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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  I bought and am sorry - 2008 Lincoln MKZ
  By Hal - January 21 - 3:03 am

  Have owned many new cars over the years and the last few have been either Honda or Toyota. Thought it was time to return to domestic. This car suffers from intermittent problems, like in the 8 months of ownership, the front two windows have rolled down when unoccupied four times. In addition, the seat positioning does not work from the key all the time. Lincoln (Ford) refuses to repair problem that are not seen by the dealer. I have serious problems, the car is not secure with windows rolled down, and Ford is saying if they do not see the problem, they will not fix. I regret not purchasing a Lexus! Never again will I purchase a Ford product.

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  Mytouch gone wrong - 2011 Lincoln MKX
  By Unhappy - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Ok looks good. Feels good. But I believe I am part of the first recall with locking problem. In addition the technology of the car would be amazing if it did infact work. The phone will not sync with bluetooth. The navigation locks up. The rear camera blacks out in a regular basis and the only fix Lincoln has at this time is temporary. The disconnect the car battery for ten minutes to reset system. I have had the car for about 2 weeks now and the car mytouch system has failed at least 6 times and the temporary fix has lasted 5 day at most. The promise of a fix has been delayed twice now. Customer service at both ford and the dealership is lacking. This has been a issue ford was aware of.

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  Stay Away! - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By Kamil - January 8 - 2:16 am

  Rides nice, comfort and luxury, but American car makers still have a long way to go! This car is very unreliable, had so many issues, transmission, heated seats, fog lights, torque converter, remote starter. Americans can create nice options but cant seem to make them last. The car has 54k and has problems like it was over 150,000! The electronics stink on this thing. Every fuse or some module goes every month. Its still under warranty, and thats how I will sell it!

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  Not all its cranked up to be !!!! - 2003 Lincoln Aviator
  By TheCaneMan - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Before buying -- test it for at least a day and I think youll go with another vehicle. I sure wish I did !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  heater problems - 2005 Lincoln Aviator
  By joel - November 5 - 6:16 pm

  In very cold weather the side window defroster malfunctions. It sends a stream of cold air. Lincoln is familiar with problem and is not willing to fix. As a result of problem front seat riders have a constant stream of cold air in their face! This is an obvious defect that may be a problem in other Lincoln products.

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  Great SUV untill the warranty expires! - 2004 Lincoln Aviator
  By DBachman - August 24 - 3:30 am

  I loved this SUV in the beginning. It has tons of power and a smooth ride, but the reliability is terrible. Now that the warranty has expired and I have to spend a couple thousand a year on maintenance I am looking to trade.

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  Eddies Lincoln - 1999 Lincoln Continental
  By EddieD - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Switches for interior lights is becoming defective.

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  A/C Compressor - 2005 Lincoln Aviator
  By David Craik - June 19 - 8:50 pm

  "Grinding noise" when A/C turned on (hot or cold) FOMOCO states this is normal. NO FIX DESIGN FAULT aka DEFECTIVE. FOMOCO says its happening on all Explorer size vehicles. Not true, dont believe it! Only occurs on 03 & 04 Lincoln Aviator units. Considering Class Action Suite

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  Fun Car but TERRIBLE Build Quality - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By cap223 - June 6 - 10:59 pm

  How are there not more negative reviews? I owned this car until it was 8 years old and sold it. Right around the 80-90K mark, the Transmission gave out. I parked it for several months looking into the problem and found dozens of forums out there with hundreds of people reporting the same problems as mine: loss of 2nd gear and overdrive. I talked to many mechanics and they all had seen plenty of these cars come in because of a poor design by Ford, Lincoln, Mercury. These transmissions were used in the LS, Aviator, Mustang, and several others. The design is 2 servo pistons (steel) that go through the Transmission case which is soft Aluminum. Over time the opening gets bigger, losing 2 gears.

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  Good Luxury Car with a few exceptions - 2009 Lincoln Town Car
  By Ed - May 14 - 12:36 am

  We actually rented a Signature Limited Town Car from Hertz for vacation. I have rented Town Cars in the 90s and thought I would rent a new one. It was just built in June of 2009 with 6000 miles on it. The engine had power but not the thrust of a Cadillac. The air conditioning also seemed not as cold as a Cadillac. The stereo had the Sirius satellite reception, but just had adequate sound. The seat had lumbar, which previous versions didnt, but the seat cushion on the bottom was flat and needed more cushion. The ride was a little harsh on bumps, I think the air suspension in the rear is to blame.