Lincoln Navigator review

It’s the Navigator, the yacht on wheels leading the Lincoln motor company’s luxurious flotilla. Believe it or not, the brand’s been serving up its style of premium experience to the full-size SUV segment for almost three decades now. As expected, the Navigator’s latest iteration is the most modern, gizmo-packed version yet. How much it all elevates the ride is another matter.

Say more!

Fine. It’s a concept we may take for granted now, but back in the late 90s, pre-SUV dominance, it suddenly occurred to automakers that they could turn their three-row people movers into large limousines, the then-standard for luxury car travel. We were off to the races after that, and vehicles that debuted around this time like the Cadillac Escalade have since reset that standard. In terms of Ford’s contribution, the Navigator was born out of upfitting the Expedition with all the premium accoutrement it could muster, and the rest is history.

Ugh, I meant say more about the new one.

You got it. Sticking to what it knows, Lincoln continues to build its Navigator on the Expedition platform. How is it different? Well, in the past, the line between the two was easier to delineate: Lincoln had the premium materials, nifty gadgets and blingy extras. Nowadays, the democratization of such things has blurred that border somewhat, though the approach remains relatively similar.

At its core, the Lincoln Navigator is a body-on-frame, four-wheel drive SUV powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that lays down an elegant 440 horsepower and 510 opulent foot-pounds of torque by way of a glamorous automatic transmission with the ten best gears money can buy.

It sounds like you’re embellishing normal components with fancy words.

Yes! Now you’re getting into the Lincoln spirit. There’s a great deal of overlap with the Expedition in terms of fundamentals, but what makes the Navigator unique is what it brings in terms of style and added comfort. On the outside, it’s quite bold while staying in line with the current Lincoln design language. Indeed, apart from the proportions it’s difficult to distinguish the Navigator from other members of the line-up like the Aviator and Nautilus.

Inside, the cabin is a bit quirky in terms of its layout. A new pillar-to-pillar 48-inch panoramic display now wraps around the dashboard as it does in the Nautilus, supported by a smaller more traditional touchscreen and a collection of buttons on the center console. The individual elements are fine, but collectively, figuring them out can be something of a boondoggle. So much so that the Navigator has its own ‘quick tips’ reference page.

How’s the ride?

Focused. The 3.5-liter turbo V6 is a bit of an unsung hero here. It pulls well, sounds sufficiently robust without shattering the Lincoln’s chill vibes and gets the burly SUV up to speed quickly.

With that said, the old-school-style independent suspension setup ends up being too springy and communicative for anyone in the back. It makes the argument that an air suspension should pretty much be required for modern luxury vehicle of this size, something the Navigator’s rivals have figured out, despite the impact that has on a car’s bottom line. In the end it feels like exactly what it is, a boxy truck on springs, it just so happens to be a very ornate box.

Is it comfortable at least?

To be frank, it kind of depends on where you’re seated. Up front ends up being the best place to sit despite the fact that the larger-than-usual third row and over-engineered second row are meant to be priorities. The captain’s seats have tons of features baked in and are supported by optional entertainment screens, but when it’s all put together it’s almost suffocating. There is such a thing as too much hospitality.

The new Lincoln Navigator succeeds in providing a premium luxury experience in a full-bodied three-row package when it sticks to the stuff it’s good at like design and comfort. It’s when it tries something new that the SUV falters a bit. Some choices prove to be more successful than others, like the new 48-inch panoramic screen. It takes some getting used to, but it’s functional and makes for a bold centerpiece.

Alternatively, the second row seats suffer from having almost too much opulent hardware. Lastly, the spa-like ‘rejuvenation’ modes are one-and-done showcases that likely won’t see much action beyond a dealership demo and thus seem like effort gone to waste.

What does land is stuff like the striking exterior design, eccentric interior layout and a multitude of packages that tailor the Navigator to the driver. Boring stuff, sure, but it’s the stuff that counts. Get past the steep learning curve required to navigate (pun intended) the multitude of interfaces and the Navigator is a sure hit for its highly specific demographic.