Overview & Reviews

Lincoln is an automaker with a long history of building upscale vehicles for the American market. A division of Ford, Lincoln differentiates its vehicles through additional luxury features, more powerful engines and unique styling. The automaker's lineup includes cars, pickups and SUVs.

The company was established in 1917 by Henry Leland, an automotive parts manufacturer who had previously founded the Cadillac brand. He named the company after his boyhood hero: the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln. Early Lincoln models include the L Series and the K Series. The company quickly hit dire straits, however, and was bought by Ford Motor Company in 1922.

Lincoln had found its niche in the luxury-car segment by the 1930s, riding high with the likes of Cadillac as a purveyor of premium status-mobiles. The 1936 model year saw Lincoln's launch of the popular Zephyr. The car's name and styling were inspired by the sleek lines of the Burlington Zephyr, a diesel-powered express train that boasted record-setting speed. The car was a big hit for Lincoln; at one point, nearly 80 percent of all Lincolns sold were Zephyrs.

The '40s also saw the rise of the glamorous Continental. The vehicle's development was shepherded by Edsel Ford, son of Ford's founder Henry Ford. After World War II, Lincoln maintained its premium status with vehicles like the Mark II and the '60s-era Continentals, which gained fame through their "suicide-style" rear doors and use as U.S. presidential limousines. The Continental Mark III luxury coupe rolled out in 1968 and by the late '60s, more than 1 million Continentals had been built.

The 1970s saw the launch of the Mark IV as well as a new Lincoln, the Versailles. The Versailles was the first midsize sedan from the marque, and right from the start, it missed the mark with the public. The Versailles was based on the Ford Granada platform, and many blamed its failure on its obvious similarity to its less exclusive -- and less expensive -- twin.

In 1981, Lincoln released its now iconic Town Car, the full-size luxury sedan that has since served as the marque's flagship. Though its moniker had been used to designate trim levels in previous years, 1981 was the year in which the Town Car came into existence as an individual model. Lincoln also distinguished itself during these years as the first American car line to offer antilock braking. The Mark series continued to evolve, and shrunk down considerably with the debut of the Mark VI. That velvet-lined cruiser was followed mid-decade by the Mark VII, which was more European in nature and could even be powered by a BMW turbodiesel engine.

The '90s saw the debut of the Mark VIII, which featured a four-cam V8 and air suspension. By this time, sport-utility vehicles had emerged as a segment to be reckoned with, and Lincoln made the most of this trend by launching its very first SUV, the Ford Expedition-based Navigator, for 1998. Bedecked in chrome and fitted with plush leather and luxury features galore, the massive truck was a breakout hit.

The new millennium marked the debut of the Euro-flavored, midsize LS sedan that shared much of its platform with Jaguar's S-Type sedan. More recently, Lincoln has dropped the long-lived Town Car and updated its lineup with the MKS and MKZ sedans as well as the MKX crossover SUV in hopes of attracting a new generation of consumers. Some of its offerings fall short of the competition in areas such as performance and refinement. Still, the marque is a favorite of car buyers seeking a generous dose of all-American luxury.

User Reviews:

• 

  Lincoln - Never Again - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By lincoln owner - June 15 - 3:16 pm

  I will NEVER own another Lincoln/Ford vehicle. I have had constant problems with it. Valves rattle CONSTANTLY with regular unleaded gas. Door handle broke off. Door/windshield leaked when it rained. AC has been a NIGHTMARE. One air vent will blow out cold air, and the other one will blow out hot. Ive spent MANY dollars on the AC, but it hasnt resolved the problem. Radio/clock display lights went off (probably a fuse). Poor gas mileage. I bought the car bc I loved how it looked. But believe me, thats the only thing it had going for it. I will never buy another Lincoln/Ford.

• 

  Paying for looks, not substance - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By Jon - April 23 - 7:10 pm

  Problems include: alternator that went out 800 miles after warranty, torque converter and other associated parts needed to be replaced at 75,000 miles, outside door panels that vibrate on interstate, the memory on the outside mirrors have amnesia- they never go back to the same place after they are moved. 13.5 mpg (which I expected. If you are buying one, be prepared to spend some money at the service department.

• 

  Shake and rattle - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By Pierrot - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The day after I took delivery of this vehicle was in the shop. It has been in the shop on 6 different occasions for over 30 days. There is a vibration throughout the drivetrain including the steering wheel which manifest itself by shaking when driving down the road. It is noticed by noise and feel. Ford says that all Avaitors are this way so be aware. If you feel your hand shaking or hear vibrations it is not in your head. Other problems include oil, leaks tire sensor failures and bad tires.

• 

  NOT AS IT SEEMS - 1999 Lincoln Continental
  By BRIT - February 28 - 10:00 am

  LOT OF ROAD NOISE, SMOOTH RIDE ON HIGHWAY , VERY POOR ON UNEVEN SIDE ROADS , SEAT VERY UNCOFORTABLE ON LONG DRIVES.

• 

  2007 Licoln Navigator L - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By dtipainter - February 22 - 7:23 pm

  After owning the car for 9 months, I have few suggestions for improvement: The A/C cooled seats dont have enough cooling power on hot days. You cant even tell if they are operating if it is above 90 outside. The center console is very very busy. It is very difficult to find controls while driving for specific actions because there are so many buttons, I am 6-3" tall and for me the vehicle has a very bad blind spot. I have almost moved over on other vehicles several times. Back up sensors are nice, but a backup camera option would have been nice.

• 

  Questioning my purchase... - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By rbcastle - February 5 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my car on March 1, 2003 and since that time I have had my vehicle in the service department four times. The most recent incident was for a defective power steering rack, which needed to be replaced. Since this is such a new car, the power steering rack was not available and had to be stripped off of a new car in currently being built. Took almost a whole two weeks to get it back, which is better than the 30 days they originally told me. Hopefully I can overcome my thoughts about the car and finally begin to enjoy my purchase.

• 

  2002 LS - 2002 Lincoln LS
  By SRW - January 31 - 10:00 am

  I own a 2002 LS. I haven t had any major problems. One of the headlights hold condensation constantly. The dealership would not replace it cause Lincoln is trying to perfect the part. It has been this way for over a year. Very annoying. The tires make loud noises on different road surfaces. I was told that is normal LS noises. I should have bought an SUV. A Yukon XL does not make those noises.

• 

  Take a good look - then look elsewhere - 2013 Lincoln MKX
  By love2drive4 - January 18 - 9:34 pm

  Ive had this car for 18+ months and Im looking to trade. At 5 months the brakes were making a terrible grinding. My rotors already needed turning. At one year, my battery needed replacing after many complaints of odd electrical malfunctions. My wipers still go on for no reason, on a completely sunny day sitting at a stop light. My radio features sometimes go awry, not going to preset channel or displaying two different stations on the dash compared to instrument cluster screen. Acceleration is sluggish, once youre going ride is comfortable. Absolutely hate the blinker. Every time I use it I think its going to break. Too hard to operate - what were they thinking?!?

• 

  Does not meet Lincoln standards - 2007 Lincoln MKZ
  By top in AZ - December 13 - 5:13 pm

  1st 18 mos of ownership all was great, excellent car, then as time/miles adds up problems, replaced struts, control arms, dr seat heat, contact with ford hq, what a joke, sv magr recommended buyback, no support, dearler wanted to put me in a 40K Taurus SHO ?? vehicle is a garage queen, waiting on another appt with independent mech. will not buy ford/lincoln again,

• 

  A money looser - 2010 Lincoln Navigator
  By t - November 26 - 10:36 am

  Glad we purchased this used a 2010 in 2013. at that time it had already lost $ 30,000 from its original value. it is now 2015 and we found out it lost another $ 10,000 in value from date of our purchase...So if you want to loose $ 40,000 in value for a vehicle in less than 6 full years go ahead and throw your money away. We will be purchasing a Toyota which holds its value a lot better than this Lincoln. This vehicle, on the other hand is a great towing vehicle for our 34 Travel trailer, and did great in our last 2 winters of heavy snow here in norther Indiana where we get lake effect snow. We have had about $ 2,000 in repairs out of our pocket since purchasing, (bad brakes, battery, oil leak, computer problems) some were covered with the "ford certified" some where NOT. We wont waste our money on a certified car again. The car had 46,000 miles when we purchased it and they had never replaced the brake pads! The MPG is a lot better than we had hoped for at 16 city/20 highway