Rants and Raves
DAVE VANDERWERP
The Navigator showcases precisely what's wrong with Ford as a whole. Since 1999 (when it got a drastic, 70-horsepower bump and leapfrogged all the competition!), Ford hasn't bothered to increase the Navigator's horsepower from 300. Back then that was competitive, and the Navigator handily out-sold the Cadillac Escalade, which was little more than a Tahoe with a trim package. Almost ten years later, however, the Navigator is down more than 100 hp compared with its Cadillac competitor. The Lincoln's numb steering and brakes, worst-in-class acceleration and braking, and hideous, chrome-braces makeover for 2007 only made things worse.
The one thing the Navigator has going for it is the seating package, which offers ample room in all three rows for people well over six-feet tall. Of course the Ford Expedition has the same spacious seats in a far-less-offensive—and about $10,000 cheaper—package.
TOM ADAMS
The color of this luxury land yacht is White Chocolate, but vanilla is more like it. Bland on the outside, weird on the inside, and nearly devoid of performance, I can't understand how Ford could let this slug leave the factory.
Perhaps I'm being so harsh because I'm comparing the Navigator to the Cadillac Escalade, which exemplifies what a large SUV should be. Everything the Escalade has, the Navigator has at about 70 percent. The Lincoln's grille is chrome-laden, but too delicate for a large vehicle. The interior is lux, but clumsily cleft down the middle. The controls are present, but not properly placed. I like the wood trim, but not where Ford has placed it. The automatic running boards are neat, but nothing new. Plus, they get on your nerves if you're loading packages or opening doors often. There's so little power and passion in the engine, I wonder if one could actually pass on the highway with this brick. It drives heavily and clumsily. The folding seats are good, and there's plenty of room throughout. The Navigator brings plenty of functionality, but not much else.
Download this car's window sticker for pricing information.
