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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  Sheep in Wolves Clothing - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By joestephens3 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  The Lincoln LS V8 in the sports pacakage is a potent little rocket, disguised as a family sedan. Under closer inspection, the big v8 under the hood shows its true colors. As with most American cars, build quality is of concern, but with the LS, it seems to be higher quality than makes from Chrysler and GM. In fact the interior is very German. The transmission is clunky at slower speeds, on the freeway, its a different story, as this is the place where the LS stands its own. The ability to maintain 80+ mph on mountain grades leaves many heads turned, in fact, 100, 120 would not be a problem for this car.

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  LS has the makings of a Champ. - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By L Smith - June 27 - 2:00 am

  The LS V8 is a very smooth riding car with power to get you out of those bad situations and the style and looks to get you into some good situations. The Alpine in dash 6 disc cd changer is wonderful with a pleasant sound and a climate control system that has dual zones for the front passengers is nice. The leather seats with power controls are comfy. All around it is a great car and I would recommend the purchase of an LS.

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  1997 Lincoln Continental - 1997 Lincoln Continental
  By dbel - June 26 - 11:36 am

  Nice car....bought recently with low miles 76k....idles extremely smoothly....lots of power....great gas mileage...22.7 average..mostly highway....cruises well at 74mph....very pleased so far with the car.

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  What A Car! - 2008 Lincoln MKX
  By KeyedUp - June 25 - 10:03 pm

  Well, gotta tell you that this car is great. Ford just might have a winner here. Sure its a re-packaged Ford Edge, but they pulled it off. Fit and finish are perfect. Ride, handling and preformance are what youd expect. Well worth the extra dough over an Edge. I considered other crossovers, but they came off to me as either a station wagon or a small truck. Performace is better in the Lexus and couple of others which was nice but not important as the MKX is better priced. The MKX will get out of the way and run with any of them. Now, I only have a 1,000 miles with half that coming on a road trip that gave me 19.4 MPG. You gotta give MKX a look.

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  Im a HAPPY guy - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By oldn0tded - June 25 - 10:00 am

  An excellent car. I have driven mine 15000 miles and the car is better than I had hoped. I have the Sport Package and dont believe I have ever driven a better handling 4 door, period. The reliability has been as good as any car I have ever owned. The dealer has been very supportive even though I bought mine used. I have had minor things, ie. the license tag lights have had to be replaced, under warranty. I agree with the owner that stated Lincoln/Mercury is not marketing the car properly. Its an American made BMW. Contrary to the magazine comments, I love the styling. I really cant relate to Cadillacs new direction or what Chris Bangle has done to BMW .

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  Poorly built and noisy - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By Fresno - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Looks nice and handles well, but fairly noisy. The decorative panels on the doors just fell off when the vehicle was only 9 months old!

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  Emperor of the Highway. - 2013 Lincoln MKT
  By teerex - June 25 - 2:52 am

  Weve had our MKT for over a year now, and it keeps exceeding our expectations. Room, comfort, power and even amazing agility for such a big rig. Begs to be taken on long road trips. It can be so comfortable that you forget how long youve been driving (so it warns you that its time for a break!). The electronic helpers are very effective. The adaptive cruise is amazing and makes me wish all our cars had it. The lane departure system is equally predictable and useful. The styling is often characterized as "polarizing", and I dont really see whats so controversial about it. I think its very long, low, elegant and even a touch menacing. The low center of gravity helps handling.

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  Door Lock and Brake Problems - 2009 Lincoln MKS
  By SBU - June 24 - 9:30 pm

  I enjoy the design and comfort of the new MKS but it seems that there are still some mechanical issues to be worked out. I have driven only 800 miles in my new car and already have had to have the front brake lining replaced due to poor initial installation. The drivers side electronic door lock has also broken and the replacement part to fix the problem has not even been built yet (according to my dealer). I must now manually unlock the door each time - not fun.

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  Youll Love This Car! - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By Tim R. - June 23 - 12:10 am

  Purchased a used (18,000 mi.) 2004 V8 with the LSE package in Oct. 2006. Had absolutely no problems so far (42k mi.) Very well "built" luxury sports sedan. Handles great--plenty of power--decent mileage* for a V8 with this power. Highly recommend this car because of value, quality and performance. If your seeking a nice used luxury sports sedan at an "affordable" price, then this car should be on your "list". The car runs fine on 89 octane (mid) gasoline, although 91 octane suggested by factory.

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  LOVED IT! - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By Jackie32391 - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Best car you would ever drive