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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  Excellent Safety Features, Ugly Exterior - 2011 Lincoln MKT
  By ken430tx - April 11 - 4:55 am

  I bought this car for the safety items, auto braking, adaptive cruise control, navigation system, etc. It is fun to drive and handles beautifully. Exterior styling is lacking and almost stopped me from buying the vehicle. Interior knobs, and panels are cheap plastic, and not typical of a $60K car. Overall performance is good, mileage on road - 23 mpg! Around town about 19. Only consistent problem I have had is intermittent failure of heat to work. They are replacing the actuator this week. I hope that finally fixes it! I have 19,800 miles on this car so far and it is one year old.

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  2000 Lincoln LS Has Some Problems - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Alex1456 - April 6 - 10:00 am

  Good and fun car to drive, with plenty of styling, luxury and sporty feel. Unfortunately, also has design flaws including electric window (breakdown every few months), headlight seals leak and trim design are defects. Overall, not a bad luxury sport car but designers and engineers need to go back and get it right.

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  This car is awsome! - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By leemann - April 2 - 10:00 am

  I love this car, even with a v-6 it hauls ass. It is also a chick magnet, everyone at work wants to take a ride in it. the only problens I have had are the transmission kicking really hard while down shifting from 2nd to 1st gear other than that this car is great all around. Oh one other thing it could use a air conditioner that gets colder quiker.

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  hsa small problem - 2016 Lincoln MKX
  By allen - March 29 - 4:36 am

  love the car, I have 4kmiles ,noticed a smell of fumes in car. mostly when I down shift to enter highway ,so bad I need to open window, FL dealer look at it and said they fixed it , still happens called Lincoln and made an appointment with my dealer upstate NY. if the fumes are so great wonder how much with normal acceleration it give out to cab, worried about grand kids in car . hope Lincoln has reading equipment to measure the amount of exhaust in the inside of car, this may be a defect in the mkx , FL did not have that model to test another mkx .as far as gas mileage 24 on the hwy. but only 12 to 13 in traffic ,the car itself look great, rides great, handles great, it has all the options , seat message great, safety very good

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  Ho-hum - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By M(icman) - March 28 - 10:00 am

  At first glance this was a great vehicle. After awhile gremlins started appearing - first the throttle body was replaced, then a exhaust bracket broke, tires replaced due to imbalance, loose rear suspension, loose and creaky interior door trim and whining heat/AC vent fan that dealer says is "Normal". When it isnt in the shop it is a great car, but then it develops another problem. If you intend on purchasing one, be sure to opt for the extended warranty!

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  3 months and losing steam - 2009 Lincoln MKZ
  By DGeorgia - March 27 - 8:26 am

  The MKZ drives well, is comfortable, and gets decent MPG. However, many gremlins have popped up over the last 2 months....2 broken trim pieces, replaced weather stripping due to wind noise, and multiple hard to isolate squeaks and rattles have dropped my opinion of this car down several notches. One thing to consider: Lincoln is till Ford and unfortunately you dont get stellar service due to this fact. Like the drive, not sure Ill keep it due to lots of time spent in the shop due to annoying minor issues.

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  Nice attempt.....falls short of imports - 2006 Lincoln Zephyr
  By airone - March 26 - 5:56 pm

  All in all a good car.This car handles well in most situations and is quite comfortable overall.However,a little more headroom would be nice! Forget this car if you are 62 or over.The engine responds well at highway speeds when you are already going with the flow of traffic. This car needs more power off the line! As well as more insulation to keep some of that noise out of the cabin! Some of the interior finishes are a bit cheap and the leather could be a bit better grade. My driver seat is already showing signs of premature wear and the car is only 10 months old. I have to condtion it regularly!! Stereo and related electronics had to be replaced due to electronic failure. All under warranty..

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  Impressive Statement from Lincoln - 2013 Lincoln MKZ
  By johnnytshea3 - March 22 - 7:29 pm

  This car is just a joy to drive. I get compliments almost daily on the styling, its definitely a head-turner. As far as the driving experience, one word of advice; save some $ and go for the 2-liter Ecoboost. My previous 11 MKZ had the 3.7 and I see little difference performance-wise, yet Im getting 8-10 mpg better mileage. The MyLincolnTouch system is not perfect, but its not nearly as frustrating as its made out to be. Fit and finish is good, although one negative is that the steering wheel placement obstructs the gear indicator on the instrument panel. This is a problem if you want to drop it into sport mode. Overall though, I am very satisfied, this car gets an awful lot right.

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  I have doubts and issues - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By deeman - March 1 - 2:00 am

  Upon delivery headliner started to fall down in the rear and sunglass holder in roof fell down. Upon arriving home back doors would not unlock, had to crawl over front seats to exit auto. There are muffled noises coming from the passenger side dash and we have been told it may be caused by temp change, but they cannot find anything. Paid a premium price for what I thought was a luxury car but it hasnt lived up to the mark yet--I have my doubts that it ever will.

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  poor customer service - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By clarksalmo - March 1 - 2:00 am

  540 miles on the car the transmission went out, 500 miles from home. Lincoln customer service is non-existent. Basically was told I was on my own. Wont be buying any Ford products again. Very disappointing experience.