2020 Lincoln Corsair

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair has two capable engine choices, good fuel economy, and well-balanced handling. This SUV favors a serene ride and cabin quietness over corner-carving athleticism. If you’re searching for a sporty SUV, look elsewhere.

• I was surprised by how little play there was in the steering, accelerator and suspension. While you may expect a little crude body roll and a bit of slop in the steering on a compact CUV, the Corsair was surprisingly tight all-around. Crank the knob back to normal and it felt maybe a little softer over bumps, but it never swayed around corners." -- Autoweek
• "The Corsair has a meaty, broad torque curve that offers good acceleration off the line and around town. It's not what I'd call a sporty powertrain, but Lincoln isn't shy about its comfort and quietness goals being the most important targets for the Corsair." -- CNET
• "The Corsair was quiet and comfortable on a long drive. The suspension absorbed bumps and kept the vehicle level and stable in quick maneuvers." -- The Detroit Free Press

Acceleration and Power

The Lincoln Corsair comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. A 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque is optional. No matter which engine you get, an eight-speed automatic transmission is standard.

The Corsair’s base engine has a decent amount of power and sufficient acceleration, but the optional powertrain offers the extra juice some buyers will crave.

According to the EPA, the Corsair gets 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with the base engine, and 21/28 mpg city/highway with the optional engine. Those numbers are good for the class.

• "The 2.3L turbo provides more than enough power for zipping around curves, jaunts around town and high speed cruising." -- The Detroit Free Press
• We spent most of our time with the 2.3-liter. It responds energetically and the all-wheel-drive system is able to put the 310 lb-ft to the wheels with no torque steer. Commendably, the new eight-speed automatic calls little attention to itself, operating with the discrete competence of a good butler. … We also took a brief spin in the 2.0-liter. It’s perfectly adequate in this application, but it doesn’t have the larger engine's surfeit of power and has a bit more delay in its response to accelerator inputs." -- Autoblog
• "Both engines quietly hum in the background, even at full throttle, and serve up ample low-end torque. … Even the standard engine can deploy adequate if uneventful grunt for passing maneuvers at highway speeds." -- Car and Driver

Handling and Braking

The Corsair has a quiet and comfortable ride, and it offers several drive modes to tailor the ride to your preferences. However, it lacks steering feedback and doesn’t feel particularly sporty compared to the rest of the class. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional.

• The Corsair generally feels quite nimble and responsive while also providing a smooth ride that keeps body motions to a minimum. The only real flaw in the dynamic behavior is the absence of feedback about the forces building at the front wheels during cornering. The effort required is good, especially when the drive mode is switched to Excite, but there is little indication of the reaction forces between the tire and road." -- Forbes
• A firm brake pedal and confident responses to directional changes lend the Corsair a reassuring if lazy comportment on the road. Switching to its Excite driving mode … slightly stiffens the dampers and the effort of the electrically assisted steering, although we couldn’t detect much difference aside from the sharper action that Excite mode brings to the throttle and the unobtrusive eight-speed automatic transmission." -- Car and Driver
• The Corsair displays a fair degree of bobbing on lumpy secondary roads along with considerable brake dive, which suggests it could use better body control. However, as we pushed it harder through tight corners and fast sweepers on twisting roads … the expected body roll didn’t materialize, nor did the Corsair understeer in protest. … Ultimately, the Corsair ends up being capable but not especially fun." -- Autoblog