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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  Mechanical nightmare - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By dstuartbond - December 15 - 11:03 am

  From the day I drove it off the lot it has been in the shop three times for transmission repairs (starting at under 1,000 miles). The engine stalled out on me and would only run on a few cylinders at 80 miles (yes 80). It is now in the shop for the third time for a rear main engine seal that they cant seem to fix (over three weeks in the shop now). The Electronics keep going out (navigation, stereo front power windows and moon roof) all at the same time. They stop functioning for days at a time and then start working again. The dealer has not been able to isolate this problem. The dealer is beside themselves on all of these issues.

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  Whistles at speeds 60+ mph - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By Friscodad - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Great ride, handling and power. Expect it to drink more. What do you expect from 300 horses? It needs to drink. It whistles at speeds over 60 MPH. This is common amongst all models and is a design and manufactures defect. Lincoln needs to recognize it and make good on some modifcations and repairs. Back door jams against the front door. Another defect and common design flaw amongst these models.

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  Claytons Nav - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By Clayton Mullen - December 15 - 10:00 am

  The 2003 Navigator is the best vehicle we have ever purchased it is big and very sexy looking.

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  ANEMIC - 2017 Lincoln MKZ
  By mkz1 - December 13 - 8:55 pm

  Good looking , nice graphics, and that’s it the engine and transmission is the worst I have driven in modern times—under powered- loud engine, cvt is anemic and hardly any downshift-- the most disappointing in power, ride is satisfactory but and appointments-lighting is great—the “leather” is awful- and way to light for every day use. Soon car manufactures will make only 1-2 interiors black and light and light will be filthy in a week-neither are for real uses. Avg 36 MPG

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  Great car - 2010 Lincoln MKZ
  By hank - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought a black on black MKZ and have 2800 miles and have not had the car back to garage for anything. When I was looking to buy compared the MKZ to Nissan Maxima but to get memory seats you had to spend in excess of 2K extra for maxima. This put the price of the two cars within hundreds of dollars. Opted for the MKZ and decided to give Ford (1st time ford buyer) a chance. No regrets yet. MKZ is very good value for mid size luxury car.

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  Great car for my dad - 2005 Lincoln Town Car
  By Sven - December 12 - 3:53 pm

  My 80 year old dad had a minor accident that totaled his Buick. Put him in a used Town Car with only 31,000 miles for $15000. He and mom love this car. It is easy to drive and very comfortable. Dad has been impressed with the gas mileage and says that this is the best car he has ever owned. The people at their church think that he must have won the lottery. His last car cost more and was not nearly as plush. It runs very smooth and has plenty of power. I also enjoy driving the car, putting 6000 miles on it on a cross country drive with 4 people and luggage and still got 24 MPG. It is much more fun to drive than my brothers Lexus and much easier to get in and out of, very nice ride.

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  Headrests need to go back to the 2006 version. - 2011 Lincoln Navigator
  By lincolndude1 - December 10 - 9:07 pm

  Recently traded a 2006 Navigator for a 2010 model. The ride is very smooth and handling around corners is fine. As Edmunds has stated, sometimes the transmission cant seem to find the right gear. The biggest complaint is the drivers and front passengers headrests are way too hard causing this driver a headache. The 2006 Navigator had just the right headrest as it was more adjustable being able to pivot forward as well as up and down and was more cushioned. The 2010 can only move up and down with hardly any cushion. Its hard to understand why auto manufacturers dont stick with a good thing once its created.

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  I HATE THIS VEHICLE - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By ihatelincoln - December 9 - 2:40 pm

  Purchased this vehicle used about a year and a half ago. Never really liked it but it was in our price range and had all the amenitied that we required. We owned a Chevy Tahoe prior to this but it did not have a 3rd row seat which is what we needed. Here are the things that I dispise about this car. 1. Even though we have owned this vehicle for over a year still cant get used to the window controls in the center console and the seat controls on the door 2. Even though weve owned this vehicle for over a year still havent gotten used the fact that is doesnt automatically unlock all the doors when you turn it off, I curse this vehicle everyday for this very reason!!!!!!!!!!!

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  FIRST YEAR HAS SIGNIFICANT DEFECTS - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By BEXLEY - December 9 - 2:00 am

  SQUEAKY BRAKES, UNFINDABLE WATER LEAK WITH RESULTING AWFUL LOCKER ROOM SMELL... WOULD NEVER BUY FIRST YEAR OF A MODEL AGAIN.

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  The best SUV - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By NS - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I just traded in the 2002 Cadillac Escalade for the finest SUV on the road. The Navigator! The Navigator provides exactly what it should for a vehicle in this price range, the Escalade did not. This SUV has a car like ride with a higher vantage point. The seats are extremely comfortable, the interior, well thought out, the amenities appropriate (cordless headphones with the rear seat DVD player). The Escalade had a VERY powerful engine, but rode like a very expensive truck, and the build quality was horrible. Lincoln has a winner here, give the engine a bit more power and you have a perfect 10!