“Holy (expletive deleted), that’s one pig of a rig!” Thank you, dear neighbour, for your succinct appraisal of the Lincoln Navigator as I backed it into my parking pad, as well as the rhyme that gave me this lead.
Yes, indeed, the eight-seat Navigator, Lincoln’s flagship SUV, is an honoured member of sportutivus giganticus, first rolling off the assembly line in 1997, with the current, fourth-generation version plying the roads in limo-like fashion since the 2018 model year. It is certainly a commanding presence, stretching more than 5.3 metres (210 inches) from stem to stern, barely fitting into the pad. And that’s the standard Reserve model. There’s also the Reserve L, which, at 5,636 mm, adds almost a foot of length for extra cargo room.
What are the Lincoln Navigator’s competitors?
The luxury segment it which it competes is great in size if not in numbers. Cadillac’s Escalade has been the Lincoln’s longtime rival, with Jeep jumping back into the large and luxe fray a couple of years ago with the Grand Wagoneer. The newly redesigned Lexus LX 600 and Infiniti QX80 are Japan’s representatives, while Europe counters with the BMW X7, Mercedes GLS and Range Rover.
What they all have in common, other than size, three rows of seats and $100K+ price tags, is an exceedingly long list of standard features and creature comforts.
The Navigator received its last major refresh in 2022 with the introduction of what Ford’s upscale brand referred to as “advanced technology and purposeful features and experiences,” to go along with minor exterior tweaks. The big add-on was ActiveGlide (aka BlueCruise). An evolution of intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centering and speed sign recognition, ActiveGlide, much like GM’s Super Cruise, enables drivers to operate the SUV hands-free on “prequalified” sections of divided highways.
Blue light cues appear on the digital cluster and head-up display to indicate when the system’s advanced camera and radar are activated. Hands-Free “blue zones” include several hundred thousand kilometres of dedicated highways across North America in the Lincoln GPS mapping system. A driver-facing camera in the instrument cluster monitors eye gaze and head position to help ensure a driver’s eyes stay on the road. (Between several bouts of pouring rain, heavy truck traffic and lane closures on the busy stretch of the 401 between Toronto and London, it didn’t seem prudent to experiment with ActiveGlide’s capabilities. Sorry not sorry, I remain cautious — and ambivalent — of its abilities.)
What powers the Lincoln Navigator?
A 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 is found under the Navigator’s massive hood, the engine, mated to a 10-speed transmission, putting out a substantial 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque.
Unlike several of its competitors, it’s the only engine available for the nearly three-ton, all-wheel-drive sport-ute. The Escalade offers two versions of its 6.2L V8, a normally aspirated version with 420 hp to tap as well as a supercharged unit for the 2025 V-Series models that offers a scorching 682 hp. Most of the Navi’s other main competitors — Grand Wagoneer, LX 600 and QX80 — are also powered by twin-turbo V6s, the Jeep’s engine pumping out a rortier 510 hp. The X7 and GLS have either six-cylinder or V8 engines depending on the model. The Range Rover offers no less than four different powertrains — mild hybrid inline-six, plug-in hybrid and two different V8s.
Nobody is going to buy any of the just mentioned for their Scrooge-like parsimony at the gas pumps. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) rates the Navigator at 15.2 L/100 km in the city, 10.8 L/100 km on the highway, and 13.2 in combined driving, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,828. The engine will run on regular unleaded although premium is required to extract the full 440 hp (and, says Lincoln, extend the life of the engine).
Lincoln Navigator’s cabin amenities
Size doesn’t matter. Or does it, at least when it comes to info screens? Against newer competitors, the Navigator seems to come up short. Oh, its single 13.2-inch touchscreen offers up crisp graphics that are easy to read, but the Escalade’s curved OLED display offers more than 38 inches of total diagonal display area. The system includes three screens: a 7.2-inch-diagonal control panel driver information centre, a 14.2-inch-diagonal cluster display behind the steering wheel and a 16.9-inch-diagonal Infotainment screen. The Grand Wagoneer, meanwhile, starts with a 12.0-inch centre touchscreen, with a 10.3-inch touchscreen below it to control the HVAC system. Higher trims have yet another 10.3-inch touchscreen for the front-seat passenger, with redundant audio and navigation controls or can stream entertainment. It’s more of the same with the Lincoln’s Japanese and European rivals.
In addition to all the customary modern conveniences and luxury touches, including the power retractable running boards (it’s a long way up into the cabin), the tester ($118,500 base price) was fitted with a $5,000 Luxury Package (Equipment Group 201A) that includes extra-special goodies such as 30-way power and illuminated front seats with Active Motion, power thigh extender and head restraints and a Revel Ultima 3D surround-sound audio system.
Huge kudos for the Navigator’s optional ($1,500) front Perfect Position seats with massage, replete with five separate massage functions. I set mine for Rolling, luxuriating as the rollers worked their way up and down my back from tailbone to shoulder blades. Pure bliss. Second-row passengers don’t quite get the same 30-way treatment, though heat, ventilation and massage capability come with the package. They also get to control their seat, climate and audio settings on a 5.8-inch digital module.
No such luck for third-row occupants. But, taking one for the team, I actually dropped the second-row seat and climbed into the back, scrunching up my aged 6-foot-1 frame. I was pleasantly surprised that there is reasonable legroom and headroom, though I would not want to spend quality time back there. Back of the third row, there’s 592 litres (20.9 cubic feet) of cargo room, 1,628 L (57.5 cu ft) when the back row is folded and a cavernous 2,925 L (103.3 cu ft) behind the first row.
The Navigator’s SYNC 4 system, enabled by cloud connectivity, can wirelessly connect smartphones for integration of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SYNC AppLink apps.
What’s the Lincoln Navigator like to drive?
Look, every time I got behind the wheel, I felt under-dressed. In its Flight Blue metallic paint job (a $950 option), a dark shade that less-than-sunny conditions could pass for black, the Navigator looked as if it should be in livery service, and I should be in a dark suit and shades, either ferrying passengers in an unruffled and unhurried manner to the airport, or part of a security detail.
Still, credit where due, when required the Navigator knows how to get out of the way, responding to throttle input with a solid increase in acceleration, the transmission working its way through the gears with nary a whisper of harshness. Push it and the big Lincoln will hustle its way to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.
But it functions best as a highway cruiser. The adaptive suspension with Road Preview should ensure a smooth ride, with body movements and vehicle motion, as well as steering, acceleration and braking activities monitored by 12 sensors — including a forward-facing camera — that read the road 500 times per second, making adjustments up to 100 times per second to assure a serene ride for all aboard. But on tarmac that is less than billiard table smooth, the optional ($1,250 including 12-spoke rims) 22-inch tires jiggle over the uneven surfaces. Would an air suspension help, such as the automatic load-leveling and ride-height adjusting system available on the Escalade? Probably.
The other downside to the Navi is a generally numb steering feel; you don’t want to hustle it along or push it in corners as there is not a sporting bone to be found.
How reliable is the Lincoln Navigator?
Consumer Reports says the Navigator differentiates itself from its Ford Expedition sibling “by piling on the luxury touches on this (US)$90,000 behemoth. This hulking SUV can accommodate up to eight people, although it’s so large it’s probably overkill for most buyers, unless they need to tow upwards of four tons. While (it) pampers occupants with power everything and a rich interior ambience, there are deficiencies that detract from a great experience.” Overall, CR expects the Navigator to be less reliable than other SUVs.
RepairPal.com gives the Navigator a reliability rating of 2.5 out of 5.0, ranking it fifth out of 19 for luxury full-size SUVs. “The average annual repair cost is US$1,089, which means it has poor ownership costs. The frequency of repairs is average, but when issues do arise, they have a higher chance of being severe than with other models.”
Final thoughts
Just prior to COVID shutting down the world for several years, I attended the press reveal of the newest Escalade. There, the marketing manager expounded on the health of the big luxury SUV segment in the United States, saying. “We don’t see it declining anytime soon.” People, he added, like large SUVs as family transport as well as for towing/hauling their toys.
The sales numbers for this segment are much smaller in Canada, although the reasons big SUVs like the Escalade and Navigator exist is similar — buyers willing to spend the bucks for vehicles offering a high level of luxury and comfort, plus the advanced technology they believe make these high-dollar sport-utes safer and more suitable to drive. Somewhat perplexing is the lack of hybrid powertrain options for most of these models.
The Navigator ($127,800 as tested) has size, amenities and comfort going for it, which is great if you’re schlepping your kid’s soccer team to a game, not so much if you’re working your way through downtown traffic (in fairness, the same can be said for the competition). A tow rating of 3,765 kilograms (8,300 lbs) works in the Navigator’s favour, but its touchscreen infotainment system is now looking dated.
Not a vehicle for the introverted, Lincoln’s Navigator balances brawn and bling while guaranteeing a laid-back and quiet ride.
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