2018 Lincoln Navigator L - Review

The proximate cause of this vehicle purchase was the imminent arrival of Squeaker, our fifth baby. Up to this blessed event, I could still shuttle all the kids to school and daycare in the trusty Range Rover, but now this would not work. The secret, true cause is that I fell in deep desire when I first saw pictures of this car, approximately 2 years before it was released. And lo, deliveries of the new model would start at the end of 2017, coinciding with Squeaker's entrance. We placed our order at the beginning of December, 2017, and I was told it might take 8 to 12 weeks to arrive. Fortune laughed at this statement.

Six months is how long it took to receive my 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The first car that was delivered to the dealership after about 4 months wasn't configured properly- one of the few must-have features of this car is the optional 8-passenger configuration, as opposed to the standard 7-passenger seating arrangement. Sure enough, someone at the dealership entered my order incorrectly. "Come pick up your car," the salesman said. I made all haste to collect the object of my desire, but woe was me when I espied the second row and saw a great freaking console between the seats. And so I was blue-balling it for another 2 months while the plant in Kentucky assembled me another one.

Since then, I've driven the car about 2,500 miles, including our recent trip Up North. Was it worth the wait? Read on to the wondrous conclusion.

The Lincoln Navigator was the first super-sized luxury SUV. Today, the Cadillac Escalade is by far the standard-bearer for this segment, with the Navigator and a few others (such as the Infiniti QX80) falling far behind Cadillac's bling-mobile, and Ford is looking to reclaim some lost ground with this completely new model.

First, the sheer size of this beast leaps immediately to attention. At 18.5 feet long and weighing right about 6,000 lbs, the only passenger cars that are bigger on the road will be those box trucks converted to 12 or 15 passenger vans, for the Catholic families for whom NFP really worked, and lifted heavy duty pickup trucks. This truck is by far the YUGEST vehicle I've driven, with the exception of a Penske moving van. You veritably tower over smaller, lesser cars on the road, and you notice most everyone gives you plenty of space. Now I see the appeal of those suburban dads who work in an office yet drive a full sized F150 as a commuter car. You will be undoubtedly scorned, but also feared, and that is fine by me.

Speaking of the F150, the drive train is mostly the same as the F150 Raptor, a twin turbocharged 450hp V6 with 510 lb/ft of torque. Paired with a 10 speed automatic transmission, you will be surprised at how hard this monster pulls under heavy throttle. It's not Corvette fast, but then again this car weighs the same as two of those. Most helpful is all that torque on 50 - 80 highway pulls- no drama, just rapid acceleration. The 10 speed is very smooth, much smoother than the newer 9-speeds I've used lately. No jerks or hunting for the right gear, this is a great gearbox.

Ridonkulous 22 inch wheels somehow don't look comical inside the wheel arches- pictures of the 20 inch wheels available on the base model look too small, although I suspect it would improve the already sterling ride quality, with a bit more sidewall. The independent suspension and smart 4x4 system keeps bumps and jitters far away, except under cornering at high speeds, when you feel a faint echo of traditional body-on-frame float. Noise levels in this car are Lexus quiet, making all serenity and peace.

Do you like the way it looks? I bet you do. In a sea of increasingly bizarre and same-y automotive design, the Navigator blends masculine heft with feminine curves into a cohesive, elegant whole. The enormous chrome grille, de rigueur in cars today, stays just this side of blingtastic. The "face" of the car conveys strength without looking like it wants to eat you. The sides and rear are simple, neat and tidy, with no unnecessary style lines or creases- I really wish someone would tell Germany and Japan that their obsession with origami is already tiresome. Remember curves? Those were nice.

One surprise and delight feature: as you approach the car with the keyfob in your pocket, the headlights wake up slowly, the puddle lights turn on, and the running boards deploy. It's a nice touch.

Lincoln had to show that they could build a flagship luxury car that truly competes with brands like Audi, BMW and Volvo, and the interior design and execution was a major emphasis. Beautifully stitched leather, open pore wood accents, and high quality materials are everywhere you touch. The buttons and knobs feel solid and expensive. I think my choice of "cocoa" for the interior color was the right one.

Let's talk about seats, because I know you have been dying to. Starting in the third row, you get three seats that are wide enough and high enough off the floor for actual adults to use. This was one of the most important factors in choosing this car over other options- my kids are growing, and if my teenagers can't sit in the third row it would be a burden. The second row has even more hip and legroom, in fact they are the same size as the front seats. But the front seats are the centerpiece of Lincoln's luxury play: Perfect Position 30-way(!) adjustable seats, which are heated, cooled and have a shiatsu massage function.

Truly I say unto you, Lincoln has achieved Peak Positionality with these thrones. The back is separated into two separate elements, which can be moved independently. The bottom cushion has adjustable thigh support for each thigh. The headrest moves up and down and forward and back. You can inflate or deflate back support at three places and bolster support at 6 places. And those massagers roll up and down your back or across your fat ass like a large Scandinavian woman kneading you with a rolling pin. On our recent 1,000 mile trip, the massage function was a welcome relief.

But there is a problem. I cannot find the position that makes my upper back comfortable. Maybe it's because I naturally tend to sit a little canted to the right, but the right side of my lower shoulder blade area doesn't feel great. Traditional seat bolstering is just additional foam, which can naturally contour to your body shape, but here, the seat bolster is an inflatable air bladder, which doesn't give as much. It's not that it hurts; but it does put some stress on that part of my body. This may be a case of going too far in the name of adjustability.

This truck has all of the technology that is standard in the luxury space, including a large touch screen with Ford's excellent Sync 3 system. The all-digital gauge cluster is simple and clear. Also present is a heads-up display with color, an industry first. A real standout feature is the radar-adaptive cruise control- on long highway journeys, this goes a long way to reducing fatigue. The vehicle will speed up and slow down along with prevailing traffic, all the way down to stop and go speeds. The similar system in my wife's Infiniti QX60 is jerky, with rapid braking and acceleration when a car moves into or out of the lane in front, whereas this car is much smoother with those transitions.

This truck can tow up to 8,500 lbs and so far has returned an indicated 17.5 mpg. This may sound like terrible economy, but my old Range Rover never got above 14.5 mpg, so it's a 20% improvement for me, with so much more capability.

I drove the latest Escalade before making my decision, and frankly it's not even close to the interior space, quality of materials and elegance of design in the Navigator. Feeling old, clunky and truck-like, the Escalade is so obviously a tarted up Chevy Tahoe, but for twice the price, it makes a person wonder why anyone would be sucker enough to spend the cash. But I know the answer to that question, and so do you- the Cadillac says, "I have money, if not taste," and that's good enough for most people. No matter that the third row in that car is a joke, and you still have to use a column shifter, and the Cue infotainment system is awful. "I have money."

In conclusion, the 2018 Navigator has matched or exceeded my expectations in every way, aside from the seat issue. When my lease is up in 2 years, it will be hard to give it back.  We'll see how Cadillac responds when they redesign their product, but for now, the Navigator is the King of Monsters.