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:

• 

  Dont Waste Your $$$ - 1999 Lincoln Town Car
  By rjbinwv - October 19 - 4:15 pm

  I purchased a 1999 Lincoln Town car in Feb. 2010 with the car only having 75ooo miles on it. The interior and exterior was in mint condition. Well........it is now Feb 2011 almost a year-to-date, and I have probably spent close to 2,000 dollars on this thing!!! I dont think I have ever hated a car as much as I hate this one! I HAD to change air suspension over to shocks, or it wouldnt pass inspection-500dollars. Countless coil packs, alternator, a/c compressor with clutch, NOW this past weekend smoke was pouring through the vents! I was like"what the crap is going on NOW?!" I have a broke heater core. Its a 60dollar part for a 700dollar job! Getting another car! Dont waste your money!!!!!!

• 

  disapointment - 2002 Lincoln LS
  By jonny blazer - October 17 - 10:00 am

  when i first bought this car, i thought its was an amazing car, but as time wore on, so did the quality and transmission. the LS had very little reliability, ihad to return my car to the daleship for repairs about six times- about three times to fix the ac, once for stuck windows, once for broken interior locks, and another time for engine problems. as a driver, i amvery disapointed in the build and quality of this car.

• 

  Worth considering - 2008 Lincoln MKZ
  By Hunter - October 15 - 5:07 am

  In short, financed an 08 in Vapor Silver w/ AWD fully loaded with 39k back in 2012. Ended up having a cracked engine block which caused a cam sensor to fail, the steering wheel to lockup and the car unable to drive at 123k miles. Sad as I liked the car. I dont have any bad feelings toward the Lincoln brand as the car was reliable aside from that incident and I dont believe that every Lincoln will have this issues. Good highlighta, Loved the styling, powerful V6 engine, great compliments about the car from strangers, how reliable the car was, AWD was helpful, ventilated seats are awesome, THX II stereo was amazing, Sync/Nav system works better than Toyota products and the quality of the paint and leather are great. Areas of improvement The ride wasnt as smooth as I had hoped, the interior materials werent great Xenon headlights could have been positioned to aim higher up and project more light as the MKS does, No folding exterior mirrors, Gas guzzler, Seats arent wide and Im a slim guy. My engine issue aside, I encourage others to give this car a shot. Ita great car.

• 

  Lots of minor but expensive problems - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By lee tallent - October 11 - 4:36 pm

  This is a great looking car which is fun to drive and handles great. I bought mine used in 02 and it has been in the shop 12-15 times in the last 2 1/2 years. The extended warranty ran out 5,000 miles ago and since then I have had to replace 2 coils, Approx 180.00 each time and a third is now in need of replacement along with leaky gaskets ect (another 580.00 to repair) This is affordable luxury which I just cant afford. I am ready to trade because I wonder what is going to happen next.

• 

  Im glad I got the Continental - 2001 Lincoln Continental
  By Tom Tucker - September 30 - 10:00 am

  Ive been very happy with my Lincoln Continental for the past 18 months. I understand they have dicontinued this model, how sad. Its a great auti and worth the luxury experience and money.

• 

  01 Sig TC after 2 yrs - 2001 Lincoln Town Car
  By KJ - September 24 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd TC, and I drove last 2 (84 & 92) over 150,000 miles. I get gas mileage of 27-28MPG on highway trips which is great, but I miss the power that get from my 95 Crown Vic w/performance and handling package (3.27 rear end and dual exhaust on same 4.6 engine-- that I am still driving with 184,000 miles on orig engine and trans!) I find the steering a bit numb on the highway, with car wandering a bit on Michelin Symmetry radials, and I preferred the ride on my 92 TC and my 95 Crown Vic. Local Dealerships have been great fixing problems, and it is a nice looking car, but I dont think Ill drive it as long as my other 2, or the Ford.

• 

  Easy Rider - 2007 Lincoln Town Car
  By 3 in a row - September 17 - 10:23 am

  Solid as Grandpas Reo but a lot easier to drive. Im a long distance type and take a couple of 3000 mile trips a year. Nothing out there compares with the piece of mind and comfort steering this big beast through mountain roads and big city traffic. This one is a duplicate of my 2003 but for some reason feels a little more solid if thats possible. Cheapened the sun visors for some reason but seats seem softer and this radio which was a pretty cheap up grade is better than the $600 rig in my sons car. Other than that its the same car. I hate to keep hearing that Ford wants to drop the model. The limo people must be worried.

• 

  Keep Duct Tape Handy - 2001 Lincoln LS
  By John from Cincinnati - September 16 - 9:53 pm

  Most of the time, I have truely enjoyed this vehicle. It was 3 years old when I purchased it, but only had 4,500 miles, so was almost like new. It is a very quiet car and comfortable. My major "beef" is with the window regulators. I have needed to have all four rebuilt! You can be driving along when a window simply falls down, off the track. I keep duct tape handy so I can tape the glass back up until the dealer repairs it again. Lincoln will not admitted that they have a serious design flaw. Very disappointing. No more Lincolns for me!

• 

  My Coach (Turned Into) A Pumpkin!!! - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Cinderella - September 11 - 10:00 am

  What a difference a few months makes. Until very recently, I was very happy with my Lincoln LS Sport V8. All of a sudden, Im having all these problems; electrical, sliping trans, and the other day, the darn thing just wouldnt start. If its doing this at just under 13,000 miles, whats it going to do at 130,000? Im glad my LS isnt my beloved husband of 20 years or we would be gettin un-hitched!!!

• 

  Love my Town Cars - 2003 Lincoln Town Car
  By michkey - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Have always loved town cars. this is my third