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:

• 

  Great Crossover in AWD - 2007 Lincoln MKX
  By linc lover - March 29 - 4:56 am

  I love that it takes regular gas instead of premium and it has a lot of power. My regular mileage is 17mpg in city conditions. It is like a sports car and the open top is awesome!

• 

  2014 MKZ 2.0 with the Reserve Group - 2014 Lincoln MKZ
  By benetodog - March 28 - 7:49 am

  This is my first American car; I have had Jaguars, a VW, Mercedes and Audis. I test drove a Cadillac, an Acura, a Lexus, an Audi and an Infiniti before I ended up at my local Lincoln dealer. At first I really liked the size of the car and it drove as nice or better that the before mentioned. I thought the interior was really modern and the exterior was as handsome as anything else out there. I have only had the car for a month. I hated maintaining my last black car, so I wish I had waited for the color I wanted. I got a black one with the 19” painted grey wheels, it kind of looks like something Darth Vader might drive. I hate being in a dirty car, I have been dusting every day.

• 

  Gladiators Aviator - 2005 Lincoln Aviator
  By lfleming - March 27 - 3:53 am

  The only burp Ive had with my Aviator is the DVD player ran my battery down, so I had to get a boost. Perhaps the DVD should run on its own battery. I think that the second set of seats should recline more.

• 

  Good buy - 2007 Lincoln MKZ
  By Don Hutto - March 26 - 9:33 pm

  Excellent transporation for the bucks. Love the seated/cooled seats, THX surround sound stereo, nav system, common sense approach to controls and buying regular gas. Didnt need to read the plethora of manuals to operate either the stereo or nav system. Very intuitive. Engine response is good. Wish I could manually select gears. Transmission shifting software needs improvement. Very comfortable ride at the sacrifice of handling. Id buy it again.

• 

  Fun Car, Stylish, not worth the Repairs - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By notsoavgcarguy - March 25 - 10:32 am

  Where to start? I bought this car used back in 2008 with about 70,000 miles on it. I loved it when I bought it - excellent power, quick, superb handling, beautiful car inside and out. Then it started to drain my account. Once it hit 90,000 miles it started to fall apart. I had to replace the front ball joints, $1,000. Because its a Jag with a Lincoln brand, youre paying for foreign parts along with extremely high labor due to its tight fit and weird part locations under the hood. You should know this up front. Coils and Valve Cover Gaskets ran me about $1,000. Air bag light was always on though I never bothered to have that checked out. I babied this car and it just took my money.

• 

  Very Pleased - 2017 Lincoln MKC
  By SYFer - March 25 - 4:26 am

  I wanted a luxury crossover with great tech (Apple Car Play was a must-have), a comfortable, quiet ride for my brutal Silicon Valley commutes and great design (other musts: leather, camera, large format sunroof). I also wanted a reasonable value for all that. My finalists were the BMW X series (probably X1 or X3), the Mercedes GLA and the MKC. In the end, its obvious that if I wanted the German nameplate cache, it was going to cost significantly more (5-10K) to get what I could get in a the far more reasonably priced Lincoln. I took the savings and extended the warranty (which I always do on a new car) and I purchased the Premium Maintenance Package (which Ive never done) because Lincolns Concierge/Valet service (which is standard--not part of the pkg) makes ongoing maintenance and service an incredible value. All I need to do is contact the Lincoln concierge via the App, web or call and on the day of my service appt, the valet comes out to my home or office with an equal or better Lincoln and brings mine back when its done. This is not only insanely convenient (I got to try it recently when Lincoln corrected a minor part issue I identified at purchase), but it will ensure that I am punctual and on schedule for my regular service which is always challenging with my work, doing the dealer shuttle, etc. I wont likely even set foot in the dealership for a few years now. As for the ride, performance, comfort, etc., Im completely satisfied on all counts and I really do love the lines, stance and overall design of this car. In fact, its kind of funny, now that Im out there in the Lincoln amidst all the other people driving exactly the same 4 or 5 Germans (and the ubiquitous suburban moms in Subarus), Im kind of liking the contrarian Lincoln luxury SUV statement. Ive never been more satisfied with a new car purchase. One other thing, my Lincoln dealer has been great and they have clearly made a serious commitment to making the Lincoln experience as VIP and upscale as possible. All said, an amazing value for money.

• 

  Our Aviator Rocks! - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By Jerry/Carrie Webb - March 24 - 2:00 am

  We had recently purchased a Chevy Suburban as we are a family of 6---4 kids (3 are teens) & 2 adults...well, after owning it for several months we felt it was not for us--too bus-like hard to park, terrible fuel mileage, etc...We had purchased a Lincoln LS in December & loved it, so we looked into the Aviator--what an excellent choice-- we were SOLD!! The dealership bought the Suburban from us & gave us a smokin deal on the Aviator--everyone fits comfortably & no trouble parking it! Its zippy & fun to drive too!! Were definitely a Lincoln family-thank you!

• 

  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.

• 

  Best car ever - 2010 Lincoln MKT
  By LoveMKT - March 22 - 9:23 am

  This is my first Lincoln and I LOVE this car! Ive owned 6 or 8 Mercedes, several Volvos, Cadillac, Chrysler and about everything in between. I traded in a 2010 Lexus RX350 with 2475 miles on it. I HATED that car! Its a new redesign and its a joke. This Lincoln is turning out to be the best car Ive ever owned. I cant say enough good about it. I special ordered and got the standard engine on purpose after trying out both. It has plenty of power and Ive seen 27 mpg on the highway at 70 mph. It will always be around 25 or better.

• 

  First Ford product in over 35 years - 2006 Lincoln Zephyr
  By GM Convert - March 22 - 7:20 am

  Bought Zephyr used with only 11k miles. Fully loaded with every option. Like the cooled seats (Houston is hot) killer sound system and tremendous storage with rear seat folded down. Adding door protector strip to avoid dings. Could use a little more power and engine sounds "busy" when accelerating. Gas mileage averaging around 22.5. Dont like the tilt steering, GM is much better.