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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  Decent Car - 1999 Lincoln Continental
  By Paul - October 9 - 4:50 am

  Tranny fluid must be changed at 50k mile intervals with new filter, not just flushed. Front seat backs have lousy lateral support. Nice inside & outside style. Suspension air bags way better than my 1990 Continental. Rear doors definitely are harder to open from outside than front doors. Compass and "Day-night" fluid in rear view mirror just failed. Top 1/2 of mirror is always bright & bottom 1/2 is dark. With 140k miles, no big repairs yet, although the air bag light is on since when I reclined the drivers seat all the way down - must have pinched a wire. Important: Wet sand the plastic headlight lenses with 1600 grit or finer to restore that new look.

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  Unbeleiveable value - 2012 Lincoln MKX
  By omoishiroi - October 7 - 3:08 am

  the MKX is a bit of a sleeper - we test drove MB, Audi, BMW, Volvo before buying. Simply put to get teh same level of equipment in the equivalent import would push the price into the $70k range IF it is even available. For under $5ok the MKX gives you heated front AND rear seats, cooled front seats, Nav, blind spot and cross traffic warning system, adaptive cruise, HUGE sunroof, adaptive HID headlams, rear view camera, remote start, rain sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, heated and telescopic steering whee and collision controll. Try pricing and Audi, Volvo or BMW with all of those

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  Turns into super Limited Edition - 2002 Lincoln Blackwood
  By airmailpilot - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Too bad they priced most folks out of this fantastic ride. Had a lot of cars but this thing even sounds sweet with the 32valve engine. Gas mileage is about 16mpg once you get it broke in. The big auto transmission is a dream..

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  truckin n style - 2006 Lincoln Mark LT
  By jeff - October 5 - 7:50 pm

  Pros- Handles bumps and rough roads like a dream, very quite. awsome stereo. interior looks great. great job with soundproofing interior. excellent ride hieght. decent power compared to my 01 GMC. Cons- ash tray rattles. problems with starting after short trip to store takes several attempts to start (intermittent). rough idle. Stick on simulated navigator tail lights (kinda Griswald looking)

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  2017 MKX is a awesome ride! I highly recommend! - 2017 Lincoln MKX
  By Peter G - October 3 - 6:21 pm

  I looked all the SUVs from entry level to top level from all brands. This included , Acura, VW, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Subaru, Lexus, Toyota, Nisan, Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Honda, etc.. None of them had the the full package at this price point. The technology, ride, luxury and performance. Some were close, like the new 2018 Audi. There are some really aggressive rebates and pricing so dont pay over invoice and get the 0% financing. I really enjoy driving this SUV. The one downside has been the MPG but I knew this going in after reading all the reviews. The performance is worth it and 20 MPG blended is not bad to have a twin turbo!

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  7 passengers at 70 mph and 17 mpg - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By TEichman - October 1 - 7:23 pm

  Exceptional family road yacht with power to pull through heavy mountains

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  2006 Lincoln ls v8 sport - premium - 2006 Lincoln LS
  By Mark - September 27 - 11:40 am

  I just purchased a 2006 Lincoln ls v8 sport. 78k miles for $13,000. First off I cannot believe that a car that went for $45,000 just 3 years ago was this cheap! I just got out of an 06 GTO with 400 hp so I was a little skeptical of the 280 hp v8. Premium interior, sound system, power moonroof, advancetrac, heated/cooled seats, are all excellent features. Especially the surround sound . Roomy, comfortable ride! Throttle lags a bit especially in low gears, (compared to gto) very stiff sporty suspension handles nice and most other performance is as advertised.

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  FROM FLORIDA . . . - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By LS - September 24 - 10:00 am

  EXCELLENT RIDE ON LONG DRIVES; NEED ONLY STOP FOR GAS YET ARRIVE REFRESHED. AIR CONDITIONED / HEATED SEATS ARE THE BEST.

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  a great new car - 2006 Lincoln Zephyr
  By bob turk - September 24 - 3:03 am

  this car is fun to drive. It corners very well . For a 6 cyl it has excellent passing ability. Engineering has done an excellent job of matching the gears to the car. The interior is very pleasing to look at, and it is easy to see the controls at night. I would not hesitate to buy another one. I have put on 4900 miles on since november, and enjoyed every minute of them . A marvelous car for the money.

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  Better than I expected - 2007 Lincoln MKX
  By Richard - September 22 - 1:13 pm

  Definite head turner. Gas mileage isnt great, but filling with regular is better than supreme. Interior instruments are very user friendly. Brakes are a little soft. Very smooth ride. Everyone who sits in the back seats have plenty of room and love the vista roof. Lots of extras like heated and cooled front seats, reclining back seats with one touch fold down, auto liftgate and rear sensors make this a great deal.