Chicago 2014: I Like The 2015 Lincoln Navigator
The consensus regarding the 2015 Lincoln Navigator seemed to be unanimously negative. I know this because Doug DeMuro wrote an editorial saying he believed in Lincoln, until he saw the new Navigator, and everyone agreed. Which is what they seem to do. As long as he writes in that suspiciously self-deprecating manner. And broken up sentences, just like this.
Personally, I think it looks great, especially the black example shown above. You can imagine Chris Partlow from The Wire driving it. The last Navigator I drove had the 5.4L V8 engine and returned an rather profligate 10 mpg. The 3.5L Ecoboost may not be that much better on gas, but I do love the twin-turbo rush of boost that you get when you step on the throttle.
Photos courtesy AutoGuide.com
More by Derek Kreindler
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So whatever happened to NULLO? I always like how he weighed in on all things Ford....was he collateral damage to Bertel's banhammer?
Thank you for liking it, Derek. I like it as well. Was I disappointed that it was an update (however extensive) of a long-running generation of Expedition/Navigator? Sure. Could the dash have been more visually different? Sure, but the updates they did helped discernibly. And would I have liked to see dual exhaust (or at least dual mufflers) instead of just one sorta sticking out of one side? Yeah, it would have helped, in my estimation. There is some dynamic sculpting (or, chiseling) going on in the front, and in combination with that paint, it allows for some fun light and dark interaction. The front grill and headlights are bold and do not apologize for it, which is good as it looks solid. Cool grill slat and headlight detailing as well. I think what really completes the aesthetic is the wheels--sure, they are big (and I like that especially with the lower profile tires that will never see dirt), but the rims are a very nice looking design that present a lot of strong "face" with enough dish to work with the body design. And they are set out nicely and give this rig a great stance. It looks strong. Back when this and the Escalade began and GM continued to add horsepower to their chariot, I always thought Ford/Lincoln did a disservice to the Navigator by only having a moderately powerful 5.4L in it. I thought they should have just thrown the hammer down and put the 6.8L V10 in it and just told Cadillac to deal with it; their move now. The 5.4L is a solid motor, as was the V10 (my family has experience with both), but in the mine-is-bigger-than-yours horsepower contest that it was in, the 5.4L would never be enough as Ford spec'd it. Now with that "war" seemingly cooled down as the Escalade has just dominated sales, it seems like there's more room for Lincoln to move around in regards to their engine choices. Sure the 3.5 EcoBoost isn't a V8, but it's proven, as far as I can tell, to be a good motor. And it allows Lincoln to tune the cabin for less noise intrusion as the "V8 POWERRRR" statement (usually with an exhaust note) doesn't need to be made. Now it can merely "waft" to speed with sufficient motivation and if driven smartly, get a few ticks better in the MPG department.