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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  New to "Ford" - 1998 Lincoln Continental
  By JIHedstrom - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I have had three Cadillacs in the past. This is a good reliable car. Not a Cadillac, but still a good car.

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  A Stand out Car among a group of generic looking ones - 2015 Lincoln MKZ
  By silverrarity - December 10 - 6:42 pm

  Picked up my 2015 MKZ Hybrid on New Years Eve and so far its a joy to drive. In the past Ive had an Acura TL and 2 Corvettes. The car I traded in for the Lincoln was a 2008 Toyota Prius and although I loved the Prius I was totally disgusted with Toyotas Service Department and never felt they treated me as a valued customer. I had done research on the Lincoln months ago and since I wanted another Hybrid with some Luxury Lincoln fit the bill all the way around. I was impressed with its look and decided to do some hands on research. I love the look of the BMW, Acura and Audi 5 but overall the Lincoln offered better Quality and used Regular Gas instead of Premium like its competition.

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  I am loving it - 2010 Lincoln MKT
  By PattySue - December 10 - 12:33 am

  I shopped for along time for a car and had never even heard of this car. On the day I went to close the deal on an MKX, I saw an MKT in the lot and thought it looked like a hearse. But when I looked inside it has the luxurious look I was looking for. Once I drove it - it was a done deal. Quiet, comfortable ride, good sounds, nice bells and whistles, and not that much of a departure from my Explorer - but a huge step up to a luxury vehicle that I wanted. I love this car and call it the Patmobile! Like me - its big, classy, unique and I dont see it going and coming.

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  LOVE IT!!! - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By Kathys Car - December 9 - 10:00 am

  After a very disappointing ownership of a Mercedes C320 - this vehicle is a joy to drive. Its been reliable - only maintenance items required. No problems - what a change from my Mercedes.

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  Good Stuff - 2005 Lincoln LS
  By Marjan - December 8 - 7:30 am

  Purchased with 13K on it, coming off lease. Great price as these cars dont hold their value. Great value if you plan on driving it for 10 years like I do. Bang for the buck, much better than comparable BMW, Acura, Lexus and Mercedes products. Im very happy with this product so far.

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  A few mechanical problems in first year - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By ac_in_cv - December 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Aviator for a little more than six months. Its making a wind whistle at high speed and the gas door has caused a crease in the side panel. Its a beautiful car, but not economical. 14.5 mpg most of the time. Had a fuel line problem which the dealer fixed in a weeks time. Does not inspire confidence w/reliability.

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  New to Hybrid Cars - 2012 Lincoln MKZ
  By dieselfest - December 3 - 9:28 am

  Just passed 600 miles on new Ultimate Pkg MKZ Hybrid. On short trips about 2 miles I get about 26 mpg. Commute to work 22 miles one way 30City/70Hyw, I get 42 mpg consistently. Strange results considering city should be 41 mpg and thats what the short trips are. If I drive normally meaning faster off the line at stop lights and break later and harder, I can only get about 33 mpg average. This isnt too bad and I can live with those numbers. The car really teaches me how to drive more efficiently. I do go past 65 mph but under 75 on the highway regularly and still get 42 mpg. I find that hard acceleration and hard breaking is my biggest problem.

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  My Sync - 2011 Lincoln MKX
  By fman47 - December 2 - 12:09 am

  I would have rated this car a lot better but I am totally disgusted with the "My Sync". In plain terms, it is a piece of crap! I been back to the dealer 3 times and since I have been I still having reliability problems such as bluetooth drops out by itself - 4 times Navigation system - SD Failure 3 times Response of system slow - almost always voice activated calls; 20 -30 seconds before it dials the phone -15 times voice activation in consistent in understanding the request.

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  X Marks the Spot - 2016 Lincoln MKX
  By carled63 - December 1 - 9:57 pm

  I love my 2016 Lincoln MKX Reserve. I looked a lot for a compact SUV that would have pedestrian alert and a 5-star IIHS safety rating. I also preferred one that had a lot of American content. I just could not find one that met my needs, and the ones that came closest--TBH--felt kind of cramped. I almost went with the MKC--a little concerned on size and very disappointed it did not have pedestrian alert. Then the salesman pointed out that the MKX had the 5-star rating with top-of-the-line pedestrian alert. In 5 minutes I decided to go for it, and I have not been disappointed! The car looks great--inside and out. I think the materials and look of the inside, in particular, are very high end. I also love driving the car; it is super quiet and smooth with very competent handling. I went with Reserve but skipped the Revel stereo, the 2.7 L turbo and the 22-position seats. Those all sound nice, but they add a lot to the price, and I am not that picky. I dont regret those choices. The premium (i.e., standard) stereo is fine. I did find that setting the option to adjust the volume with your speed helps a lot. I also think the 3.7 L base engine has plenty of power and is very smooth. Also, the standard seats are super comfortable with plenty of adjustments--recline, height, lumbar, thigh support, etc. I also like the extra space of the mid-size SUV vs. a compact. There are so many times I would cram stuff in the back of my last compact SUV, and I am finding it a surprising relief to have the extra space that a mid-size provides. Lincoln has also delighted me once or twice. For example, the cooled front seats are great on hot days. The power steering wheel adjustment made me smile too. And I enjoyed how simple the technology has been to set up. My car has Sync 3, and it is both easy to set up and is very intuitive to operate. My only slight disappointment is the gas mileage. It is more or less as advertised--and that is lower than with most compacts. That is the price you pay for space.

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  F150 with a cool plastic grill - 2006 Lincoln Mark LT
  By Jeff B - November 25 - 11:13 am

  I fortunately only leased this vehicle for 2 years. Its a great looking truck that gets a lot of compliments. The main problem is that the seats look good but are hard as a rock and terribly uncomfortable even on short drives. The Interior looks good but has cheap materials, and is nearly exactly the same as a Ford F150. This is a truck with truck capabilities. I also have 4 Chevy Avalanches in my 40+ vehicle fleet and would rather drive one of them hands down. Youll get much better fuel mileage as well. This is a well built "truck" with terrible seats, and terrible fuel mileage of 11-12mpg average. 20% better on the Avalanche.