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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  pile of junk - 1998 Lincoln Continental
  By unhappy owner - December 12 - 4:13 am

  I bought my Continental with 56,000 miles and within a week I had to replace a coil, 200 dollars at the dealer. The next year interior rear view mirror liquid crystal failed. 400 dolars to replace which I did not replace. the third year at 86,000 miles had to rebuild the transmission, 2650 dollars. the follawing years I replaced the alternator, $400 water pump,$400, rackin pinion, $800 powerstreeing pump $800, all the pulles,$300 the electric fan assembly because you can not buy a single fan,$750, back calipers over $600, torsion bars, $ 400 and now the the ball joints and bushings, $800. Never again will I buy a Ford. They have proven to me to be absolute junk. Dont but one. . . .

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  Nothing but trouble... - 2001 Lincoln LS
  By Igo - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I leased my LS V-8 in June 2001. Ive experienced constant problems for the first two years ranging from interior material quality to wind noise,constant steering vibration, brake problems etc. Trips to Service Department were multiple and constant due to the very low quality of work performed. Misdiagnosting the problems and ordering wrong parts were of frequent nature. Vehicle was constantly returned to me in a messy and dirty conditions.Make sure that you know if you get this Vehicle you will pay premium price but you will not get a Lexus-type service.

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  My Lincoln LS - 2005 Lincoln LS
  By 4 door v6 sedan lx - November 10 - 1:40 am

  I do not like the way the front seat safety belts fasten. They are too hard since they are so close to the console.The transmission seems to jerk sometime while changing. I have advised the dealersip of this twice and they cannot find any reason it would do this and while test driving , it does not do it. The time and temp. are hard to read in the daytime.

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  Nice to look at, but VERY poor quality - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By BAR - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Very simply, constantly in the shop from the second day of ownership. Heated seat never worked, power window stopped working, lights went out, wipers went out, trim falls off, thermostat went out, seatbelt incorrectly installed, power locks went out, and on and on. I tried to be a patriot and got really badly burned. This is NOT a luxury automobile.

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  My Lincoln The Lemon - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Craig2o - October 30 - 2:00 am

  Please be careful buying this car, there are several Electrical Problems and Ford does not care. REPEATED PROBLEMS: Car does not start sometimes, locks fail and work off and on, windows stop working, headlights fill with water, interior lights stop working.

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  Outdated, needs upgrades - 2007 Lincoln Navigator L
  By jr17 - September 10 - 3:08 am

  I bought the Nav thinking I would come to love it, but it never happened. The rear end, tail lights, looks really outdated. Make the taillights more stylish and make the rear window smaller. That giant window in back is getting old and boring. Add a back up cam, and make this more aerodynamic. I like Ford, and it drives nice, but the motor like the chassis is outdated. 300 hp for a vehicle this big? Come on, this think should have 350 hp with 15-17 mpg. If you cant get this., fire your engineers and hire someone else.. No more Ford for me.

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  Never AGAIN!!!! - 2005 Lincoln LS
  By Rocky - July 23 - 6:26 pm

  Big disappointment. 2 major transmission failures in 17,000 miles. Power rear windows work when they want to. Horrible gas mileage.

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  T.C. = TOWN CAR or TRASH CAN - 1999 Lincoln Town Car
  By lafayette_la_boy - July 6 - 10:00 am

  Well sense the transmission only seems to last about 3 years and 40,000 miles and takes a good week and a half to have rebuilt at the dealership because thankfully the car is still under factory warranty! The leather wrapped steering wheel, yeah dont get used to it! Ok, luxury cars should have full sized spare tires not DOUGHNUTs. BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, and Volvo may cost a little bit more but you pay for what you get! DO NOT BUY A TOWN CAR!

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  Never Ending Problems - 2001 Lincoln LS
  By VegasRob - June 29 - 2:33 am

  I wish This car was more reliable because it was comfortable and fun to drive. It got about 16 mpg, the headlights always fogged up, and the computer message center malfunctioned quite often. I had this car less than a year and it was in the shop for repairs four times and for a total of a month and a half. My extended warranty took care of my collasped driver side window, and my reconstructed transmission, but I forked over around $800 each for faulty t-stat and cracked radiator fluid tank, and shorted MAF sensor which fried my computer system in the car. The car was stolen about a week ago and the cops havent found it yet. Maybe its a blessing in disguise. Who knows.....

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  LS Review - 2000 Lincoln LS
  By Robert User - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Have had a number of anoyances with electrical system. The transmisson had to be repaired the first month. Service has been poor.