Long-time followers of my racing adventures, if there are any, will know that my trips to Houston have been less than perfectly satisfying and/or marked by misbehavior. By contrast, my stint behind the wheel of a 944 Turbo in the LeMons Gator-O-Rama was probably my sanest Texas trip in years.
It didn’t hurt that I wasn’t driving a Kia with the bumper ripped halfway off but rather a vehicle that, like David Bowie’s stage outfits, only works in one place, but perfectly so when it is there.
That place is Texas and the vehicle is the revised-for-2015 Lincoln Navigator. Our august founder, Robert Farago, would have started his review by reminding all and sundry that this SUV is, fundamentally, a 2004 Ford F-150. While that’s true, as the former owner of a 2003 Discovery 4.6 and its straight-outta-1970-Range-Rover underpinnings, I’m not necessarily inclined to damn it simply because it’s not based on the most modern vehicle in the segment. So let’s give the Navigator a chance to stand or fall on its own merits.
Start with the looks: the maxi-MKC front end is a distinct improvement on the faux-Continental, MKX-derived look that marked the current Navi for its first seven years on the market. Although the idea of the 2007 Navigator’s styling was sound, the execution had Ford doing a last-minute flip-flop on the brightwork and the dealers were very far from being happy with it. Remember, as always, that the dealers are the true customers in the eyes of the manufacturers. If they don’t like, it’s no good, and they most definitely did not like the “Continental” Navigator. The new tail is extremely distinctive and had plenty of people in Houston parking lots inquiring about the ‘Gator’s price and availability.
There’s no getting around the fact that the Lincoln Navigator and its direct competitor, the Cadillac Escalade, are depressingly crass exercises in marketing that demean everyone involved in their design, production, and consumption — as long as you live on the East Coast or in San Francisco or in my remarkably reserved hometown of Powell, Ohio. In Texas, by contrast, these are just trucks with some gingerbread, fundamentally no different from the Suburbans a-la-LTZ and loaded Expeditions all around them on the freeway. They don’t even feel or look particularly large in context with the F-350s favored for grocery runs by the Houston-Dallas crowd. After a week spent looking up at people in other trucks, this Navigator started to seem like a remarkably restrained and tasteful effort.
It helps that over the course of three generations this big SUV has become remarkably easy to operate and maneuver. It’s Volvo-square and chock-full of glass windows so parking in tight spaces is a surprising breeze. The rearview camera is as good as one could wish for and the park sensors are neither lazy nor hysterical. Steering effort is on par with my dear departed Town Car and all the controls provide feedback that is high-quality by domestic-truck standards. I’m currently spending a lot of time driving a late-model GMT900 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 around, which gives me a bit of perspective on what’s out there. Compared to that GMT900, this Navigator is superior in all respects. Compared to the current Escalade? Well, it’s less expensive at the very least, by a full eleven grand base-trim-to-base-trim.
My test vehicle had two particular virtues over above its predecessors. First, the Ecoboost six, which returned 16.2mpg over the course of about 900 miles and was perfectly matched to the needs of the vehicle. Compared to a Tahoe 5.3 it might as well be an F-106 Delta Dart, but of course you’d be comparing it to the six-liter Escalade. Which it still whips and a I have the results of a late-night stoplight drag in Cy-Fair to prove it. The Ecoboost is just enough motor for this thing and most importantly it doesn’t feel soft at low revs the way the GM LS truck engines do. Don’t think of this as a big Grand Cherokee SRT-8 competitor; it has neither Sturm nor Drang. It’s just a nice luxury truck that happens to be properly motivated.
Apologies for the stock photography, as all my shots of the Gator’s interior feature a healthy helping of autumn Texas mud. As supplied, with the “Reserve” interior package, this truck closely approximates an actual luxury automobile, from the quality of the leather on the seats (outstanding) to the fit and finish of the dashboard (pretty tight for a body-on-frame automobile). The capacitance-touch sliders that frustrated and impressed Ford drivers in equal measure over the past few years are replaced here with chrome rocker switches. Given the massive available dashboard space in this very wide vehicle, the net effect of the small chrome buttons and restrained labeling is one of mid-fi stereo equipment.
Speaking of… I never quite got along with the THX sound system, but everybody else who heard it thought it was dynamically spacious and whatnot. When the vehicle is stopped, you can make it produce the “THX Sound” at ear-splitting volume. Quite fun, really. The associated MyFordTouch system finally works at the speed we expected back in 2010 and I never experienced any failures to operate or MFT blackscreens over the course of about nine hundred miles behind the wheel. The double-LCD instrument panel was similarly flawless. It’s really a bit of a coup to make a vehicle of this vintage work just like a new MKZ in this respect; I assume that there’s a completely modern set of fiber optics wrapped around the Navigator’s innards.
Wind noise is very mild, the ride is pretty good and very short on “head toss” thanks to the independent rear suspension that also allows a low cargo floor, and conversation between the rows is both easy and pleasant. The original Navigator was a pretty ridiculous — as in, it deserved ridicule — effort, but this one benefits both from the vast improvements on the base Expedition and the diligent effort spent on differentiating it from said Expo. My chocolate-brown test example just felt expensive inside and out. The paint sparkled. The chrome trim was solid and durable-looking. It’s no longer an F-150 with a cap and a crosshairs badge.
As a replacement for an Audi A6 or something like that, the Navigator works very well, assuming you live in Texas or Oklahoma. If you live somewhere else, you’re likely to find the sheer size and bourgeois visual aggression of the thing a bit over the top. But on its home ground, the big Lincoln is just as appropriate as a Citroen C6 would have been on the Paris autoroute. It has virtually no direct competition, insofar as the Cadillac and Lexus both cost a lot more and the Germans aren’t nearly as massive. It’s not economical but if you run something like a V8 S-Class you won’t do any better in most circumstances and on long freeway trips at 85mph — Texas, remember? — the Lincoln could return 20mpg easily.
With all that said, I would never buy a Navigator. Not in a million years. I have one major issue with the vehicle, and it’s this: As a short-wheelbase four-door, it makes no sense. The Navigator L is the one you want. The massive increase in usable space for passengers and cargo comes at a very low cost and it turns this truck from a curiosity to a genuine double-duty superstar, able to carry plywood or passengers with aplomb. It tows better thanks to the long wheelbase, too.
The era of Navigators standing-in for Town Cars or Taurus-based Continentals is nearly over, thanks to fuel prices and social perceptions. The Lincoln of the future is the hybrid MKZ or a thoroughly revised RWD Conti, neither of which will ever come close to the sheer massiveness of this truck. Still, if you want to drive something like this, and you can afford both to purchase and to operate it, why not?
” this SUV is, fundamentally, a 2004 Ford F-150″
Not that’s there’s anything wrong with that, it also is about $11K cheaper then the Escalade
Right…and if you’ve seen a new one of both (I have) you know why the Esclade is $11,000 more.
Because Cadillac is notorious for overcharging for their Chevys
and their Opels, Buicks, and Oldsmobiles.
Unsure if fanboy or troll.
I drove the Navigator last week. We have an 09 with over 200,000 miles on it. One of these will be the replacement.
The V-6 eco-boost gets at least 20 miles per gallon in regular highway driving and Can tow 8500 pounds.
The Escalade has the better interior . The Escalade is the only true competition for the navigator because there’s almost nothing else on the market- in the Luxury Big-SUV segment the exact same size as these trucks.
As Jack stated, the L model is the best because it seats a tremendous amount of humanity.
Independent rear suspension allows it to ride softer than the Escalade.
The Escalade really doesn’t need to have a V-8 as powerful as it does considering what Ford has pulled off here with the eco-boost.
It’s too bad that the eco-boost engine isn’t available in more vehicles outside of Ford such as the Mercedes S class.
For $70,000 that’s pretty damned impressive.
I’ll be honest, until I read this, I didn’t know Ford/Lincoln still made this? I always thought sales were too poor and in my circles (under 40), this and the escalade, suburban segment are socially frowned upon. I did smile at the Texas comments. I’ve always found the penchant for trucks comical as if it’s some commentary on your worth as a Texan.
And I’ve always found the penchant for hybrids comical as if it’s some commentary on your worth as a Seattle-ite, Portlander, or San Franciscan!
Ha! What’s funny about that is that I grew up in Portland and Seattle. I wouldn’t argue that one, at least with a small portion of the population there. Never owned a hybrid. I like more performance than most of those offer. A quote I always liked, “in the world of car rock, paper, scissors…a 911 beats a Prius every time”
People have no good taste or even intermediate memory capacity.
I was reminded of these stark realities as I ventured out yesterday, to be greeted by oodles of seeming lone dame driven, hulking, slab-sided monstrosities of new Suburbans, Tahoes, Escalades & even Excursions, pulling their obese selves around with straining transmissions & copious air/fuel ingestion.
And what should they be driving instead? What do you drive? Do you have the same objections to folks in sports cars or luxury sedans? A big SUV is no more “wrong” of a purchase than anything more indulgent than a Toyota Corolla.
No one (except cargo hauling truckers and the like) should be driving vehicles having a curb weight exceeding 14x the driver’s actual weight.
“No one (except cargo hauling truckers and the like) should be driving vehicles having a curb weight exceeding 14x the driver’s actual weight.”
So a 150lb person can’t drive a car that weighs more than 2100lbs?
Hang it up dude, you’ve become an angry, cynical, ridiculous caricature.
There should be a tamper proof scale (with retina scan for positive ID)) built into the seat that weighs the driver, and disables the starter and immobilizes the steering if the driver’s weight exceeds 1/14th of the vehicle’s curb weight.
That’s OK, S2k, here’s DW, our brave Internet keyboard ninja, and his ride: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/BMW_Isetta600_med.jpg
Looks like he’s in good shape with that ratio of his.
Mike, I just put a $130 cash money deposit down on this car at Ray-Ray’s Auto-Hoss:
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cadillac-2013-CTS-coupe-vinyl-top.jpg
Mike, you’d almost be able to be civil if you didn’t get so butt hurt about Cadillac’s woes.
“Mike, I just put a $130 cash money deposit down on this car at Ray-Ray’s Auto-Hoss:”
Ha, ha… I originally posted that pic over at Curbside Classics. It’s from a dealer in Chicago
“Mike, I just put a $130 cash money deposit down on this car at Ray-Ray’s Auto-Hoss:”
Ha, ha… I originally posted that pic over at Curbs1de Classics. It’s from a dealer in Chicago
Whew – I can still drive my Rangie in Deadwieght world.
Big vehicles seem to fit in Texas – Hertz has blessed me with a new Sedona in Houston this week. 19 miles on the clock. Bit of a comedown after the 228i last week.
Lol and you are bad at math too.
Mom’s calling, DW…looks like it’s time for dinner. Run along now.
You are my hero and my worst nightmare. Human race deserve to drive Toyota Corollas. But I am better – I drive bicycle which weight considerably less than me.
The new Navigator sounds like a great vehicle for long freeway trips through wide open spaces. Not great for grocery getting or urban use, but that’s not what it is designed for.
Jack, I’ve gotta wonder: you have not been shy about your use of rental cars on racetracks and the Bonneville salt flats, among other uses that probably don’t fit the parameters of any rental agreement. How do you manage to keep renting cars? I’d think the rental agencies would have blacklisted you a long time ago. Just curious ;-)
a) This was a press loaner
b) My father told me, when I was a child, that “Nobody’s thinking about you as much as you think they are.” That certainly holds true for rental companies.
“Nobody’s thinking about you as much as you think they are.”
Interesting…I smell an opportunity but it’s too bad I can’t write computer code: a software program that could search the internet & social media for bad driving habits and flag bad behavior for insurance companies, fleet managers, rental companies, etc might be valuable. Maybe not Uber valuable, but worth something.
I know of one professional driver who would be fired in 2 seconds if his employer saw the videos he was shooting while behind the wheel and posting to facebook. He is a rolling menace.
Yeah, that’s just what we need. Perhaps the NSA has a position for an “idea” guy just like you
Your father had some wisdom.
Bring it back spotless clean with the tank topped off so they don’t even have to recon it before it goes out again and they’ll never even notice that the rear tires on the quad cab need to be replaced. At the end of the day they aren’t paid enough, make their life easy and they’ll return the favor.
I’m curious about this:
“…to the fit and finish of the dashboard (pretty tight for a body-on-frame automobile)”
Are you saying that BOF construction is inherently predisposed to poorer fit and finish on the interior? How would you say this compares to the LC200 (2008+) Landcruiser? I understand that the LC’s price point is about $20k higher, but it too is BOF.
I always thought the big Ford SUVs were miles behind the GMs in longevity, their relatively abysmal resale reflects that. Balljoints, rear ends, paint issues, etc.
Adding to this, how would this compare to an Infiniti QX80? Price is within $1k. My guess is that the Infiniti has a massively nicer interior. I guess you just have to live with the melted blob styling.
I think with all three vehicles the fit and finish is close enough that your personal taste about the interior styling would be the deciding factor. Neither the Toyota nor the Nissan trucks have the same quality of materials/closeness of fit as their sedan counterparts.
Now, I haven’t been in any of these vehicles, but I’m not sure your assessment of Toyota cars and SUVs interior quality is quite correct in reference to the Land Cruiser. The Sequoia absolutely, but the $80k Land Cruiser I assumed was still built to the old “Fat Toyota” standards.
Would it be possible to conjecture upon a person in the Lone Star State choosing the Lincoln for its MPG over the Infiniti? Probably not, true, but conceivable. More likely, the average Texan would buy the Lincoln for the ‘Murican over the Ferrener.
When I looked in a QX80 recently (didn’t drive), it appeared and felt very premium in there. In black it might have been a little more claustrophobic, so I would pick a light color. The leather was awfully soft, and the wood was awfully nice.
In this Nav, the door buttons bother me. That big assembly + handle reeks of other cheap Fords. I think they have been using those bits since at least 2008 in the Sable/Taurus.
http://photos4.automanager.com/022326/ed0c0fe9cfe6c94ab7b87cf4d02b574e/c7ce918866_640.jpg
Wow, the QX-80 is the same price as the Navigator, if the Infiniti wasn’t so butt-ugly…
Go check the resale values of giant Infiniti SUVs and the Nissan Armada.
Old design, drinks fuel like a drunken sailor, but damn it sure seems like people like and want them. I wish I could afford a QX-80, I think someday people will look at them like we look at the 1950s Buick Caballero wagon today. Pure period correct excess.
Never heard of a Caballero before, but it’s hilarious. I still think I prefer the excess of the 55 Turnpike Cruiser though.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2076/2215207779_01e78eb345.jpg
Corey, this is a Buick Caballero
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/02/1957BuickCaballero_01_1500.jpg
What you’ve got there is a Mercury with a continental kit
I know what the Buick is, I looked it up!
I think the Turnpike Cruiser of that vintage (in any format) is equally as bejeweled and overwrought. And beautiful.
Sorry, but that’s not a ’55 it’s a ’59
I’m no good at telling the age of cars that old. Just what came up via image search.
The one I saw at a concours and was so impressed with was blue/white and looked like this one.
http://mabee.ca/cars/57MercuryTurnpike.jpg
Didn’t have the extra continental.
The QX80 is actually based on the global Nissan Patrol, the one the oil sheikhs run up and down dunes. Not related to the old Titan based Armada/QX56 twins, except for perhaps the engine block (heads are different, which explains the hp bump).
We got a 2015 Sequoia 5.7 4×4 a couple of months back and preferred it over all the other giant SUVs.
Ours cost no more than a Suburban or Navigator with similar trim, but did cost about $10K more than the top Armada.
Completely expect to hold on to this thing until they take away our drivers licenses.
HDC, to be fair & honest, there’s not a Toyota product you’ve yet met that you thought had an equal from another manufacturer.
DW, I’ll own up to that but only because I have had the rest and my ownership experience with Toyota products since then has been the best.
I became a Toyota fan after purchasing that 2008 Japan-Built Highlander, which still does daily duty for my 17-yo grand daughter, today.
You may recall, I drove mostly GM for the first 62 years I was alive. Olds Custom Cruiser, Olds Toronado, Silverado…
HDC – it’s a 2008, of course it can still do DD. It’s not quite seven years old yet, and well under the average age of vehicle on our roads. You really must stop talking about that thing like it’s some 350,000mi 1986 Camry.
CoreyDL, none of the Detroit vehicles I owned over my lifetime, new or used, have been as problem-free as my Toyota products have been.
Hell, even our 2012 Grand Cherokee is being recalled now for several maladies that have already occurred in real life, like underhood fires, brake failure, exploding EHPS systems, etc.
The Highlander currently has almost 90K miles on the clock, still no problems. We use our vehicles a lot out here in the desert.
HDC, that only puts you deeply into the bias zone.
We all have biases for many reasons (some good reasons, some poor ones), but when you elevate every Toyota badged vehicle above every segment competitor from any other manufacturer, it indicates you’ve closed your mind to finding new objective truths.
I’ve found many (not all) of the Toyota/Lexus products I’ve sampled over the years – especially recent ones – to be overrated and/or overpriced and/or completely lackluster as judged on their own merits, or in comparison with competitors’ products.
That’s OK, I never cared for Toyotas because their new car smell always reminded me of the cheap electronic toys I used to get as a kid that were made in Japan and had a strange odor when you opened up the package. Kind of a burnt electrical wire smell
DW, again I’ll own up to that bias. And I also agree that if my experiences with the Toyota products I owned had been as dismal as with the Ford and GM products I have owned, I would most likely feel the way you do as well.
I also have always said that Toyota quality and durability took a nosedive when they started making them over here. That’s what happens when you use the same [parts suppliers as Ford, GM and (now) Fiatsler.
I’ve got friends who still own pre-1990 Toyota products made in Japan who will not be buying American-made Toyota products. Don’t believe in them. May go with Ford next time.
My philosophy about cars and everything else is to expect the worst, but hope for the best.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised when it comes to Toyota products I have owned since 2008. Made me a convert. A disciple of trouble-free ownership.
I also was pleasantly surprised about the 2012 Grand Cherokee, but it appears that the warts are beginning to pop out now after three years, with recall notices (serious, potential life-threatening parts failures) being received by Grand Cherokee owners for the 2011-2014 crop.
(Sorry about the delayed response. Was not ignoring you. I have real life going on, on my s!de of the keyboard. Had to help Kitty run some Nov printouts for the company 2014 taxes.)
“I also have always said that Toyota quality and durability took a nosedive when they started making them over here. ”
I just bought our first made in America Japanese car since my 1998 Civic, I’m eager to see how it stacks up to my three made in Japan Japanese cars. My parents owned several made in the USA Accords (’01, ’04, ’06) and Lexus ESs (’08, ’13) and never had a problem worth mentioning on any of them, so I’m hopeful.
S2K Chris, I’m with you on that.
We have several Made in America Japanese-brand vehicles in my extended family and (so far) their ownership experiences have been good.
My daughter is on her second Odyssey, this time an EX-L. My daughter-in-law is on her second Sienna, this time an AWD (in Brownsville, TX of all places).
My grandson bought a 2014 Accord V6 Automatic 4-door sedan for his wife and new baby.
I own a 2011 Tundra that has so far been trouble free. But I’ll be trading it for a 2016 Tundra 5.7, if all goes as planned. I’m too old to tool and wrench on my rides now.
The 2008 Highlander that started all my Toyota loyalty still serves my 17-yo grand daughter in El Paso.
Funny thing, when she drove to HS in her Mom’s 2013 Odyssey, the boys would make fun of her and tease her about it being her mommy’s car.
Now that she drives up in that 2008 Highlander Limited 4×4, they don’t make fun at her expense anymore, probably because their rides are well-worn border-trash. Goes to show what appearances are all about.
The business bought a 2015 Sequoia Platinum 4X4 as my wife’s business vehicle/daily driver.
Since she started working from home on 1 Oct 2014, I think she put less that 3000 miles on that ride since the end of September. That’s nothing! Still has the putrid new car smell.
Hope it all goes well with that Sequoia. At least I didn’t have to pay for it.
Other members of the extended family drive old Tacomas, my brother’s wife in NYC drives a 2009 Camry, and so on, but I haven’t heard anyone p!ss and moan as long as the vehicle gets them from point A to point B with a minimum of fuss.
When they break down, it’s time to trade BEFORE fixing it. As long as they run. they’ll hold on to them.
Just like my friends who own those pre-1990 Toyota products.
That was my first favorite car.
That Caballero also brings me back to the Eisenhower years (my very early childhood). Thanks to both of you for that wonderful nostalgia.
You’re right, it’s a ’57
@FreedMike, Imagine if Infiniti had made their mega-SUV a hardtop like the Caballero… Total 50s flashback, just taller. ;)
The resale is because they’re not fashionable among the soccer mom crowd. I know not of these “issues” they certainly age better than a Tahoe with the horrible underpowered 5.3
Jack, I’m a huge fan of your writing style, genuine cynicism regarding so many things so richly warranted (that I share), and I also share many of your opinions on culture writ large…
…but I’ll be farked if you don’t have a deep & highly non-objective bias/priapism for almost all things FoMoCo (remember when you even RAVED about how good the new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO was?).
Unless this Navigator is a COMPLETELY redeveloped vehicle, from the very ground up, compared to its predecessor, I take nothing you proclaim in this op/ed with even a grain of truth, and fart in your general direction, as its predecessor was nothing short of horrid.
Yeah, that’s why Jack bought a Honda after he totaled his Lincoln
I don’t care if Jack had bought a Joe Biden Trans-Am with t-tops.
Jack’s deep, true oval blue.
You’ll have to forgive Jack. His fit and finish statement had his old TC in mind, I think. One thing the Panthers cannot lay claim to is snug dashboard fitment.
The Taurus SHO was and is a good car, as long as you understand what it is. It’s not a 300C SRT-8 or an E63 AMG. Everybody I know or have met who has one loves it.
Ford does a lot of things better than GM. That’s my opinion.
Ford may or may not do a lot of things better than GM, but building a better Escalade – or even one that’s 1/2 as good – is not one of those things – NOT EVEN in the same LEAGUE (I say this as not exactly GM or Cadillac’s biggest fan).
(Besides, that’s damning with the faintest of praise)
And I am with Jack on that one.
The current Navigator is a “significant refresh” of the existing platform (much of it led by Ford Mexico). There are some things that are much better than the previous truck (interior, engine, infotainment, guages, suspension, etc), it’s underpinnings do start with the 11th gen F150.
The next Navigator/Expedition is being worked on now. It will be a new vehicle from the ground up, but I don’t think you’ll like it DW. Things like a aluminium body and ecoboost engines will be prominently featured.
The prior Navigator is one of the worst vehicles I’ve ever driven relative to its segment, and by a wide margin.
As long as the bones are the same, I could care less what motor or body panel material is in/on it.
There’s a GMT900 Tahoe Z71 in my driveway nowadays. The Navigator slays it. Your mileage may vary.
Yet, and I’m no fan of this class of vehicle, the current Escalade is 15000% better than the Navigator could ever hope to be.
$15000 better, there fixed it for you
DW, I’ve never *driven* either, but I’ve been a passenger in both, and I emphatically disagree. The Navi’s IRS makes it a far more comfortable vehicle if you are in the back seat, both because the ride is less bouncy and because it allows for better packaging and more rear-seat room.
The most recent Car and Driver has an Expedition beating a Tahoe; I was surprised, but yeah, they hated the Tahoe’s beam axle.
Why is Jack comparing a Z71 Tahoe to a brand new ’15 Navigator, for any reason?
Like I said, I can’t ever see myself owning any vehicle in this segment, but if I had to, the Escapade is the appropriate comparative measuring device, and eons superior.
DW, you do realize that an Escalade *is* a Tahoe with a big engine, (somewhat) upgraded interior materials, a few extra gizmos, and magnetic ride control… right?
What!?!? Are you implying that a Cadillac is some sort of a rebadged Chevy, you’re crazy
I know that the current gen Escalade has an interior, exterior, refinement and ride quality that is many generations ahead of the prior gen Navigator, and assume this is likely nearly as true of this gen Navigator, since it really dates back to 1998 under the surface.
There are only so many ways to dress a pig.
Like I said, I couldn’t disagree more about the ride quality. To put it bluntly, I think the Escalade does a very poor job of disguising the fact that it sits on truck running gear, while the Navigator rides a bit more like an old-school luxury car. Still floaty, but a lot less bouncy. My experiences are predominantly in the back seat. Maybe from the front seat an Escalade feels less like a Tahoe.
Your assumptions about the interior are also wrong. The Navi is missing a few electronics features that are expected in the luxury class these days, but its interior has had two comprehensive makeovers (the latest for this year) and the materials are a step above those in the newest Escalade.
For towing I prefer the solid rear axle in our Tahoe. I have no complaints about the ride. It is definitely not bouncy. You do get better rear seat packaging with Fords IFS. You can have that, I’ll keep my solid rear axle.
“Your assumptions about the interior are also wrong. The Navi is missing a few electronics features that are expected in the luxury class these days, but its interior has had two comprehensive makeovers (the latest for this year) and the materials are a step above those in the newest Escalade.”
Really? Based on every pic I have pulled up on the ’15 Nav, it looks like a$$.
The new Escalade’s dash, interior, switches and fit/finish appear to be just so far ahead of the Navigator’s that it’s not even the subject of reasonable debate as to whether they’re even in the same league.
Don’t look at pictures, sit in both and feel the materials.
The ’15 Escalade looks flashy, but the materials aren’t as good as they look. If Cadillac had just used the same stuff as it does on the XTS it would have come out ahead. But it didn’t. The leather feels like it belongs in an Impala LTZ.
The ’15 Navigator has luxury-appropriate leather (it’s not Benz S-class quality, but it’s definitely BMW 5-series quality) on both the seats and the dash.
One area where the Escalade is ahead is the door switches — the Navi’s could use an update. But the rest of the Navi interior feels better, hands down.
I’m going to make it a point to check out the interior of the new Navigator at some point b/c I agree pics can’t accurately convey tactile, etc., info.
That said, it looks very dated inside and out from my subjective view.
Lots of strong opinions on vehicles that commentators admit to having never been in, much less driven.
You COULDN’T care less.
I don’t care much one way or the other about the Navigator, but I was really glad to read a review of this newest model that wasn’t just “It’s old and not new and that’s a sin. The Escalade is newer!!”
Thank you Mr. Baruth for giving us a real review and not just whining about how it’s last year’s truck with this year’s engine.
People who actually buy these things love them. I have a dentist friend who, along with his wife, has had 4 or 5 of the things. His wife got a Lexus GX at one point, and confided she’d rather have had another Navigator. My friend drives his Navigator very regularly, letting his Panamera 4S sit an alarming amount.
Whenever I go to the January autoshow, the Escalade and Navigator are by far the most popular cars that their respective companies have on display. The newest models they want you to buy (ATS, MKZ) are easy to get at because they are virtually ignored by the general public.
The Navigator doesn’t really do it for me and it’s not one glaring thing it’s just overall, as a package, it’s not attractive. I’m not really one for muscle SUVs but for a few grand more I’d take a Grand Cherokee SRT-8 over a Navigator every day of the week.
No one is cross-shopping a SRT-8 with a Navigator. The intended missions are totally different. In the car world it would be like cross-shopping a Mustang and a Camry.
Yeah, I know. I was trying to say that I really don’t like the high performance SUV segment and with even with that dislike I’d still choose one over the Navigator.
How ’bout this. I’d much rather have a LR4.
The front end reminds me too much of an Olds Bravada. Funny that the vehicles that most directly embody the brand positioning of Cadillac and Lincoln, still have real names, Escalade and Navigator. No alphanumeric bull$shit for these two.
Me too. Even the color here seems like the only color I remember seeing Bravada’s in.
Wife’s boss just bought a 2015 Expedition EL King Ranch to replace his 2012 Expedition EL King Ranch. I’m really kind of surprised he didn’t go for the Lincoln, prior to his first Expedition he had a Yukon Denali (1st generation when Cadillac had originally passed on the idea) followed by an Escalade. His wife drives an Ecobost AWD MKT.
Supposedly he had to order his current Expedition and placed his order before production even got underway.He doesn’t tow or go off road other than occasionally taking out of town guests to places like Canyon de Chelly.
I really like the color combinations on the Expedition King Ranch. Maybe he has a certain image he’s trying to convey and the Navigator is too ostentatious?
He owns the local newspaper (Gallup Independent – named by his father back when newspapers were often very vocal about their political affiliations) but he’s a prickly curmudgeon who thoroughly enjoys being a prickly curmudgeon.
Unless he likes you, and he seems to like my wife’s whole family, mother-in-law worked for his dad.
He is the kind of guy though who likely doesn’t know whether there’s a V6, V8, or V10 under the hood.
“The era of Navigators standing-in for Town Cars or Taurus-based Continentals is nearly over, thanks to fuel prices”
So, this one was in the can a couple weeks ago?
Ha! I knew someone was going to say that — but anybody who buys a vehicle because gas is $1.99 somewhere in Oklahoma right now shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions without adult supervision.
Oh I agree, and same for someone who buys one because gas is $4.99 in NYC… the only time to count gas mileage into your decision is when you’re already in the market for a vehicle for the usual reasons.
lol, after driving an 18 mpg (on a good day) F150 for 5 years post divorce, I was happy to grab a CUV that gets a solid 23-25 mpg on the highway. If gas is such a major cost factor in your vehicle purchase you need to step back and re-evaluate your priorities.
Completely agreed. Same goes for people who buy V6 Mustangs to “Get better gas millage”, that’s kind of missing the point of a performance car.
I would venture to say that all large SUVs are roughly equivalent in regards to fuel consumption.
“Completely agreed. Same goes for people who buy V6 Mustangs to “Get better gas millage”, that’s kind of missing the point of a performance car.”
I dunno, the newer Mustangs with the 3.7 V-6 can definitely hold their own. Not as quick as the 5.0, but quick enough.
Mike, did you hear that Cadillac fired its ad agency, and hired Publicis, an ad agency based in Paris?
Sounds sophisticated…like ooh la la sophisticated.
Cadillac is BACK, BABY! They just needed better commercials.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2014/12/04/cadillac-drops-lowe-partners-agency-publicis/19895777/
Mark my words, we’re going to get Yoko Ono Cadillac commercials.
They might have to prop her up with sticks and be really careful with the camera framing but there she’ll be with the piano chords from Imagine rolling in the background.
“John would have-a loved this-a cah.”
Sexy Style – Cadillac Season’s Best Event TV Commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UhZBKy1EUw
$219 a month ATS’s as stocking stuffers for all!
(And weird, Eyes Wide Shut type masquerade party for people driving Cadillacs in commmercial)
“John would have-a loved this-a cah.”
I’d buy one just to hear her say it
“Dealer supply of the ATS has been high and at the end of November was at 171 days’ supply, up from 151 days at the end of October, according to LMC Automotive. Supply of the CTS also rose to 123 days at the end of November, from 113 at the end of October.
Analysts say a healthy inventory is about two to three months’ supply depending on the vehicle. Cadillac dealers have nearly six months’ supply of the ATS.
Sales of the compact ATS are down more than 20 percent this year through November, while sales of the midsize CTS are down 2.3 percent.”
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2014/12/08/gm-lansing-grand-river-layoffs/20102487/
“I’d buy one just to hear her say it”
OMG yes.. in her big fwoppy bewet.
While driving her big Winkon SUV
We’re acting wike a cuppow adowescents.
It’s Yoko Ono, who cares?
Lincoln seems to have adopted Oldsmobile design language as of late. The split grille, with a wide central bar and the logo in the middle. Squint and it could be an Olds rocket emblem!
That split grille motif wasn’t used by Oldsmobile until the late 1960s. By then it had already been used on Chryslers, Pontiacs, and the Imperial going back to the ’50s. I personally think the split grille looked best on the mid-’60s Pontiacs.
“the maxi-MKC front end is a distinct improvement on the faux-Continental, MKX-derived look that marked the current Navi for its first seven years on the market.”
No, it’s not. It really, really is not.
Yes I must be the only one who liked the Continental Grille on the Navigator. At least it was a call back to Lincolns of the past.
The Continental/MKX grille looked reasonably well-integrated into the prior Navigator. This looks like someone slapped an aftermarket schnoz on an Expedition.
I had hoped the Conti gille would have made it’s way to other Lincolns, but I suppose it’s for the best. Ford, as of late, has had trouble with grilles designed for one car looking flat-awful when slapped onto another. The worst example was the three-bar Fusion grille that got jammed onto the C1 Focus in two-bar form. Hideous…
While I’m driving a rented Expedition EL and not a Navi, I feel compelled to disagree with the notion of this lump being easy to park. Sure, the steering effort is very light and there are sensors at both ends as well as the backup cam, but you can’t disregard the size of the damn thing as well as the fact that you can’t see over the passenger front fender. I did entertain myself to a certain degree by driving this rolling fat farm to Whole Foods thinking it would be funny. Joke was on me, trying to park this thing was like a St. Bernard getting down with a toy poodle. Maybe the parking spots in Texas are big as the sky (which would make sense) in Ohio (not farm from Powell) the spots are a little more snug. I was genuinely worried that the folding steps would dent the Prius next to me upon deployment. I could not imagine driving this beast around day to day. I, however, appear to be in the minority since all be yoga pants/Hunter boots mummies at my son’s preschool pilot these monsters all day every day. It’s nice on the freeway, but at roughly 14mpg on a flat straight road, the gas bill is stinging and gas is damn cheap right now. As an added bonus, the rental I have wears Texas plates and the previous destination in the navigation was Canonsburg PA which means I got me a gen-u-wine frack truck.
Most parking spaces in Texas are large enough for a full-size pickup truck. This Navigator is the same width and no longer than a relatively small short bed regular cab pickup.
Running daily errands in a full size SUV or pickup just sucks. I just sold my full size SUV for that reason; it felt like I was piloting a cruise ship around a pond. I don’t know how or why the North Face wearing (yoga pants, Hunter boots, etc) mommies want to drive these beasts around town all day, every day, but plenty of them do.
My wife never seems to have an issue with her MkT, which is the same length and width as a non-EL Navigator. While driving, it feels smaller than it’s dimensions would suggest. I’ve never gotten than feeling with a Yukon or Expedition though.
Big, expensive car = perceived success
Buying by the pound/volume >> buying by any other specification
When I run into your little car, I walk away from the “accident”.
In real life, I am a small, relatively powerless person but behind the wheel of my 3-ton SUV, I am GOD.
Last, but not least, TV/internet/magazine told me to! Stupid is the new smart!!
The reviewer fails to mention a couple of things. First and foremost, the Navigator wiring would not allow Lincoln to offer adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, lane departure warning and such systems that are standard now on most luxury vehicles and available on run of the mill compacts and subcompacts. Secondly, the 2015 Navigator may have 2004 F150 bones (with independent rear suspension added), but except for front and rear clip changes, it shares its body completely with the 1998 Navigator–which got its windshield, front doors and other styling from the 1997 F150. That’s a long time to nurse along what was in 1997 forward styling. Of course Lincoln saved a boatload of money keeping the same greenhouse for 18 model years while the Escalade went rhrough four different complete body changes. The Lincoln still has its place, due to the Ecoboost, the greater interior volume, and a lower price than the comparable Escalade.
This is Ford. With the exception of one brilliant & notable critique (how Lincoln should be rejuvenated), they get a pass from Jack, even if this 2015 Navigator is (deep down) really so 1998 and late.
Where are you getting this from? At this point, the only shared parts with a 1998 Navigator are probably door hinges or something similarly inconsequential.
This body has been in production since 2002; the first-gen was a totally different car.
I’m not an SUV guy (I like big sedans) but I do find it amusing that these types of vehicles are simultaneously sneered at in many pockets, yet deep down, I think far more people want one than they let on. The CUV is the diluted compromise many are forced to make in our browbeaten society.
I know in my case when my FIL bought a new Escalade I thought it was ostentatious, but after borrowing it for some hauling duty, I had to admit I wouldn’t mind owning in one bit, regardless if I looked like a D-Bag.
You can get all the same things in a Yukon Denali and not have d-bagacity.
I was laughing my butt off Saturday driving on an expressway here in Wisconsin doing 80mph (which is really fast for Wisconsin) when a black Escalade with California plates passed me doing at least 95. Shattered all my preconceived notions about California
Having spent a summer routinely traveling the highways around Lake Powell, your California Escalade experience actually reinforces my notions of California drivers.
The demographic slice of CA drivers there were complete a$$holes, many driving vehicles like this Navigator, passing illegally and dangerously on two-lane highways, oftentimes with their boats in tow.
What happened to the pious Prius driving California earth-mother I always pictured, such disillusionment
It is odd to say this, but I miss Los Angeles traffic now that I live in the sticks. In a 45 zone everyone goes at least 50 and up traffic permitting, including the proverbial MoveOn.org sticker-festooned Prius. Drivers who slack at lights changing get honked at quick. One always sees unique and interesting automobiles on the road every drive one takes.
To be sure, I lived less than a mile from my work in West LA, and put maybe 1,200 miles a year on my car. Going east of the 405 was always an elective for me, never a necessity. So my perceptions of the place and drivers in it are probably a little off from the average.
Once you get more than 30 miles inland, California is, for all intents and purposes, Texas with bigger hills and bigger bills. The two Californias don’t mix as much as you might think.
So, Jacob, what does it mean when I roll my eyes at this type of vehicle, OR a CUV, but don’t want either one?
I appreciate the engineering that goes into making a pickup into a luxury vehicle, and the interior in the new Escalade is awesome, but that’s about as much emotion as I can work up for these rigs one way or the other.
If I had $70,000 to spend on one of these, I’d take a great $50,000 sport sedan, and buy an old pickup for the once a year I’d need one (or rent one for $30 a day from Enterprise).
“chock-full of glass windows” is one of the best lines I’ve read in an car review in a while. It’s a funny and sad commentary on where automotive design has gone and I’ll have to check out the Navigator for this reason alone. I cannot force myself to back up a vehicle while looking at a screen on the dash and in the winter cleaning the back-up camera of snow and slush is another PITA I don’t need.
Agreed. I am the Troglodyte who cannot stand to have/own a car/truck that I cannot back up without wizardry in the dashboard, though will admit to McLovin’ the backup sensors that allow me to parallel park with aplomb worthy of an Olympic sport. Sometimes I feel like the last person in America who wants an open greenhouse and sunroof rather than the Fuerher Bunker automakers favour now.
I recently test drove a QX80 and I can say the interior is very nicely finished and the seats are extremely comfortable. While I was driving, the salesman was very eager to show me how the laser cruise control worked so he set the following distance and set the speed to 80 mph. We barreled towards a vehicle ahead and the QX80 showed no signs of slowing down and I had to hit the brakes. Turns out that dirt on the laser unit mounted behind the front bumper rendered it unable to sense the car ahead.
How did you find the drive, other than the attempted cruise control murder?
This Q80 had the 22 inch wheels (dealers here always have the largest available wheel size on their luxury SUVs) and for me there was too much impact harshness on our 3rd world grade steets. The overall ride was much steadier with a lot less side to side bobbing than the 2010 Tahoe SLT I tested. (the Tahoe with 60 series rubber soaked up potholes much better but I couldn’t stand the constant head toss} The steering on the XQ80 was light and the handling was reasonable for such a large truck. The 2014 Dodge Durango I drove had a steadier ride and better bump absorbtion than the QX80 but it’s a lot less opulent inside. It would be intersting to try a QX80 with 20 inch wheels.
@Corey The QX80 with 22 inch wheels had too much impact harshness for me on our crappy roads. I wish I could have tried one with 20 inchers. The overall ride was fairly steady and handling pretty good for a large truck but the 2014 Durango I tested was better on both counts. Of course the interior of the Durango isn’t as opulent. I don’t mind the looks of the QX80 but then I’ve always liked oddball unloved cars.
Yeah, I would think 22’s on something that heavy would be a problem. I’m guessing that size is mandatory with some other premium package option?
It would really take me a while to get used to the whale styling of the QX, I don’t think I get it. I liked the Armada based one, but haven’t heard great things about the reliability on those models. The interior was OK in those, nothing amazing. Course I guess at the time, standards were a little lower.
I still think the QX4 was the best looking/packaged SUV they ever made. Looks modern even though it’s been out of production for ten years now. It can really carry off a two-tone paint as well.
The 22s come with the Technology Package wich includes among other things Hydraulic Body Motion Control, Lane Departure Prevention,Blind Spot Intervention and that killer “Intelligent Cruise Control”. I’ve always liked the QX4 it’s such a timeless and handsome design.
An obstructed optical sensor also led to demise of a B2 stealth bomber on Guam.
So the QX80 must be very high-tech indeed.
I don’t remember anyone requesting a Navigator review in the Choose your Own Supercar Test Adventure poll :-)
Damn it! You’re right!
Jack, when are you going to track the Navigator at VIR?
WTF use is this review until then?
Is this straight from the stone age? I can’t believe some can produce such a fugly vehicle.
Does it have any off road credence?
If Ford want to make a decent people mover why don’t they create the “Lincoln Transit Luxo Barge”. Call it the Lincoln Connect.
The F-150 station wagon. TTAC should do a comparison between the Silverado Escalade station wagon vs the F-150 Navigator station wagon.
Put these up against a 200 Series Landcruiser or the new Patrol.
It seems the larger US SUVs need to enter the 21st Century.
Here’s a nicer SUV, that would be a far better daily driver.
http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/2014-y62-nissan-patrol-review-29357#.VIYSu7vTnIU
“Does it have any off road credence?”
No, but that isn’t the point.
Also, we get the Patrol here in the US as the Infiniti QX56/QX80.
In US you do not need to drive off roads – there are plenty of nice paved roads and freeways anywhere you can can think of. You guys in colonies can drive Land Rovers though.
Not even close in price to the 200 series we get here and if you are talking off road chops the 200 doesnt deserve the Land Cruiser badge anyway. Plus the 200 gets way worse mileage. This is a vehicle designed for the US market…different mission than the vehicles you mention. I have driven a 200 series on the highway at 80 or so. Fuel economy? Try single digits. When the zombies come I’ll take the Land Cruiser but for the circumstances in which Jack describes the Navigator is a good fit
Funny thing is, that Nissan Patrol (aka Infinity QX80) has a terrible reliability rep in the US, with depreciation that approaches terminal velocity. Throw-in real-world single digit MPG, and all you’re left with is bling. I’m sure it performs well in some very specific “off road” conditions, but those are exceedingly rare.
People buy these trucks for a few reasons: to get their family to the cottage or ski lodge, to tow a boat or large trailer, to carry lots of people and bulky items. Rock crawling or desert running aren’t on the radar. Large high SUVs are unstable at speed in snow/ice, they don’t tow all that well, and they aren’t as spacious as big-box SUVs like the Navigator. They do have good driveway appeal, but nothing like a Range Rover.
What I’m getting at is that US and Aussie requirements are completely different in this segment.
Be careful with your sweeping generalizations. The model based on the Patrol has only been around for a couple years. The old QX/Armada were -not- based on the Patrol, and those are the ones that have some reliability issues.
Thanks for the heads-up. The change hasn’t helped the reputation or depreciation. We will have to wait and see about reliability.
Hey Jack, I just loved your Road & Track article about yourself testing the twisties of Ohio in various increments of vehicles leading up to the super car testing criteria.
This past fall I drove down from Detroit to Zanesville, Ohio to run with the Columbus Audi group. It was a blast! What roads should they select for next year?
Dang boy, you need to let me know next time you’re around here! I know all the off-the-beaten-track excellent burger, Tex-Mex and cajun places….
FTR I really like the new front end….but they should have really tried to do something/anything different with the body to show it’s really worth the $70-80k….
They didn’t spend enough money, or have enough money to spend, to do something different with the body. Same goes for the Expedition. The F150 and Super Duty got prioritized because they are the F150 and Super Duty. There are only so many people working at the Blue Oval. This refresh was meant to buy them a few years until the ground up vehicle is done.
How different box might be from box?
Am I the only one that sees a frowny face in the front fascia? :[
“Apologies for the stock photography, as all my shots of the Gator’s interior feature a healthy helping of autumn Texas mud” Jack, I’m more than a bit disappointed you didn’t show this Rhinestone festooned pig being utilized in a true fashion to which it portends to be. As a father of three grrrls whom all have swimming, horse riding, et al lessons and trips to everywhere, I am more than accustomed to mud encrusting nearly every surface within the interior (along with the mysterious, re-appearing French Fry of the Ancients) and would appreciate knowing how well this tuna-boat handles ridin’ dirty.
The perfect car if you´re 400 pounds.
In my opinion the styling of the previous one was over the top and not in a good way. This ones styling is too bland – it will cost it some sales in those who value bling above all else.
This last of the mohicans truck is a very good SUV but the problem is that is sits in between the Tahoe/Yukon and the more expensive/overpriced Cadillac Escalade. The Tahoe and Yukon look great and offer some of the best large SUV driving dynamics, but they don’t have the torque of the Navigator nor do they offer as many standard features as the Lincoln. The base 4×4 Navigator is only a $1000 more than a Chevy 4×4 Tahoe LTZ. BUT if your not a fan of the overly boxy, tall, and want more luxury touches and have a lot more money to burn for $10K more you can get a 4×4 base Escalade which elevates Chevy’s awesome ride and looks but with Cadillac luxuries. Overall if I had $65k to burn the Tahoe LTZ would be my pick because I just adore the ride and I am not a huge fan of Ecoboost
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