The Continental's interior is handsome. The seats are swathed in two-tone Connolly leather. Medium- and light-gray leather on our car with light-colored wood trim and premium carpeting gave it an open, airy feeling inside. Light coming in from the moonroof and windows adds to the bright, open feeling.The design of the instrument panel, the real wood accents, and the leather work together to provide a pleasant interior. Electronics aid driving and comfort. Switch on the ignition and a blank area where the instruments should be lights up with instruments. The instruments are lighted from behind with red pointers for the tachometer, speedometer, and fuel and temperature gauges that seem to float above the instrument faces. This results in highly legible gauges. Mounted on the dash just to the right is a set of electronic controls used to adjust ride quality and power-steering assist to the driver's preferences. It also calculates trip information, such as miles to empty, average mpg and instant mpg. Push the check button and the status of various systems is displayed. Owners can program a myriad of functions such as whether to have the doors lock when the car moves forward, or to have the horn chirp when the remote locks the doors, or to have the rear-view mirrors dip when the transmission goes into reverse. Moreover, all of that can be stored in a pair of memory buttons so two different drivers can have the car tailored to their preferences, eliminating potential trouble spots between spouses. Simply push the driver ID button; select 1 or 2 and all your preferences will be selected. Front bucket seats are standard. Covered in handsome leather, the bucket seats are comfortable. They feature power adjustments and the driver's seat has a two-position memory. We like the seating position and visibility is good in all directions. A front bench seat (split 50/50) that holds three people can be ordered at no extra charge, which permits seating for six people. Either way, the leather is standard. There's lots of rear seat legroom. Three adults can sit in back with reasonable comfort and shoulder belts are used in all three positions. A passive anti-theft system uses an encoded radio frequency between the key and the ignition capable of generating 72 quadrillion codes, making it virtually impossible to be beaten by even the most persistent bad guy.
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