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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  ENGINE TROUBLE ALREADY - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By WINTERS - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Aviator for nearly six months and have taken it to the shop four times. When I bought it there was black glue on the headliner, it was replaced but now I am stuck with fingerprints all over it. The rainguards were installed improperly, they replaced them now they are falling off again. Now the vehicle is in the shop because it overheated to the point that I couldnt drive it and I was stranded by the side of the highway. For the price that I paid for the vehicle none of these problems should have happened in the first six months of ownership. Very unhappy.

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  Great Ride - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By CXO - January 14 - 5:10 pm

  Great ride, great styling! But, prepare for a VERY expensive car to maintain with NO room in the trunk or glove compartment.

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  Great car, but..... - 2012 Lincoln MKZ
  By Leon Frank - January 14 - 11:24 am

  Theres much to love about this car. The drive train is near flawless and does what you want it to do. It accelerates, holds 80 if you set the speed control for that, and glides at any speed relatively quietly and very smoothly. The Synch system was clearly designed by people who knew theyd never have to drive the car and put up with it. In every case, it defaults to the worst possible option. Most screens are so user hostile, even with the Owners Manual in front of you, you wont easily set whatever you want to do. There are endless buttons and screen prompts to push. I still cant figure out what happens when you push the phone button on the steering wheel, but its near useless. Ditto the navigation system. I use a stick to the windshield GPS, but to the amazement of every passenger. The real issue is the climate control system. It performed flawlessly all winter, then when summer arrived, I discovered that whoever designed the vents is 52" tall and really does not like people. The vents are stopped at mid level, they cannot be raised to your face or over you. The same with right left adjustment, very limited travel. The real amazement is there is no way to throttle down airflow. Ford should have looked at any other car on the planet to learn how to make vents. This may sound insignificant, but on a really hot day, youll be fighting with them non stop to get air where you want it, and failing every time. Each of my Toyotas, Prius and Solara before that, had outstanding climate control. Car was comfortable in all weather conditions. That a Lincoln is so uncomfortable in hot weather is a true amazement. Test drive the car on a 95 degree day before you write out a check for one.

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  Longtime Lincoln owner now disillusioned - 2004 Lincoln Town Car
  By hdelome - December 12 - 11:23 pm

  This is my 4th Town Car since 1985. The 1985 and 1988 were very similar and excellent cars. The 1996 was also an excellent car with a newer design. My 2004 is now the newest design and is beautiful to look at from the outside. But, the easy driving/handling of the older models is gone. This soft floaty ride is the major reason I spend the money on this expensive car - along with long term reliability (all previous cars have been driven 150k+ miles) - but this new model now has the "Euro-car" ride which I find rough. I do not want to "feel the rode" as it is put these days. I want to "float along." I will be looking for a cheaper next car - I find nothing in this model worth the $$$.

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  Run!!!!! - 2011 Lincoln MKX
  By greeny480 - December 1 - 6:41 pm

  Bought this vehicle new in 2011 and within 1 1/2 years time I had to take in to have warranty covered items fix on 6 occasions. After 3 attempts to fix a faulty power steering problem with no success, I traded in and went back to Cadillacs.

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  nothing but engine problems - 2000 Lincoln Navigator
  By mac905 - November 21 - 5:53 pm

  i have a lincoln because i fell in love with this suv as soon as it came out.I save up enouph money to get one and at first it was everything i hoped it to be then it rained out and water had gotten in to my fuse box and gem moduler box and it was all down hill from there i ended up paying 1,400 dollars to get that fixed. So when it hit a 1,000,00 it was time to change the plugs which coursed another 500 but once the new plugs went in the coils all started to go bad one after another it went from a dream to a night mare.And to make matter worst now the sensors are starten to go one by one i never had this much trouble with a car in my life SO MUCH FOR BUYING AMERICAN a made owner

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  my lemon navigator - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By mike drouillard - October 24 - 9:26 am

  lincoln gives free oil changes or service lucky for me because just about every service call something else needed repair, after driving 90000km I finally returned my vehicle. the vibration in the front end at 115km was never repaired even after the dealership had me replace my tires. yes after 90000 km front still vibrates. running board motors, frequently replaced. accelerator extremely sensitive, just keeps jerking your neck off dealer could not repair because of no adjustments. and the problems continued

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  Milwaukee Lincoln LS V8 - 2001 Lincoln LS
  By Taruntaev - October 16 - 10:00 am

  1. Had a very poorly shifting transmission, I took six months of complaining to the dealer, to the Ford Company directly, and then finally to the Lemon Law process to get the transmission fixed. The transmission works well now. 2. Was plaged by electrical problems that made the Lincoln just quit while driving. Requiring a tow from the Lincoln sponsored service. (It took 2.5 hours to get to me) The dealer finally found "loose ground screws". That appears to have solved the problem. 3. Developed a very bad oil leak from the power steering assembly. the dealer fixed it by replacing a deffective "quick change coupling" 4. Misc. I would feel safer if the Lincoln had other tires that Firestone.

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  Over-rated - 2008 Lincoln MKX
  By Morris Sgro - October 11 - 12:50 am

  As far as the exterior style goes, nice lines, sharp looking! Here comes the bad news! It has a horrible exhaust noise that sounds like a cow ready to give birth! The ride is smooth if youre on a newly paved road, but at higher speeds, turn up the volume! The MKX needs to be find tuned, there are just too many squeaks and rattles for it to be marked Lincoln! Its a glorified Ford Edge! Too bad! Nice looking!

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  finish not up to imports yet - 2009 Lincoln MKS
  By nikkis dad - September 29 - 5:46 am

  the wrap-around finish fo the front drivers side stops like a cut off pipe and cuts into yhe back of the right leg.The trunk headliner is stuck on with double-sided tape which continues to give way.Ford has not come up with a fix for either of these problams.