I don’t wax poetic about the past. I remember a time when Lincoln didn’t have Matthew McConaughey, and those times weren’t awesome.
I don’t mean to say the slack-jawed Texan is solely responsible for making good cars, but Lincoln’s recent history isn’t exactly glorious — a little bit of twang goes a long way, I suppose.
What exactly is he saying, anyway?
Hopping behind the wheel of this 2015 Lincoln Navigator doesn’t quickly reveal much about the automaker’s future either. For starters, the Navigator — a model derived wholly from the not-so-great days of Ford badge-engineering — doesn’t exactly hide its roots. The big, spacious SUV is based largely on a Ford Expedition — and then there’s a truck actually underneath all that. Park a Navigator next to an Expedition and there’s no need for Maury Povich, anyone can tell they’re related.
But from the boxy exterior, there are a few subtle clues that the Lincoln should be the sophisticate of the family. The large, split, cascading grille is lifted from the MKC and finally draws some sort of congruence between the faces of Lincoln vehicles. On smaller cars, the split grille is actually pretty sleek. On the Navigator, it’s not bad — but I am getting a weird Oldsmobile Bravada-ish vibe from the front. Maybe it’s just me.
At the rear, the Navigator sports a large brake light that spans the truck’s wide rump. The cleaner lines and smarter styling is actually better looking than the renewed Expedition — and I thought that’d be tough to do. Give me the front of a Ford and the rear of a Lincoln and I’d be happy, but I’m just picky.
Building SUVs from battleship-sized trucks was something largely left to 20 years ago for many good reasons: First, poor fuel economy helped create an 11-month growing season in the Rocky Mountain states; and second, the ride can be scotch-and-water-hold-the-water stiff.
The Navigator attempts to solve the latter by offering an optional adaptive suspension, called Lincoln Drive Control, which is part of the $6,850 Reserve Equipment Group package. The system is similar on paper to other suspensions offered by Lexus — and even uber-car maker McLaren — and continuously adjusts dampening to smooth temperamental pavement. Plush ride? I’d tempt eating a pulled pork sandwich in a wedding dress in the back of this thing.
As for the former — treacherous fuel economy — that’s where this Navigator becomes important. The V8 is gone this year, and it has been replaced with Ford’s turbocharged V6. The twin turbos, which Ford calls EcoBoost, help the 3.5-liter V6 deliver 380 horsepower and a 9,000-lb. towing rating. According to the EPA, the V6 also returns 15/20 mpg in city/highway driving, up from 13/18 mpg over the V8.
If it seems like I’m heaping praise on an engine that no one will ever pay attention to in the Navigator, it’s because that’s absolutely what I’m doing. Only a few years ago, even whispering that a V6 could power something like a Navigator would have gotten you laughed out of your nearest Brooks Brothers. At one point, it wasn’t completely unfeasible that Lincoln could throw a V10 in one of these things. A V6 that makes 380 horsepower and can move a 6,000-lb. family yacht like this means we’re living in exciting times here, people.
Oh, and did I mention the V6 is supremely quiet? Like I could hear a penny rolling around the padded glove box quiet. The fine-haired coat of a new puppy isn’t this smooth.
Incremental movements such as the EcoBoost V6 and Lincoln Drive Control will dictate Lincoln’s future, in my humble opinion. Those small additions into an otherwise aging structure show progress, albeit a little slow. The Navigator’s interior and infotainment are proof enough of that.
Leather everywhere, power seats and power everything else, the Navigator doesn’t quite reach the interior luxury heights of its competitors like the new Cadillac Escalade. The MyLincoln Touch — a re-skinned version of the MyFord Touch system — is exactly as uninspired as the name would lead you to believe. To Lincoln’s credit, they ditched the wonky finger-sliding controls, but the difference between the switchgear and touchscreens between a $63,000 Navigator and $14,000 Ford Fiesta isn’t as great as you might hope. (Also, I could do without the hard plastic around the tweeters in the door.)
Thankfully the Navigator sports a fully functional third row, and easily accessible entry and exit thanks to standard power folding running boards. I even like the 22-inch optional wheels, which aren’t as gaudy as the size may indicate.
But the best parts of the Navigator are the pieces no one looks at: the suspension and engine. And for a “look at me” luxury SUV that may not be enough for some buyers right now.