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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  Just keep rollin - 1996 Lincoln Town Car
  By kriegar - March 16 - 11:04 pm

  This is my 4th or 5th Town Car, and my second one in this body style/engine configuration. These are solid, dependable, and well appointed vehicles. What little gas money you might save in a lesser car is more than well compensated by the lower long term ownership and insurance costs. They have everything, and they dont break a lot...and no payments! This car provides a comfortable and quiet ride, (reasonable) power(its NOT an LT1), and reasonable gas mileage. The pollution control system is not so invasive that you cannot touch the car without having it become a problem, and the traditional styling and build are a plus for maintenance and/or modification.

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  Excellent - 2005 Lincoln Aviator
  By el alami - March 2 - 6:00 pm

  I am enjoying my Aviator with its excellent road handling and smooth ride and performance, I previously owned two Jeep Grand Cherokee and have numerous problems and expensive repairs. If you are looking for an SUV with performance and comfort and you do not mind the extra bucks for a thirsty engine. Then this is the SUV for you.

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  2004 LSV8 - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By Jim - February 20 - 12:20 pm

  I have owned this car since 12/06. Been to the dealer 3 times with coil problems. Each time it was fixed at no charge. Other then the rattles in the doors, that I fxed with some grease I love this car. The heated and A/C seats are great as is the 2 zone climate control. The engine is strong and I like the SST transmission. Seats are very comfortable even on long trips. The Instruments panel is dated in my opinion and I cant read the speedo to easy from my seating position. These are just minor grips. I gace up my Chyrsler 300C to my wife for this ride and I have no complaints. If they made an 07 I would buy that next as I enjoy this car that much.

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  My dream car turned nightmare - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Shadigga - February 9 - 1:16 am

  I havent had this car(00 v8) 4 more than a yr and its a nightmare.ive spent almost 2000 with repairs.thermostat, 2 window regs, ball joint,upper control arm, tire rod, gaskets, tires, brakes, with repairs left to be made. this was my dream car and i wish i had never bought it.

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  condition of car - 1996 Lincoln Town Car
  By robert wulff - February 2 - 2:00 am

  very good riding and handling car

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  I like it. - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By Monochrome Ultimate - January 28 - 10:00 am

  We bought our 04 ultimate after looking at the competitors such as Cadillac and the Denali. We settled on the Navigator because although it had less power than the others, the overall style, especially the interior was far above the Cadillac or Denali. We had traded in a 00 Expidetion on it and what a differance between the two. The new Lincoln is much more stable and does not wallow as like the Expy did. It would be nice if it had 400hp, but it does cruise very well and I have (dont tell my wife) triple digits on a deserted road quite easily.

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  not as good as it looks - 2007 Lincoln Mark LT
  By john - January 11 - 9:43 am

  the lincoln mark lt looks like a winner, but it is covering just an average truck. the quality control from the factory needs improvements. Many thing were not correct on the delivery of the vehicle and has taken a lot of personal time to try and correct unfinished items on the truck. I would not recommend this truct to any of my friends.

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  Lincolns are junk! - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By EJ - January 3 - 4:00 pm

  I bought the car from the original owner with 63000 miles. I loved the look of the car and the way it drove. It was priced at $13,000 and ended up only paying $9000. Things that went wrong with it for the year in a half that I owned it:1. Thermostat went out 2. Transmission slipped (had to have software downloaded on transmission) 3. Rearview mirror broke in shade mode 4. Air bags went out 5. Air bag wire went out 6. Battery was low and was causing the whole car to go wrong, stereo wouldnt work very well, alarm would not beep when locked, and transmission jerked when put in drive. 7. Gas lid broke, would not open. 8. Car started to die when taking off in the morning and stutter. 9. I got 12 on premium.

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  2003 Aviator - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By gary rogers - January 3 - 11:36 am

  Great motor, good towing, gets a lot of looks, very functional, good people vehicle

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  Reliability? - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By jimboh - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Should I keep? Car was great for first 8 years (purchased new in 2000) no maintenance issues. In the last couple of years had differential rebuilt at 100k ($1000), new rack and pinon ($650) new front ball joints ($450) broke while driving car and car slammed down onto street-luckily was going slowly and no damage to car or driver. Replaced a couple of coils and valve cover gaskets ($850). On current trip (am in pa.- alternator went bad ($390.) luckily was a few miles from a Lincoln dealership in okla. City car now has 130,000 miles and has been fine since those few repairs so hope for the best. Am very careful about maintenance do transmission, radiator every 50,000 and (now) will now do differential also