Driving Impressions

The 2008 Lincoln Navigator and Navigator L are very large vehicles, with advantages and disadvantages that go with large vehicles. One of the advantages is the view forward from the driver's seat. Very few fellow motorists will be able to obstruct your sight lines when you're driving a Navigator. Another advantage is space. The Navigator is as big or bigger inside than any luxury-class sport-utility vehicle. The driver almost needs an intercom to converse with someone sitting way back in the third seat. Well, not really. The Navigator is very quiet inside for a truck, and generally quite smooth, almost placid. If you tend to drive conservatively you will probably like this vehicle. Initially, the brake pedal feels a little soft, but it's very progressive in application and easy to master for smooth, even stops, despite a curb weight exceeding 6,000 pounds for all-wheel drive models. With a little practice, the driver can avoid the fore-aft bobbing that can make motion-sensitive passengers feel car-sick. The Navigator is full of noise-mitigating technology, including acoustically dampened glass in the windshield and side windows. The body boom familiar in vehicles that are essentially big steel boxes, which often comes across as pulses of air hitting the eardrums, is nearly eliminated in the Navigator. The quiet seems to emphasize noise generated by the tires, which is the only noticeable encroachment on the solitude inside. The optional 20-inch wheels and low-profile tires are plain noisy, be it whacking over bumps and pavement joints or just the steady hum of tread on the road surface. Typically, we prefer the appearance of larger wheels, but the price of style is high in the Navigator. We recommend the standard 18-inch wheels and higher-sidewall tires. The Navigator is as smooth inside as any body-on-frame truck we've tested, and generally free of annoying vibration. The ride is smooth, too (except for the effect of the 20-inch wheels), thanks partly to the fully independent rear suspension. Moreover, the rear suspension helps keep the rear tires pressed to the pavement on bumpy surfaces, eliminating most of that skipping feeling familiar in trucks with solid rear axles. There's no axle tramping over bumps or undulations, and a reasonably smooth driver can keep the Navigator's body (and those inside) nice and level through turns. Steering is on the heavy side, perhaps surprisingly so in this type of vehicle. The good news here is that, for tracking curves or changing lanes, the steering feels responsive, direct and reasonably quick. The bad? In big, slow-speed turns, such as trying to whip into a parking space, the heavy steering feel can slow things down. Those who like the steering in smaller sedans will probably like the Navigator's. Those expecting airy, old-school Lincoln Town Car response may not. Bottom line, the Navigator rides comfortably and handles competently in nearly every situation. Just don't try to get racy. This vehicle is a lot of mass to move, and in quick, hard, left-right turns, all that weight wants to sway in the direction opposite of your choosing. In 2001, Navigator was the first full-sized luxury sport-utility vehicle to hit the 300-hp barrier. Seven years later, its 5.4-liter single-overhead cam Triton V8 still generates a maximum 300 horsepower, and virtually every other big SUV has passed it by. The Triton delivers torque evenly, with similar thrust whether the engine is already turning 1,000 or 4,000 rpm, and the six-speed automatic transmission is a definite plus. There's more than enough acceleration in the Navigator to merge safely or turn quickly across traffic, and it's probably quicker than what we considered a fairly quick car in the mid-1990s. Yet at the bottom line, the Navigator accelerates more slowly than just about any luxury sport-utility we've driven in the past few years. The automatic transmission, on the othe

Final Word

The 2008 Lincoln Navigator hits the most important marks for a full-size sport-utility vehicle. It's relatively smooth, quiet and huge both inside and out. It comes equipped with lots of safety features and nearly all the luxury bells and whistles. The Navigator's tow rating is among the highest in the class, and it runs on regular gasoline where nearly all others require premium. The base price is lower than most of its competitors, before dealer incentives, but its sister vehicle, the Ford Expedition, can be equipped with almost as much luxury at a considerably lower price. Some will find Navigator bland. Those who regularly transport lots of passengers and stuff, and those who tow heavy loads, should find it worthy. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent J.P. Vettraino reported from Detroit, with Kirk Bell in Chicago, and Mitch McCullough in Los Angeles.