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:

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  Great New Car - 2010 Lincoln MKT
  By MyGeorgeJ - January 10 - 12:40 am

  Bought the base MKT with Elite package, rear bucket seats with console and rear entertainment about 1 month ago. Couldnt be happier. The car is very comfortable. The middle row has tons of leg room, and with this crossover lower to the ground than most, my wifes grandparents slipped in and out with ease. Great to drive. Its very responsive and has good, not great, acceleration. Test drove the Ecoboost and would get that next time. What a great engine! Have really enjoyed the Ford/Microsoft Synch system. Easy to use with lots of cool features. After a month of ownership, Im still excited to get in and drive it every time.

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  The Last Stylish Lincoln Towncar - 1997 Lincoln Town Car
  By sko - January 9 - 1:26 am

  Aloha: We love our towncar as do our two small dogs who sit between us upfront. Plenty of room and love the inside door storages. Beautiful ride, plenty of power for going over the mountain since we live on the windward side of Oahu and must go over the mountain to get to Honolulu. Twice I have had hotel doormen go to open the back door thinking I was entering my limo or something. The husband and I got lots of laughs from this. It is a beautiful comfortable car.

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  Great Car - 2006 Lincoln Zephyr
  By Dan Morrison - January 4 - 3:46 pm

  A joy to ride with the 6 speed transmission and luxurious inner cabin.

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  Excellent SUV - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By Thomas - January 1 - 12:30 pm

  Mixed long distance highway and heavy city trafic. Very safe, easy to drive and considering the size, 19mpg on the highway.

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  Love it , Love it, Love it! - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By Rune47 - December 28 - 11:43 pm

  Yes, this car was built to compete with the European sport luxury sedans, and not only complete, they topped them! If not for the transmission it would have been top rated overall but slipped a bit as its not so great at low rpms. But it is one of the smoothest transmissions you will operate and on the highway it shines! Great power @ upper speeds too! This car is rated as one of the TOP 5 safest cars of ALL TIME! I love its understated elegance and the engineers put some work with the all aluminum fenders and hood and putting the battery in the trunk to acheive a 50-50 weight balance and is one of the reasons for the superior handling. The alum. J-8 eng. is sweet! The Jaguar platform too!

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  Beyond Expectations - 2017 Lincoln Continental
  By Bill - December 27 - 12:00 am

  I ordered the Continental in July. I was starting to get inpatient and wondering if it was going to be really worth the wait. Well, let me tell you that from the second I seen the Continental Pull up from getting out of detail, right away I knew it was worth the wait. This car is just BEAUTIFUL plain and simple. The pictures do it no justice, they do not capture the elegant curves that this Lincoln has. While I was waiting for it to be built, I was considering Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Cadillac. I am SO happy I waited it out and stuck with Lincoln. There is just something special when you stand back and look it at. It has many throw backs to the classic Lincolns while also including all of todays modern technology. The ride is so quiet and smooth. The massaging seats are AMAZING! I never wanna get out of the car! The door handles are awesome, just pull and the door opens effortlessly. All I can say is go to a showroom and go see it and drive one. Like stated above, all the elegant and classy curves are not captured on the photos that I have seen so far. Im SO impressed. By the way, Im 35yr old guy and Im proud to drive this AMERICAN CLASSIC! I have the Black Label, Diamond Black exterior, Thoroughbred interior (gorgeous combo), 3.0 AWD. I would recommend at least getting the Reserve if able, the Black Label is just incredible.

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  who would have told me? - 2002 Lincoln Continental
  By al - December 26 - 9:33 pm

  As a younger person I would have never thought of a Lincoln but my friend at the dealer insisted I tested this car when I got fed up with my Mercedes and so I did and it was the beginning of a love affair: I love this car. I will drive it as long as I can. I also own a Jaguar and it sits mostly in the garage because this Lincoln is such as sweet ride.....I get 24 miles on the highway!! with a V-8? incredible but true. I had the software upgraded and the mileage is greater than before. I most definitely recommend this car and scold Ford for dropping out of the line in favor of what? the plastic-cheap LS? Fire the CEO!!

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  sweet navigator! - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By hotnav888 - December 26 - 10:00 am

  this is the best car i have ever owned in my life! It looks soooo nice inside and out. It has the coolest features a car can have. its performance is stunning, it has awesome towing capacity and payload, and acceleration is brisk enough for me. Braking is awesome, and it literally stops as well as my 2003 viper. This car also handles like a car, very agile. It is very capacious, and my children dont complain about space.

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  Private Citizen(s) Evaluation - 2000 Lincoln Town Car
  By Harry Sperry - December 24 - 10:00 am

  The 2000 Lincoln Town Car Signature is a pleasure to drive, quiet & roomy. We (My wife and myself) have had no problems of any kind.

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  LINCOLN - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By HEEMA 24 - December 21 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS THE BEST VEHICLE I HAD EVER HAD I ALREADY HAVE A NISSAN PATHFINDER BUT THE NAVIGATORS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE NISSAN THE NISSAN IS GARBAGE COMPARED TO THE NAVIGATOR.