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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  Thought it was great till warranty over - 2001 Lincoln Navigator
  By Ray - March 10 - 7:13 pm

  I actually thought this was one of the best cars I ever had and never even bothered to check reviews until I started experiencing problems at 75K mi. Sorry, but a drive train should not fail at 75K. Everything imagineable went wrong. Found out I had a defective transmission - sorry warranty up, car would not start then all of a sudden would be OK. Couldnt find a problem until the fuel pump went out solid - after the warranty was up. The car always pulled to the right - could never find anything wrong - got worse as the car aged. It seems as though literally everything started to break just as the warranty was up.

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  What a mistake! - 2015 Lincoln MKC
  By wywill - March 6 - 6:02 pm

  Purchased MKC Sat. 3/7. Big mistake. Spent more time on the phone with Lincoln than driving. Top of the line, every option available model. 1) Sirius said I dont have the 6 month trial period, Lincoln set up system wrong, had to pay for the first year immediately; 2) Sync Service wouldnt work, dealt for 3 hours with Lincoln on the phone to do all sorts of things to get the system to work correctly, 3)Lincoln phone app wont work, after 4 days still wants "in car confirmation" that I am the owner of the phone/car...their engineers are looking into it and should have an answer in 1 week. What a Joke! Do Not Buy this Car! My 2014 Buick Lacrosse was flawless. This is far from luxury!

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  Disappointed - 2008 Lincoln MKX
  By Disappointed - February 27 - 4:36 am

  Have 1300 miles on car. Have owned several Fords-no problems. Bought this car to keep several years-wrong move. Very disappointed. Engine has loud single pecking noise at cold start after auto choke shuts down. Getting worse. Service department & Ford engineer hears noise, dont know what is causing it and that nothing can be done about it-say some do it and some dont? Also, constant struggle with steering- pulls out of road-wears me out to drive it. Feels like it doesnt have power steering at times. Service dept has checked and says normal for FWD-I have owned other FWDs that did not do that-a little stiffer steering I expected but not this. Bad move buying this car-lot of money wasted

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  Sad - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By Sad - February 23 - 1:56 am

  I have owned my navi for 4 years now. We bought it with 30k miles and LOVED the car. The bells and whistles were amazing, it was a top of the line luxury SUV. Once my car hit 70k miles it fell apart!! Break Line ($900), plugs ($1100), transmission ($2000), air suspension twice ($1500), cadillac converters ($3000) and the mirrors no longer fold in and the rear window whipper doesnt work anymore. I am so tired of putting money into this car. If you get one make sure you buy the extended warranty. These cars are know for having big problems. Now Im upside down not only from the all the work I had done but now the dealership doesnt want to give me what my loan pay off is.... SADDENED

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  Lincoln or Ford - 2009 Lincoln MKZ
  By Gene - January 27 - 10:46 am

  Ive been driving lincolns since 1959.My last car was a Lincoln.The 2009 MKZ is NOT a Lincoln It is a Ford. I would suggest that anyone considering this car should look at a Ford Model,and save between $5-$10 thousand dollars.

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  It will leave you high and dry! - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By heather - January 15 - 6:13 pm

  Cheap car for a not so cheap price. Air suspension problems, hood hinges go bad, vehicle wont start on certain days (dealer cant find the problem) back up sensors dont work on certain days, electrical system is not right, climate control buttons pop off. Very cheaply built! Car only has 78,000 miles and its junk. Resale value is horrible. Only worth $7,000 (after only 5 years!) Requires premium gas. Door molding coming apart. AC burps when you turn it on.(all of this even with an extended warranty and constant service.

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  My Touch Sucks - 2011 Lincoln MKX
  By mkoops - December 13 - 3:17 pm

  The car is OK, the lincoln my touch is gonna make you hate it. If you get in the car and drive to the store, the car works great. If you want to do something like listen to the radio, be prepared to get angry. It does things like reboot leaving the volume loud and on an AM station for 2 or 3 minutes while it does it. The navigation is too hard and slow to use. It will take about 5 full minutes to get a restaurant detestation into it. The data base is WAY out of date. My Touch is awful.

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  My 2000 LS Stinks - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Victoria351 - November 28 - 4:53 pm

  Oh gosh, where do I start? Let me begin by telling you that I purchased this car in 2004 when I was only 18 years old. It was flashy and one heck of a sweet ride. Then all of a sudden it all went downhill. Literally. I have had numerous problems to boot. Let me begin to name the things, bad headers, over heating, driver door wouldnt open and still doesnt open, skipping or misfiring in the engine, antifreeze leaking, bad tires, and much much more. My boyfriend and I were almost killed in the car when we were drive back from vacation only 1 month after purchasing it. The tire blew out on the highway causing the car to spin around, luckily not injuring us or anyone else for that matter.

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  Navigator Dud - 2005 Lincoln Navigator
  By Derrick Soo - November 20 - 2:20 pm

  Since taking delivery, this DUD is now approaching 3 weeks worth of repair time. Had to contact Lincoln CEO & DM to get this last service done. Customer service is non-existent and rude. This was my second Navigator, and will be the last. SUV has been in for two major repairs and replacements. First was total front drive system and steering, now Tranny. Had side panels fall off on the freeway and the HID headlights didnt work upon delivery. Lincoln has not been helpful at all. No loaners at Hayward Lincoln.

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  Climate Control Issues - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By TooBad - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Really like the vehicle, but the 2004 seems to have a fundamental design flaw in the climate control that allows frigid air to flow from the side window demisters. Temperature difference from demisters to floor exceeds 60 degrees, causing the vehicle to be unable to control thermal comfort for the passengers and driver. Really a shame as it is a great truck in all other respects. Factory denies the issue, but it has been verified as a problem in cold climates on all 2004 vehicles tested by the dealer.