Lincoln Navigator review

Normally, the driver’s seat in a burly luxury SUV is not meant to be the best seat in the house, but the way the Lincoln’s wound up happens to favor the front riders. Though fairly cluttered, the front row of the Navigator makes use of the space provided by the deep-set wraparound display.

This has the side effect of providing an open dash area. It’s not particularly useful, but it does give the front an airy, open feeling. On top of that, the front seats have robust massage features that work in tandem with the lauded rejuvenation programming included in the SUV.

When it’s time to actually get going, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 proves itself to be a solid fit. Paired with a surprisingly effective application of Ford’s 10-speed auto gearbox, the all-wheel drive SUV will pull SUV numbers in terms of fuel economy. 17mpg combined, anyone?

At least the fuel costs prove to be worth it, as there’s enough power to move the luxurious behemoth in a hurry if needed and there’s just enough sound accompanying actions to convey its presence without disturbing the sanctity of the interior. Acceleration is smooth and predictable in contrast to the sensitive, tetchy brake pedal. All the goodwill earned by smooth steering and forward travel is undone by the simplest touch of the pad, jerking the SUV forward and its occupants out of their relaxed state.

Dare I ask about the steering?

Sure. It goes without saying that you’re getting the kind of agility you’d expect from a body-on-frame utility vehicle. To be fair, it’s quite decent for what it is, and the suspension is tuned well enough to make the Navigator much easier to handle. Different drive modes are on hand to provide a bit more security when it comes to driving through roads affected by bad weather, mud, sand and so on.

There’s also an Eco mode on hand to stretch miles as well as an “excite” mode to up the throttle response and tighten the steering, though how much exuberance it provides is debatable.

What else stands out about driving?

The fact that you can kind of opt-out most of the time. Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise is equipped on all Navigators, with drivers given a year to try it for free before requiring a subscription sign-up. The latest version does all the hands-free highway driving as before, as well as hands-free lane changing with a tap of the stalk and in-lane repositioning, AKA shifting to the other side of the lane if a truck or car in the adjacent lane gets too close for comfort.

Lastly, though not many Lincolns are in the towing business, they’re still capable of it if their owners are keen to hitch on extra luxury. Trailer assist software is available for easy reversing, mounting and such, and the available towing pack allows up to 8,7000lbs of capacity.