forward for the brand.” Morrison noted
that “in terms of thoughtfulness front to
back, it’s easily the most luxurious of the
four vehicles we have here.” Segura called
it “a shoutout to vintage American cars.”
Looking at the specs, you could be
forgiven for thinking the new Navigator
(like the old one) is just a gussied-up Ford.
Riding on a platform shared with the
Expedition, the aluminum-bodied Lincoln
is powered by Ford’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter
twin-turbo V-6, which produces 450 hp
and 510 lb-ft of twist. It’s paired with a
10-speed automatic related to the one in
the Escalade (GM and Ford co-developedthe transmission), and it has a true four-
wheel-drive system.
Whereas there’s an unmistakable
sporty pretense to the way the BMW,
Cadillac, and Mercedes drive, the
Navigator harkens back to an almost
forgotten era when sporty cars were
sporty and luxury cars were truly
luxurious. “It has an old-school kind of
flavor to it, in a fun way,” Morrison said.
“The steering is the lightest of the lot, and
in relative terms, it probably has the most
old-school luxury feeling of all.”
Seemingly tuned for boulevard
cruising, the Navigator still manages toshrink around the driver during cornering,
like the Escalade, inspiring confidence on
narrow twisty roads.
A capable handler, the Navigator is
more at home eating up miles around
town and on the interstate. Its twin-turbo
V-6 is potent, smooth, and quiet, and it’s
torquey when driven sedately. But bury
your foot in the throttle, and a muted yet
dignified roar emanates from the exhaust
pipes. Although the transmission has a
tendency to upshift early, downshifts are
quick and smooth.
Prone to some secondary motions
after harsh impacts, the biggest tell of52 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 20213-ROW LUXURY SUV COMPARISONAlthough all four SUVs
are attractive in their own
right, the Lincoln Navigator
and Cadillac Escalade
unquestionably got the
most bystander attention.