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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  Lincoln LS.. worth a look. - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By Kyle b - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Awesome car, nothing but positive feelings. Excelent engine, tranny.. i could go on and on, test drive one.

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  2003 Lincoln LS V8 Sport - 2003 Lincoln LS
  By AA1234AA - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Exterior is elegant Doors close solidly. Al hood has a light feel opening. Interior is in good taste, well organized. Front seats are supportive, have plenty of adjustment. Steering wheel & foot pedals are adjustable. Dash is very well laid out & logical. Controls are easily accessible. Interior storage is good. Radio has great sound, 6 speakers & in-dash CD. Ride is smooth & comfortable. Interior noise level is muted. Handling is satisfying & precise. Acceleration is brisk at all speeds. Quick lane changes & sharp turns feel secure. Driving on rough roads feels solid. Turning radius is excellent. Braking is smooth

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  2007 Navigator Elite - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By business owner - March 17 - 8:26 am

  I love this truck it has a lot of power. Traded in my Safari for this huge difference. It’s the ultimate SUV. It has power towing and room and comfort. I get about 13.8 in the city and 19.4 on the highway. Better then my Safari which got 12.5mpg and had a Durango Hemi that gave 7.2mpg that was insane. The interior feels like a luxury sedan. Drives like a car. Lots of legroom in the third row. Im 6-2" and I just sit fine. My family loves this SUV.

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  05 LS Sport - 2005 Lincoln LS
  By joe329 - March 3 - 12:55 pm

  I just bought this recently and so far, so far good. Its not great in Winter conditions (Its rear wheel drive, what do you expect), gas mileage is on par around 20-21 mpg, good power, very comfortable, and is overall a good looking car. Ive read up on these cars for a few years trying to learn about its problems, its Pros and Cons, and decided its worth the money if you take care of it just like any other car. My only gripe is you SHOULD feed it premium. I dont care what websites say that you can run 87 in it...In the end, it will just slow ly kill it. Gas is going up again, but I knew this when I bought it and will be willing to make sure it gets what is needed.

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  Great for a Lincoln - 2006 Lincoln Navigator
  By D Waters - March 1 - 9:03 am

  The Navigator is a hit with us, but now Mercedes and GM are making more economic and Luxurious SUVs, so Lincoln needs to stay int the game. The car is really noisy and (OBVIOUSLY) its a real pain in the neck to fill it up at the pump. Its very comfortable and the third row is actually quite spacious. Overall, if youre someone who wants a luxury full size SUV, I might recommend the Audi Q7 or M-Benz GL450 a tad bit more, but if you need to haul a lot(I mean A LOT!), Id recoomend this car a tad bit more than the GL, Q7, or Escalade (just a tad, because the design of both the exterior and interior isnt as elegant as the Mercedes or Audi).

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  Wow! - 2008 Lincoln MKX
  By RT - February 13 - 9:06 am

  What an incredible car. We had a 2006 Cadillac CTS. Had to move to something not RWD and a little bigger. Looked at the Edge, looked at GM products, as I was a GM loyalist, but nothing compared to the MKX. Great styling, superb comfort, cool features, all rolled into one little sharp CUV. I could go on and on about this vehicle. We usually change cars it seems like every couple of years. I dont see us giving up the MKX. Oh I almost forgot, zero interest as well. Now who doesnt love free money! What a super value all around. Always looking forward to the next time I get to drive it.

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  A leftover 2006 Navigator w/3 dings... - 2006 Lincoln Navigator
  By Archangel - February 10 - 5:00 pm

  The 2006 Navigator is a wide body luxury experience; however, the interior does not live up to its level of classification, as many have already mentioned. My vehicle is a leftover and has hail damage (3 dings) that the dealership has agreed only to repair one at its cost. The 2007 has a cleaner and leaner interior, but the button to fold the side mirrors inward is very confusing. The drive, however, is smoother then the 2006, and you feel in control as you quickly pass on lookers, who can only look in envy.

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  Mark LT misses the Mark - 2006 Lincoln Mark LT
  By Mark LT - February 7 - 3:30 am

  I have owned this vehicle one week. Here is what I consider Lincoln missed in the Mark LT Storage - non existent - no room for first aid kit, jumper cables and misc. Rear seat does not fold down. Rear seats fold up, however NO storage underneath. Radio - CD does not shuffle without manual intervention. Odometer - does not have 10th of mile. Memory seats - does not adjust mirrors. Lumbar Support - manual - should be push-button. No light under hood. Hood latch not user friendly. Plastic like grill flimsy. Running boards - black and shows ALL the dirt and dust .. should have been chrome with Lincoln inserts. Certainly not designer chic.

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  LS V8 - 2004 Lincoln LS
  By nick p - February 3 - 10:30 pm

  I love this car, but it has some problems. The car is very jumpy and has very bad MPG. My transmission went out around 92000 miles my catalytic converter is messing up, the 6 disk cd changer has disk error every time i try to change cds. My driver side back door doesnt lock by its self any more, but other than that the car is great. Its fun to drive has very good get up, very good sound system.

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  Black Beauty - 2007 Lincoln Mark LT
  By Black Beauty - January 27 - 8:50 pm

  Excellent appearance. Not your everyday work buggy. Quiet and solid build; however many of the interior dash components are very dated and not cutting edge youd expect for a vehicle that has a MSRP or 47K plus. Spend a couple more bucks and install gauges with wow! Improve fuel MPG.