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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  Nice Looks, Poor Quality - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By 2000 LS Owner - October 22 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great and has many nice interior features and conveniences. From that perspective, I cant complain. However, I have spent way too much time taking this car to the dealership for repairs. The transmission was replaced at 22K miles. The new one is not much better. 4 Engine coils rusted out and were replaced. The build quality and materials used are definitely sub- standard. There are many rattles and vibrations and noises from the dashboard and the cabin in general. Many of them were fixed only to reappear. The car is an overall dissapointment. Last Lincoln I will buy!

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  Jury still out on this one! - 2009 Lincoln MKS
  By TK - October 22 - 1:53 am

  With 8000 miles this one so far has had brake problems and acceleration issues that the dealership cannot seem to fix properly. Pretty scary when you need the power and its not there for you and when you need to stop quickly and get a crunching noise!

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  Perfect fit & finish...truly WOW - 2006 Lincoln Zephyr
  By Wayne - October 20 - 1:23 pm

  have had the car for a month...not a thing wrong yet...love the design, comfort, features and design are fantastic at a fair price. We ordered the car without seeing the color we wanted (dark blue) and love it and the interior color too (light stone). The car is really fun to drive and has plenty of power despite the reports...handles very smoothly...

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  Just Perfect - 2016 Lincoln MKX
  By JE - October 20 - 9:13 am

  The MKX has performed flawlessly in every facet of driving. Dependable in cold and snow to desert heart. I tried a Navigator (which is a great vehicle) but it was a bit too big for my needs. I am a big fan of distilled water and run it in the radiator (with about 20% coolant) in all my vehicles and my tractor this has worked excellent in the MKX.

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  I cant believe Ford built this car! - 2010 Lincoln MKZ
  By Dan - October 17 - 8:23 pm

  I traded in my 2004 Avalon for my new "Lincolnette" with Tech package (101-A) and chrome wheels. What a wonderful car! Great performance, ride, build quality, styling. Atlantis Green with the Camel leather interior; a very handsome combination. (So over Greys and Silvers). No Nav system: thats an expensive toy that would not be used very often (arent most GPSs?). Great improvements over earlier models. I am looking forward to several years of trouble free service.

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  In the shop to much - 1998 Lincoln Town Car
  By Bry - October 17 - 2:00 am

  5 heater cores in 3yrs. No one can fix the root problem. Ford has spent every dime of profit in repairs on my car. Up to $8000 now. My list of misc. repairs is absurd.

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  Lincoln LS - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By sjsjsjsjsjsj - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I have had several electrical problems with this vehicle. When I step on it, the transition is VERY rough. It jerks into the next gear.

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  Almost Perfect - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By BigBill - October 16 - 9:50 pm

  Very comfortable and quiet ride. The roomiest cabin ever. Love folding seats and running boards. Excellent navigation system and very good sound system. I own BMW 750i and I have to admit - Navigator is indeed roomy and comfortable. Towing is effortless, but Im really dissappointed with lack or the rear view camera on 2007 model. Fuel economy is not bad at all - 14 city and 20.6 freeway. Ive never managed to achieve this on my Jeep with Hemi engine.

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  A Great Deal! - 2003 Lincoln Town Car
  By john596 - October 15 - 10:24 pm

  I bought my 2003 Executive used with 68,000 miles on it. It is pearl white with tan leather interior. I had trouble with water leaking in through air intake under passenger wiper. I repaired with automotive adhesive glue and sealed the joint with undercoating spray. That fixed it. I also had trouble with hesitation. I took it to the local Lincoln dealership and for just under $500, a tune-up and transmission fluid made it drive like a new car. I am at 143,000 miles and plan to keep it at least 90,000 more miles (new Michelins). I added in-dash navigation, satellite radio, and bluetooth. This is my fifth Lincoln and fourth Town Car. I will have another, no doubt.

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  An SUV that drives better than most cars - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By Jules301h - October 12 - 10:00 am

  Head turning good looks, and sedan like driveability. Aviator really does drive amazingly well for its size and weight. The engine is very powerful, steering is extremely responsive, ride is perfect-very smooth, handles very well on corners, little body lean. Turns well in parking lots. Ride very quiet. A/c works really well. Cooled seats dont do much. Havent tried the heated seats yet. DVD is great, wireless headphones too. But the PS2/Xbox hookup is on the ceiling. The navigation sys is $2500-buy a map. Great car, go it under invoice w/ 0%.