Snowy winters, dirt roads, gravelly surfaces—can your car handle these challenges? If you have a Lincoln with AWD, you’re set for whatever the road can throw at you. With new models like the Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Nautilus, your car’s handling will get you through the toughest conditions.

Your gym visits are wasted if you’re not pushing yourself to get stronger, just like how it’s easy to assume your car can handle anything if you never drive in ice, snow, heavy rain, or mud. If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), you can confidently handle these conditions and safely navigate both you and your passengers to your destination.

While AWD is nice to have, it’s not for everyone. If you’re stuck on deciding whether or not it’s right for you, you might need a little help deciding which Lincoln model to choose.

The first car insurance super app, Jerry, is more than a

licensed broker

—we’re here to explain how AWD works, which Lincoln models offer it, and how to figure out if your navigation needs are compatible with AWD.

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How do Lincoln AWD models work?

As a luxury brand, Lincoln doesn’t have a long and storied history of offering AWD. The first time AWD was available as an option on one of their vehicles was for a now-discontinued 2005 pickup called the Lincoln Mark LT. Lincoln has come a long way since then, and now offers AWD as at least an option on their current lineup.

In recent years, Lincoln has taken AWD to another level by introducing Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. Intelligent AWD differs from standard AWD because it is constantly monitoring traction conditions while you are driving and delivers power to the appropriate tire before wheel slip occurs. This results in a safer driving experience.

Standard AWD also has a built-in communication system where the rear and front wheels are communicating with each other to determine where the most power should be delivered. The difference between standard AWD and Intelligent AWD is that the Intelligent option anticipates problems before they occur and can avoid them altogether, rather than reacting in the moment to a loss of traction.

Intelligent AWD is available as an option on the

Lincoln Corsair,

Lincoln Nautilus, and

Lincoln Aviator

With this information on AWD, you’re ready for a deep dive into the Lincoln models that offer either standard AWD or Intelligent AWD.

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Car loan for Lincoln 2022

Which Lincoln models have AWD?

Lincoln Corsair

Starting price: $36,580

Body style: Compact SUV

Engine type: 2.0 L 4-cylinder

Intelligent AWD is available on the Grand Touring trim. If you want your vehicle to sense road conditions and react before there’s a problem, you’ll have to upgrade your trim starting at $51,810. Other trim models offer front-wheel drive (FWD), which isn’t as responsive and doesn’t offer as much traction.

Lincoln Nautilus

Starting price: $44,090

Body style: Compact SUV

Engine type: 2.0 L 4-cylinder or 2.7 L V6

You can get the optional AWD in every trim level available for the Lincoln Nautilus: Standard, Reserve, and Black Label. While not as responsive as Intelligent AWD, standard AWD still monitors road conditions and delivers power to tires that are starting to lose traction on the roadway.

Lincoln Aviator

Starting price: $53,340

Body style: SUV

Engine type: 3.0L V

The Lincoln Aviator is another model that doesn’t offer AWD in every trim level. If you want AWD, you’ll have to spring for the Grand Touring or Black Label trims—but in return, you get the Intelligent AWD.

Lincoln Continental

Starting price: $46,305

Body style: Sedan

Engine type: 2.7 L V6, 3.0 L V6, 3.7 L V6

If a sedan is more your style than an SUV, you can still get AWD when you choose the Lincoln Continental. While FWD comes standard, you can opt for AWD with every trim level. The most recent model year available for this vehicle is 2020, so you may have to do a little digging to find one with AWD.

Lincoln MKZ

Starting price: $36,750

Body style: Sedan

Engine type: 2.0 L 4-cylinder, 3.0 L V6

Lincoln offers another sedan with optional AWD in each of its trim levels, but it comes at the price of fuel efficiency. While city mileage remains the same at 20 mpg, highway mileage suffers a loss of 2 mpg to become 29 mpg.

Lincoln MKC

Starting price:$34,920

Body style:Compact SUV

Engine type: 2.0 L 4-cylinder

The now-discontinued Lincoln MKC offered AWD as an option for each of its trim levels:

Standard

Select

Premiere

, and Black Label. Since this model has been discontinued, you’ll have to look a little harder to find an AWD model, and Intelligent AWD is not an option.

Lincoln MKT

Starting price: $50,500

Body style: SUV

Engine type: 3.5 L V6

The Lincoln MKT has also been discontinued, with the last model year available being 2019. It won’t be hard to find one of these equipped with AWD, though, since AWD came standard.

MORE:

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What are the benefits of having AWD?

Having AWD is especially useful when faced with severe weather, but it’s especially dreamy for anyone who drives on or near unpaved roads. If you live in a rural area or an area with mountain roads, you won’t have trouble finding prime spots to flex your AWD and its traction-increasing capabilities.

If you live up north in

North Dakota

Montana

, you’re no stranger to snowy days (or months). Further south in areas like

Louisiana

Mississippi

, and

Florida

, you’ll find lots of heavy rainfall. If you live in one of these states or a state with a similar climate to these, investing in AWD could increase your safety and handling on the road.

However, there are pros and cons to AWD. If you live in a snowy climate, you might be able to get away with snow tires. Additionally, someone with access to 4WD might skip AWD altogether.

Differences between AWD and 4WD

You might be wondering if you should bother spending extra money on AWD if your vehicle comes with 4WD. You’ll need to know the difference between AWD and 4WD to make the right choice for you. Let’s get into what sets AWD and 4WD apart.

AWD (all-wheel drive) provides power to all four wheels from the engine. You’ll find this integrated into unibody frames, and it’s available in both full- and part-time options. Full-time AWD keeps the wheels engaged on a more regular basis while the part-time feature kicks in when needed—this helps with fuel efficiency.

4WD (four-wheel drive) is generally incorporated into truck-based, body-on-frame models. This means power is directed to the front and rear axles while dedicating power to the left and right wheels. As a result, you get improved control over handling and is best suited for off-roading.

Key Takeaway Both AWD and 4WD increase your vehicle’s safety and control level, but think about if you’ll be spending time on dirt roads, immersed in snowy winters, or both, to figure out what’s best for you.

Do I need AWD?

Having AWD means your vehicle has more power, dynamic handling, and defense against hazardous road conditions. It’s totally unnecessary for daily driving, though. If 90% or more of your driving occurs on paved roads, investing in AWD probably isn’t worth it.

Take inventory of your driving habits when deciding on AWD. Are you a mountain climber? Do you live in a severe climate? Are you frequently driving down dirt roads?

The decision whether or not to invest in AWD is yours alone, but it is a nice feature to have regardless of your situation.

How to save money on car insurance

What other safety and assistance features are handy in severe or dangerous driving conditions? Sure, AWD can help you keep traction on the road, but it’s not going to be as useful as

roadside assistance

in the event of an unexpected breakdown due to a bad battery or a collision.

No roadside assistance on your policy? It’s easy to choose a new policy with all the coverage you want when you use the Jerry app. Plus, using Jerry means you can save money even if you upgrade your coverage.

It takes Jerry less than a minute to find multiple quotes that can save you money while matching your coverage needs. Pick your quote and see how your savings stack up against the average of $800 per year saved like other Jerry users!

“I was so intimidated about purchasing insurance for my new car. Instead of talking to agency after agency, I found Jerry, which did all the work for me. It was so user-friendly.” —Alice B.