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BMW vs Lincoln

BMW or Lincoln — what we actually found

Side by side from 304 BMWs and 32 Lincolns buyers asked us to inspect before purchase. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
BMWLincoln
Cars inspected30432
Average condition66/10057/100
In good shape (60+/100)65%50%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~100k mi—
Repainted or replaced panel73%84%
Structural repair found2%3%
Fault codes recently cleared27%22%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
BMW
Excellent 33% Good 32% Mediocre 20% Poor 15%
Lincoln
Excellent 19% Good 31% Mediocre 25% Poor 25%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ BMW▬ Lincoln▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 BMW, 0–20k mi: 97% in good shape (31 cars)BMW, 20–40k mi: 98% in good shape (54 cars)BMW, 40–60k mi: 85% in good shape (48 cars)BMW, 60–80k mi: 60% in good shape (47 cars)BMW, 80–100k mi: 45% in good shape (49 cars)BMW, 100–120k mi: 41% in good shape (32 cars)BMW, 120–140k mi: 19% in good shape (21 cars)BMW, 140–160k mi: 17% in good shape (12 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ BMW▬ Lincoln▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 BMW, 1 years old: 100% in good shape (12 cars)BMW, 2 years old: 96% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 3 years old: 93% in good shape (14 cars)BMW, 4 years old: 100% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 5 years old: 92% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 6 years old: 72% in good shape (29 cars)BMW, 7 years old: 60% in good shape (20 cars)BMW, 8 years old: 54% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 9 years old: 50% in good shape (18 cars)BMW, 10 years old: 59% in good shape (17 cars)BMW, 11 years old: 33% in good shape (18 cars)BMW, 12 years old: 35% in good shape (17 cars)BMW, 13 years old: 0% in good shape (7 cars)BMW, 14 years old: 38% in good shape (8 cars)BMW, 15 years old: 10% in good shape (10 cars) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check. Not enough Lincoln data at this granularity yet.

Most common faults
BMW
Oil leaks · Engine
56%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
41%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
35%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
27%
Electronic components issues · Engine
18%
Lincoln
Oil leaks · Engine
72%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
38%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
38%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
31%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
25%
Trajectory by generation
BMW ▲ Newer BMWs are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 52% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 53%) 52 2015–17: 64% in good shape (age-adjusted; 46 cars, raw 63%) 64 2018+: 80% in good shape (age-adjusted; 42 cars, raw 88%) 80 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018+
Lincoln

Not enough Lincolns at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

Whichever badge wins on paper, the car in front of you is its own story. Get it inspected before you pay.
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Based on 336 inspections · updated Aug 2, 2026