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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  No more - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By chris s - May 30 - 9:33 pm

  Fun to drive and thats about it. 64000 miles and the car is slowely falling apart. Tranny problems, leaky oil valves, radio display dont work, replaced interior mirror and exterior. air bag light come on due to cut wire under the seat. Dealer made it sound like it was my fault because I had my seat set on easy entry.... too many problems to keep it. My wife has a Toyota with 120k miles and no problems. Lincoln, Ford stinks they dont stand behind their product no wonder they have problems.. Cant wait to get rid of this junk. No more American cars, sad but true.

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  Great looks, poor reliability, Finish - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By Notrecellars - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Since buying this car the following has gone wrong: 1) The power steering rack leaked all over our garage floor and needs to be completely replaced 2) The car whistles at speeds above 60 MPH 3) The driver side Seat AC has failed 4) The back door is so out of alignment that it rubs on the front door, this required a body shop visit to fix. When we bought the product the dealer gave us the Red Carpet treatment at the sale, even promising a "Lincoln Product" should we have the car in the shop.....well, we have been in our loaner Expedition for a week now. Dont expect the Dealer to treat you the same after the sale. Very disappointing.

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  What a mistake!! - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By Ouch!! - March 31 - 3:50 pm

  I bought this car after testing Jaguar, BMW and the CTS. First luxury car - hoped for 100-200K luxury trouble free miles - what a piece of junk!! Two transmission jobs, hauled twice on a flatbed to the dealer as would not start, brake problems - emergency brake sticking, headliner kept falling down around the top roof braking light - one problem after another - very, very disappointing. Dealer finally gave me an extended warranty for 70k miles - the car has been in the shop for over 7 weeks altogether - I will never buy another Ford or Lincoln product!!

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  Not my old tc - 2011 Lincoln Town Car
  By Richard R - March 23 - 12:22 am

  Owned a 1998 t.c. Cartier was twice this car.

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  Too Much Maintanance - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Esanchez4 - March 9 - 2:50 pm

  Too much maintenance. I purchased this vehicle with 75,000 miles but it started giving me a lot of costly problems at around 90,000 miles, mostly coming from the engine that averaged at least $1,000 each repair - 4 repairs-. Performance was poor in handling, it didnt hv good turning capability. A lot of little things kept breaking on the car sensors, switches, knobs, windows motor,etc. I would not recommend too anybody about purchasing this car. -Very Unsatisfied-

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  Sweating - 2003 Lincoln Town Car
  By Sweating - February 22 - 10:00 am

  BUYERS BEWARE: Two problems potential purchasers should be aware of. Ask to see Special Service Message 16990. The a/c has a significant decrease in cooling capacity at highway speeds. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. I sweat at highway speeds. Lincoln does not have fix. Also a mysterious noise behind dash on drivers side. Lincoln has been unable to repair mine.

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  Another Lincoln Lemon - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By None - February 16 - 11:30 pm

  I liked the look and the interior, so I bought one used with 60k mi. However, 4 months out of the dealer and Im looking at $1500 of repairs on various plastic engine parts that have deteriorated. It took the dealer nearly a week to diagnose. Conveniently these arent covered under their useless extended warranty. One of the rear doors doesnt unlock. I got the metal panel crack underneath the tailgate window that I read many others got within 3 months. Fuel mileage dips into single digits in city driving. Oh well, another Ford, another shoddy car. At least its not a Chrysler or the bumpers would be falling off by now.

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  2004 Aviator - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By charitee - February 15 - 7:17 pm

  We purchased this beautiful SUV because of its mid size and appeal. It was fine until it hit 75K miles, the engine froze up, & had to be replaced. FORD was not willing to talk to us, and very rude, the AC hardly blows cool air, the radiator cracked, it is constantly in and out of the repair shop. FORD has no interest in customer service, never will we buy another FORD product.

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  Good car - 1999 Lincoln Town Car
  By eli_10 - February 14 - 8:43 am

  Im 18 and its my first car, my dad gave it to me, it was his, privately owned not used as a taxi. I just hit about 87,500 and the car runs perfectly had some bumps with it gas pump broke on me a while ago but other than that i dont have any major issues with it. Its old and needs some upgrades here and there but other than that its pretty good. But the one thing i dont like about it is that its so big! The drive itself is awesome, really smooth, you dont feel the road when driving and the steering is great, its like cutting through room temp butter with a hot knife.

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  A very dissapointing experience! - 2006 Lincoln Navigator
  By AJ - February 12 - 4:53 am

  After 8 months no issues with drivetrain except for poor gas milage 13.1 mpg. Interior fit and finish is horrible. Excessive wind noise from drivers window. Many rattles coming from cheap plastic components such as glove box, a/c vents, 2nd row storage console, and dvd player. Quality in leather is marginal at best. Carpets are starting to show signs of wear after 10k miles. Dealer is not geared to fix these type of quality issues at their location, very frustrating. Will not purchase any Lincoln or Cadillac product again. Very nice on the surface with 0 miles, 8 months into is a different story. Looking at MB GL450, Audi Q7, will unload this Navigator at a huge loss. I hope this will help.