2005 Lincoln Navigator Test Drive

Refining a Behemoth

Still comfortable and classy, Lincoln's pioneering luxury SUV is showing its age--and the future doesn't promise much change.

Should You Buy This Car?

It seems pretty obvious that the perfect American luxury SUV would be a combination of the best of the Escalade (power) with the best of the Navigator (polish). Why neither company has been able to figure this out yet is no doubt due more to market exigencies and the high cost of retooling production lines than to cluelessness. The first one to get the mixture right deserves to be the winner.

Just don't expect it to be Lincoln. Not yet at any rate. A peek at what the 2003 model will carry sounds great but there's no new motor. What they do plan to focus on is refinements, such as a more comfortable third-row seat, improved rack-and-pinion steering, better four-wheel-drive capabilities and a fancier interior and exterior. But more guts will have to wait. Too bad.

Of course, more power is not the be-all and end-all. There are many reasons to recommend the Navigator and they all have to do with ensuring the comfort of the passengers. Given that, according to Lincoln, the median age for Navigator buyers is 50 years old, this strategy has worked pretty well in the past. But considering that overall sales dropped 16% from 2000 to 2001 (while Escalade sales increased by more than 30% to just about meet Lincoln Navigator numbers), it suggests that the company needs to do more than simply load the trim up with extra nickel.

So, if you favor comfort, size and class, the Navigator is a pretty safe bet -- as long you don't mind the fact that it's about as much fun to drive as a really big, really nice sofa.