Compare the2024 GMC TerrainVS 2023 Lincoln Corsair

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Terrain are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Corsair doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Terrain’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Corsair doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Terrain and the Corsair have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Lincoln Corsair:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Lincoln Corsair:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Terrain’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Corsair’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many GMC dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Terrain’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Terrain second among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Corsair isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Terrain gets better mileage than the Corsair running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Terrain uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Corsair with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corsair Grand Touring’s standard fuel tank (14.9 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Terrain higher (7 out of 10) than the Lincoln Corsair (5 to 7). This means the Terrain produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Corsair every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Terrain, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Corsair.

The Terrain has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Corsair doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The GMC Terrain may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 700 pounds less than the Lincoln Corsair.

The Terrain has .5 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear hip room than the Corsair.

The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Corsair with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Corsair with its rear seat folded (63.3 vs. 57.6 cubic feet).

The Terrain’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Corsair does not have an oil pressure gauge.

When the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Corsair’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Terrain offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Corsair doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Terrain is less expensive to operate than the Corsair because typical repairs cost much less on the Terrain than the Corsair, including $36 less for a water pump, $119 less for front struts, $151 less for a timing belt/chain and $463 less for a power steering pump.

The GMC Terrain outsold the Lincoln Corsair by over three to one during 2022.