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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  A Lemon named Christine - 2002 Lincoln Town Car
  By Sue - June 4 - 10:00 am

  It has been in the shop 5 times in a year for the same thing and they havent found the problem yet. I have had to put off our vacation this year while it is in the shop. It floats all over the road, has a mind of its own. When a car or truck passes it pushes it off the road and when you try to compensate with the steering, it pulls back across the line..you never know where you are going. This is all at a speed of above 60 mph. At 59 or below it drives good

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  DO NOT BUY THIS TRUCK!!! - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By qbbraveheart - May 28 - 10:00 am

  This is the worst piece of garbage I have ever owned...ive had it for 8 months, less than 5000 miles on it and its been in the shop 5 times already.... leaky power steering assembly brakes dust like hell brake rotors warp very easy problems with air bag suspension chrome rims chipping dont buy this you will be very discouraged....this definitely falls under "LEMON" just complete garbage...i would only expect the best from a $60K truck...but then again this is Ford were talking about..glad I own a Honda on the side...now thats quality!

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  Stay Away! - 1998 Lincoln Navigator
  By ScrewedbyFORD - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Many of the Ford engines built in 97 and 98 had a defect in the cylinder heads causing spark plugs to blow out. I have researched hundreds of cases. Ford will take no responsibility for it. Hence the owner is stuck with a $3000.00 - $5000.00 repair. I have owned Fords all my life. Never again!!!!

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  Worst bang for the buck - 2012 Lincoln MKX
  By traci8 - February 15 - 9:21 pm

  I purchased this vehicle brand new loaded. At 5K miles I had to have the thermostat changed due to vehicle having a short and not starting. At 10K miles the power steering went out and took the vehicle to "Lincoln dealership for repairs and they had to fix the "power steering" over 6 times but would not classify the vehicle as a LEMON as they have experienced Lincoln advisors at the disposal of the service techs. well my car in the shop yet again for the same thing and they had my car for over 2 weeks and I just received a call that I will just have to live with the slight whining noise in the vehicle. Are you kidding me. Lincoln doesnt stand behind their products so please stay away.

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  Big Mistake - 2007 Lincoln MKZ
  By TJ - January 25 - 8:13 pm

  I bought this to replace my Audi A6 2.7T. Trying to be patriotic with my first purchase of an American car in quite a long time. The difference is shocking! No comparison. My wifes minivan has a smaller turning radius than this car. The transmission is primitive and pops into gear upon a medium to hard acceleration. The car feels light with no road grip. The sound system (I got the premium THX II) is just plain awful. The xenon headlights are only fair. This cars gas mileage is only moderately better than a full- size American SUV. The only redeeming quality about the car is the exterior appearance. Once you peel that away, it is clear why the American auto industry is ready to fold.

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  Fasle Expectations - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Mark - January 8 - 9:36 pm

  This car rode great for the first year of ownership, after that, things started falling apart. Took it to the dealer twice for transmission problems. I have replaced the tires twice to reduce road noise and interior noise from the engine is bad. Scheduled maintenance on this car is expensive, interior materials like imitation wood trim and vinyl are of the lowest quality and I cant wait to get out of it. I expected better quality from Lincoln.

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  2005 LS V6 - 2005 Lincoln LS
  By 2005ls1 - October 11 - 11:34 pm

  Im the not so proud owner of a 05 LS V6. This car has been a royal pain since I bought it. Its got 130K kms on it now. I cant keep coils or catalytic converters on it to save my a_ _. I contacted Ford 3 times and all I got was lip service from there complaint desk. Ive been stranded so many times and spent so much money on this piece of garbage in repairs its ridiculous. I was planning on buying a MKS but after all this pain its not going to happen.

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  AFTER PAYING $1800.00, BROKE 5 MORE TIME IN 10 DAYS. - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By msjay1234 - September 26 - 4:35 am

  I bought a 2004 Lincoln Aviator in June the Front differential broke in September. Repaired in November and I paid $1800.00 on December 1,2011. Picked up car on 1st. it broke on the 2nd. Picked up car on the 6th and on the 8th it started licking fluid. returned it and they said that it was fine. Then on the 12th it Broke again. On the 16th I picked it Up and drove it 30 mins. and smelled burning, took it back at 4 pm they said that it was the old smell burning off. At 7pm it broke on the hwy. Several times me and My small kids has broken down on the Road. The car is really unsafe. Thanking God that We got to Safety all these times. and the Car is still in the Shop. My God. What to Do I ask.

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  Very poor service on this car - 2010 Lincoln MKX
  By kirbyma - September 12 - 11:15 am

  A nice car but the service is very very bad. If you are a luxury car buyer who is used to service from others like Toyota, Honda, Land Rover, BMW, Hyundai etc you will be shocked at the service from Lincoln.

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  Taken for a Ride - 2001 Lincoln LS
  By madman - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Purchased this car new with the V-8 sports package and it turned into a nightmare. Car became very difficult to start after it was driven and shutdown for 2 hrs. Took car in for warranty repair 11 times w/out success. Ford had engineers and executive office involved, and no repair worked. Took them to arbitration to get a refund on the vehicle because they said they could not repair the car, and would not replace it.Other problems included a noisy air conditioner, a defective chrome wheel, seat backs that fell off, and random system fail alarms.