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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  off the hook - 1998 Lincoln Navigator
  By Lex-poe - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Great Great Great Suv. I didnt know the truck handled that well until i bought it. definitely attracts a lot of attention. luxurious, well built, very very reliable, powerful. i just wrecked mine, and im shopping for another already. i cant afford an escalade, which might be slightly better, so its Navi Navi all the way.

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  Fun car to own/head turner - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Mikewmp - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this automoble after seing a few around, after test driving several times i purchased the great automoble. Has been in the shop twice once for and accident that this vehicle held up very well during collision and those rear windows. I think other comsumers think every car they buy should be perfect and those that have problem with this vehicle can find that every vehicle is perfect in any fleet show me one. It all has to do with the dealership and the working realtionship. So far great automobile. Remember a human build it.

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  Nice to look at cost to drive - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By stan walker - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Under Power,The radio which is part of the navigation system on the AM side picks so much static from the engine and power lines you can only use it if you are parked in the radio station lot.They have dropped two cup holders in the front seat area and storage pockets next to the front seats.The floor area in back of the front seats are not level my dogs falls in the big crack between the third row seats andthe second row seats.I had an 2000 navigator which was much better.cant get the same MPG as I could on my 2000 nav.

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  2004 Lincoln Town Car - 2004 Lincoln Town Car
  By j. edwards - August 22 - 1:50 am

  This is the most reliable and trouble free sedan I have ever owned. It is large but quite easy to drive and park.The car is super comfortable on a long trip. I have had excellent dealer service experiences. The one improvement I could suggest is a full sie spare tire for it. It is roomy inside, and has a large trunk. I have never owned or rode in a car that rides as good as the Lincoln Town car. My daughter bought it new but wanted a smaller car. I got it from her with very low miles. I will definitely buy another one.

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  Loses some of its Lincoln charm - 2009 Lincoln MKS
  By ponchoman49 - August 21 - 10:03 am

  Just bought the new Lincoln MKS. The letter names car manufacturers are all going over to are getting confusing. Even the saleman had to think a second when I asked to see the MKS. That aside, this car provides reasonable performance, ride comfort and room. The electronic features are worthy such as SYNC which lets you store a load of songs on board and talk hands free on the phone. The front seats are comfy and rear legroom is abundant. The dash is well laid out and looks attractive. The exterior leaves me a bit cold however with its plain slab sides and indistinct rear end treatment. The sides in particular are too plain and would benefit from a door molding to break up the tall doors.

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  Power, Grace, Style - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By DWP22 - August 21 - 10:00 am

  This car has good power, great handling, and nice luxury features. Ive only had it about a week, so I may not be qualified to rate it on reliability, but so far everything has been exactly what I expected. The buying experience was good, and the rebate and deal made this car several thousand less than the foreign competition. Travel well.

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  Luxury People Mover - forget the minivan - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By Joe Carguy - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Love interior room and manuevers very well. Great for growing family of five! We looked at Sienna minivan (too soccer mom), Sequioa truck (tough to manuever, huge backend, and could see my kids in thrid row), GMC Envoy (truck ride), and put money down on Volvo XC90 (HUGE Blindspor, too cramped, too hard for little kids even to get in third row, 2nd row seats dont slide forward enough causing our 5 yr old to wipe on undersized, poorly placed running boards). Amazed how loaded The Avaitor is, great 2nd row bench fold up mechanism, making third row big enough for adults to get in and sit in) If looking at other SUV - got to test drive one of these.

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  this is a big hit - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By shamsin - August 21 - 10:00 am

  this is a great car/truck, it drives very smoothly better than most luxury cars I drove, yet it is a truck with ample of power when you need it, the lighting of the dash board and steering wheel is my favorite. handling, acceleration and breaking are astonishing. I have driven many luxury cars and trucks(MB,BMW,Lexus) this is by far on of the best. Lincoln has scored a big hit with this baby navigator, you should try this car before buying any SUV, its worth it. get the navigation system for sure and may be DVD too. Although comfortable, seats are stiff and have big halls in them??

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  Great value - 2008 Lincoln MKZ
  By rpickoff - August 20 - 6:40 am

  This car is a find. I stumbled on it while shopping for AWD sedans on the market. Very well done inside and out. The ride and acceleration are great. Comfortable, highly adjustable seats with memory. Nice, thoughtful touches throughout. I havent yet had a gee, it would have been nice if.....moment Definitely worth a test drive if you are considering a car in this class.

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  Great second Nav - 2009 Lincoln Navigator
  By Nav School Bus - August 19 - 7:36 am

  I love my 2009 Navigator and this is a huge improvement over my 2006 Navigator that was a very good car. There are a number of improvements that make this a pleasure to drive. The truck is fully loaded with all options and I think the build quality is superior. I leased my 2006 and when the lease expired I was going to buy because I liked it so much but thye were practically giving away new cars. There is not a thing I would change other than the fuel efficiency. Third row is a true third row and comfortably fits adults.