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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  Lemon Law Applies - 2016 Lincoln MKX
  By Kathy Davis - February 14 - 10:49 pm

  A 62k piece of junk. Right front running light went out before owning the car 2MONTHS. It has been the dealer SIX times and they can not fix it. In additional to that I have had many, many, many electrical problems with this car. The odometer has disappeared, the left turn signal light comes on when I have not activated it, the radio turns on all by itself, I get a gray shadow of the car on the center screen at the end of my driveway and the indicator alerts me with a red light, front left always, when Im in the middle of a double wide driveway (this has happened too many times to count) , back windshield wiper turns on by itself, once after leaving the dealership I had a repeating message about Pre Collision Assist Not Available & Service AdvnceTrac in a constant loop until I turned off the car. Ford has been unable to duplicate all of the issues even after given proof of. I was told that the 2016 has a new Sync System and that could be part of the reason. I have had to contact an attorney and file a Lemon Law Suit against Ford as they just want to keep trying to "fix" the issues. Extremely disappointed in Ford. Should have bought another Lexus - I never had one problem with my RX330 in 12 years!

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  luxury and solid suv of all time - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By avi79 - February 14 - 2:43 pm

  happy fun to drive. drives really sooth on roads. it feels like youre driving in a airplane because it feels like youre touching the ground

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  Automatic Trunk - 2008 Lincoln MKX
  By jjake96 - February 13 - 3:26 pm

  We love this crossover. Rides nice and interior features are excellent. Had car for about 2 months and the only problem we encountered is the automatic trunk opener. Opens and doesnt close. It goes down and up and not closing properly. Been at the dealership twice already.

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  Awesome car! - 2017 Lincoln MKC
  By timvf101@yahoo.com - February 13 - 9:00 am

  I bought the 2017 MKC about a month ago and have been very happy with my purchase. Car rides beautifully and is extremely quiet on the inside. Gas millage so far is around 20, for an AWD thats not bad considering the weight of the car. All of the controls are easy to use and figure out. Car does shift a little odd at times but did read thats a problem with Ford products. All in all no complaints so far, driving does not seem to be an effort anymore!

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  OK - 2008 Lincoln MKX
  By Ray in NH - February 11 - 7:36 pm

  Looking for a lot of features packed into one vehicle that you can buy for $36,000, (with elite and ultimate packages), this vehicle is a good value. We have driven BMW and Mercedes brands for the past 20 years. This vehicle is no match. Buying a two year old ML320 is a better value. Especially when the Lincoln gets 17.5 MPG highway. My wife would drive just about anything. If I dont have to drive this car more than once per week, thats plenty.

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  04 LS - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By rojodarryl - February 5 - 3:46 pm

  Just bought this car! love it, fun to drive, classy looks and style, all the goodies you can imagine. Very happy with this car.

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  IVE OWNED TWO - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By Negritakc - February 5 - 2:00 am

  This is my second LS...first one purchased in 2000 - best car Ive ever owned and I cant imagine ever owning anything but a Lincoln

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  Partridge - 2005 Lincoln Aviator
  By Donal Partridge - February 4 - 10:10 am

  Its a great car. No problems since I bought it. In my opinion, the best part about this car is its performance. Excellent handling, and its very fast for an SUV. Interior is identical to the new Navigator models, but much smaller.

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  Happy Lincoln Owner - 2002 Lincoln LS
  By DinoDon - February 3 - 10:00 am

  Absolutey a kick to drive, drives like a large sports car. It is extremely tight and quiet, and we love the throaty sound of the V6. Dont need the v8 and I have raced cars. The ultimate sports luxury car. We tested bmw, lexus, accura, and others, but this was the best bang for the buck.

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  2002 lincoln LS v-8 - 2001 Lincoln LS
  By jeff7802 - February 3 - 10:00 am

  fit and finish on car is very poor. car has a number of rattles that the vehicle was delivered with. paint quality very poor. my local dealer takes numerous service attempts to do anything. then accomplishes nothing. if this is LINCOLNS new vehicle for my generation. car quality needs to be much better, and dealer support needs a lot of help. its no wonder ford is loosing market share.