2023 Lincoln Corsair

The luxury compact SUV class is awash with talent in the form of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, and Genesis GV70, and to succeed in this distinguished company, you need to come up with something special. In last year's review of the Lincoln Corsair, we found it left us wanting compared to rivals, and well down the class rankings next to most of the competition. Based on the same C2 platform that underpins the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport, the Lincoln puts the focus squarely on luxury and comfort, not sportiness or off-road ability. Its traditional Lincoln garb is attractive, and there are just about enough luxury finishes inside to create a premium impression, despite a few cheaper plastics here and there. The Corsair has price in its favor, and its equipment level and the number of driver assists are impressively comprehensive. Is this enough to recommend the new 2023 Lincoln Corsair compact luxury crossover over its rivals? It faces an uphill battle, but maybe this year's updates make a difference.

The 2023 Lincoln Corsair's price list starts at $38,690 for the Standard trim, while the Reserve will cost you $43,075. The prices are applicable to the FWD models and speccing AWD on the two base trims adds $2,300 to their prices. The PHEV Grand Touring is AWD by default and goes for $53,885. These are the MSRPs for the Lincoln Corsair trims and don't include the $1,395 destination fee.

Lincoln has steered clear of making the Corsair as sporty to drive as an X3 or Q5 and the emphasis is firmly on luxury and comfort here. The Corsair mostly succeeds and the ride is comfortable, although a few tremors filter through into the cabin at lower speeds. On the highway, it's a supremely comfortable and very quiet car, giving a convincing impression of a premium SUV. It's not amenable to being thrown around corners though and there is too much lean and too little steering feel to have fun with, but it's easy to drive and place on the road. The sportier Excite driving mode tries to perk up the Corsair a bit, but it doesn't turn it into a sporty drive. That said, the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine offers satisfying punch and motivates the SUV with purposeful intent, but the party is spoilt a little by its coarse voice and sometimes stodgy automatic transmission.

The Corsair is a premium version of the Ford Escape it's based on and mostly manages to hide its blue-collar roots with a reasonably premium execution, upmarket appearance, and a fitting degree of luxury. But it's up against tough rivals and it's not in the class of the X3, GV70, or XC60, leaving it to fend for itself based on value, since it's cheaper than these chief rivals. The new year's updates haven't done much to elevate its ranking among its peers and it won't be competing for a podium finish anytime soon. Still, it is good value and Lincoln fans will appreciate its focus on comfort and its excellent standard and available technology, which benefit from useful upgrades this year.

There isn't a huge price difference between the Standard and the Reserve, so we'd go for the Reserve. The 19-inch wheels fill the arches much better, and there is no substitute for the smell of genuine leather inside. The upgrades to the exterior and interior lighting are not as noticeable but add to the safety and the sense of occasion. The standard features are comprehensive, and the list of driver assists long, so you don't need to add anything extra to a Reserve to cruise around in luxury and safety.