoln models. Also, the push button shifter (piano key shifter in Lincoln language) may take some getting used to. I found myself pulling on the wiper stalk trying to put the car into park instead of using the piano key shifter (thanks, Mercedes).

For 2022, the color pallet of the Corsair has been shifted around - Artisan Blue is no longer available and has been replaced with Elite Blue. Also, the Iced Mocha paint color appears to have been replaced by Bronze Smoke. Additionally, you can now get the Corsair Grand Touring Plug-In Hybrid for the 2022 model year. I've read in some other forums that a facelift for the Corsair is coming in 2023, with upgrades such as a larger interior touchscreen and a hybrid model.

Drive Time

The Corsair's interior is modern and luxurious, though the push-button shifter may confuse some.

On the road, the Corsair is a smooth operator. Standard is a 2.0L turbo inline 4-cylinder with 250 HP and 280 lb.-ft. of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission is also standard across the board. Note that the standard engine in the Corsair is the optional engine in the new Ford Escape and Bronco Sport. I found on throttle power to be more than adequate. 0 to 60 MPH takes around 6.5 to 7 seconds. The Corsair handles well, but I wouldn’t call it quite sporty per se – the word “lively” more so comes to mind. Drive modes in the Corsair have interesting names – they’re Normal, Excite, Conserve, Slippery, and Deep Conditions. I used Excite mode and Normal mode and the vehicle seemed to jump off the line slightly quicker in Excite mode and hold gears longer. If you crave more power out of your Corsair, you can upgrade to the Corsair Grand Touring Plug-In Hybrid which has 266 HP or you can opt for a 2.3L turbo inline 4-cylinder with 295 HP and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. Fuel economy with AWD and the 2.0T like I drove is 21 city/29 highway/24 combined. With the 2.3T AWD its 21/28/24.

I found there to be plenty of cargo space in the Corsair as well
as plenty of convenience features, such as smart entry.

This is where I have something else to note about the Corsair. While I’m sure the plug-in hybrid will offer some sort of gain in economy, power and even driving dynamics (due to the placement of the battery packs and added torque), I can’t say the same about the 2.3T from what I’ve researched. The 2.3T doesn’t seem to offer any substantial power gain over the 2.0T. Both do 0-60 in the same amount of time, both engines can tow 2,000 lbs. max and the 2.3T has slightly worse fuel economy. But yet, there's a price premium for picking the 2.3T vs. the 2.0T. I don’t often recommend skipping the stronger engine option, but in this case, I’d say don’t feel like you NEED to upgrade to the 2.3T. I think most buyers will be perfectly satisfied saving some money and with the overall performance of 2.0T. I’d consider the plug-in hybrid as well once its more widely available, however its starting price will be significantly higher than the 2.0T Corsair (2022 prices: $50,330 PHEV Corsair vs. $36,105 gas Corsair).

So in all, I feel the Lincoln Corsair is a well-rounded compact luxury SUV. Still, I’d be remiss to not mention that I’m disappointed that Lincoln’s sedans are all gone post-2020. I feel that the Continental is one of the most underrated luxury sedans on the market. I remember when the Continental concept was released at the Detroit Auto Show – it was a major hit. If the MKZ received a redesign and was renamed back to Zephyr (as it was in China), I feel Lincoln would be one of the toughest luxury brands to beat. Especially vs. its American competitors because Lincoln is already beating them in my opinion. Alas, times change, and any luxury buyer should put the Corsair on their shopping list if they want a stylish, modern and classy crossover. If you fancy driving something like a Lexus, Buick, or an Oldsmobile Bravada (like yours truly), a Lincoln Corsair might just be your style.

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Other features included memory seats, heated front/rear seats,
and a power rear liftgate.

Pros: Nice styling, smooth and quiet ride, roomy and comfortable interior with high quality materials, base engine has good power, symphonic chimes are very unique, standard Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 driver assistance tech

Cons: Doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense to get the 2.3T engine over the 2.0T, piano key shifter may confuse some drivers initially, driving dynamics favor comfort over sport unlike some competitors, no Black Label trim (yet) – but Reserve trim models with options can get as expensive as the Nautilus and Aviator, PHEV price premium

Grading:

Engine Power/Economy: B+ (8.5 points)

Quietness: B+ (8.5 points)

Interior Quality/Comfort: A- (9.5 points)

Driving Dynamics: B (8 points)

Cargo Capacity & Storage: B+ (8.5 points)

Overall: 43/50 (B)

Base Price Range (2021): $36,105-$43,050

Price as Tested: $43,055

 

Other Specs:

Engines Available: 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder (250 HP, 280 lb.-ft. of torque), 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder (295 HP, 310 lb.-ft. of torque), Plug-In Hybrid (266 Combined HP)

Drives: Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) or All-Wheel Drive (AWD)

Transmissions: 8-speed automatic

Fuel Economy Ratings (See Link):

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&path=1&year1=2021&year2=2021&make=Lincoln&baseModel=Corsair&srchtyp=ymm&pageno=1&rowLimit=50

Crash Test Results (See Links):

https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2020/LINCOLN/CORSAIR/SUV/AWD#safety-ratings-frontal

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/lincoln/corsair-4-door-suv/2021

Trim Levels: Standard, Reserve, Grand Touring (2022)

Key Competitors: All vehicles in the compact luxury SUV segment; Includes the BMW X3, Acura RDX, Infiniti QX50 and QX55, Buick Envision, Audi Q3, Cadillac XT4, Jaguar E-Pace, Tesla Model Y, Lexus NX, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery, Mercedes-Benz GLB and GLC, Porsche Macan, Genesis GV70, Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Tonale (upcoming) and Volvo XC60

On the Adam’s Autos “Should You Buy It?” scale of “Drool, Cool, Meh, or BLEH: The 2020/2021 Corsair is “Cool” – I recommend leasing it.

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