2015 Lincoln Navigator Road Test | Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com

2015 Lincoln Navigator Road Test | Edmunds.com

The 2015 Navigator is the latest Lincoln to receive a modern makeover with a new look, increased power and more luxury features. Does it now lead the pack? Let's find out.

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legacygt

Edmunds, you know cars better than the last paragraph would indicate. The MKC is not a Navigator alternative. Even with Lincoln's limited lineup there are 2 crossovers between the Navigator and the MKC. I agree the Navigator is not for everyone. In fact, it's not for most people. But I can't imagine a sing Navigator customer deciding to go with the MKC instead.

patinthecity

I remember when the first Navigator was the bomb. The Spice Girls were all the rage at the time too.

bankerdanny

I still like the look of the original Navigator. I am disappointed that Ford didn't step up to a 7 or 8 speed transmission like GM and Chrysler have. I hope you bring one in for a full test, maybe even as a LT vehicle. I would be very interested in what kind of gas mileage the EB engine actually gets in real world use.

My sister gets 19-20 on the highway in her family's mid 90's 2WD Suburban with the 5.7 Vortec engine. It has 217k miles on it and is going strong and regularly tows up to its full rating. I wonder if the EB will be able to offer similar reliability and longevity. Somehow I doubt it.

kokomojoe

Ford has fallen very short on this one. The body looks like it's right out of the 90's and the grill well it belongs in a comic book.
Lincoln is little more than a re-badged Ford no real improvements and very out of date looks. The interior is lack luster and cheap.
The vehicle itself as a Ford is okay and reliable but that's about it, Time to step up the Lincoln if they want a luxury brand.

bankerdanny

The somewhat dated design is actually appealing to me for a large vehicle like this. Square, sides, flat roof, upright hatch. All these things add up to maximum useable interior capacity. Look at how thin the C and D pillars are. Big square windows that you can see out of. There is something to be said for old school design cues.

independentvyu

This is a nice refreshing step for the Navigator. More power, more MPG, more luxury, more quiet and still being the only luxury vehicle that can seat an adult in the third row. No vehicle ever in this market ever matched the occupancy volumes no matter which seat you choose. The next all-new Navigator should be in dealerships 2017-18 if one wishes to wait.

For all of the people out there that say it is a Ford Expedition is mostly correct. It uses the same platform, drive train, etc. but it offers the luxury that the Expedition doesn't. Please remember that every Lexus is a rebadged Toyota, every Infinity is a rebadged Nisan, every Acura is a rebadged Honda and every Cadillac is a rebadged Chevrolet with tens of thousands of Cadillacs that have been placed on the recall list in 2013 and 2014. No vehicle is perfect for everybody.

phantogram

How long does it take the 'designers' to change the Expedition into a Navigator? Like 6-7 hours? This vehicle is hideous. The original Navigator was so sweet.

bankerdanny

These days I think only 2 Cadillacs are rebadged anything. The CTS and ATS are both rear wheel drive platforms that aren't shared with any other GM sedan.

independentvyu

The Escalade is a rebadged Chevy Tahoe, The SRX is a rebadged Chevy Equinox, the ATS is a rebadged Holden Caprice (Holden is the Australian equivalent Chevrolet owned by GM) and the CTS is a rebadged Holden Commodore and Chevy SS. The Cadillac XTS is the only vehicle offered that has no Chevy equivalent counterpart, yet.

themandarin

Ironically, the Navigator has lost its way

ne1butu2

"the 2015 Lincoln Navigator has been given a healthy refresh that gives it a new look on the outside"

Seriously, why sugar coat this? It's a mild refresh that doesn't look substantially different than last years Nav. It was already a dinosaur that has achieved trailer park hooptie status years ago, and should have been retired. So it was foolish to spend any effort on a Navigator that didn't result in a completely new vehicle. Lincoln is not doing their brand any favors by even having it in the same showroom as the MKC and their other vehicles. There's a reason that the considerably cheaper Navigator is getting it's lunch eaten by the considerably pricier Escalade and Range Rover. That's what happens when an automaker puts absolutely zero R&D into their vehicles. This is a huge conspicuous error in judgement on the part of Ford and Lincoln. Shame on them.

darthbimmer

Classic styling has its limits. The square, upright profile on the sides is a bit dated (it looks the 2nd generation of 2003-06) but but it does establish family lineage. The parts that really need help are the front and rear. For contemporary styling in 2015 the rear corner should be rounded off a bit more. And that front grille... egads! The shape looks like something from an ASCII art contest.

jonathanwfink

The problem with the refresh to the Navigator is the same as the refresh to the Expedition. There is simply no long term data as to the reliability of turbo charged conventional gas engines for truck power plants. Until there is some data, the transition away from the V8 doesn't seem like a safe play.

independentvyu

I recall Ford Motor Company announcing that 250k simulated miles were put on the original Ecoboost V-6 designed for the F150 before moving forward with several more identical prototypes. Then Ford announced upon the official debut of the F150 with the Ecobbost V-6 that the test mule had acquired 500k going from coast to coast performing hauling and pulling duties for various industries while loaded with various cargos. Ford planned to put 1 million miles on the vehicle. I know it was a PR plan aimed to calm the fears of turbo-fearing potential customers like me. I last heard at the end of 2013 that the mule had put an additional 100k on the engine while performing the continued varying hauling tasks.

I have found a few off-lease Ecoboost powered F150 trucks with mileage from 32k to 70k but never test drove them. I am still a V-8 preferred truck person but I have not heard of any problems with the Ecoboost V-6 so far.. I guess time will tell how dependable these engines really are and I am confident that the first customer that has an unresolved issue will let the blog world know.

allthingshonda

I'm not going to bad mouth Ford's Ecoboost engine. Ford says when it was developed it was the most tested engine in Ford history. Ford intended to put this engine in the F150 from the beginning and when you are powering the most iconic vehicle in the Ford line up failure is not an option. Ironically the biggest problem Ford has had with this engine is due to being over engineered. When the engine is not pushed hard and cruises at low power for a while (think long interstate road trip) and weather conditions are cool and humid condensation builds up in the intercooler. When power is demanded the engine sucks in this condensate causing a misfire. The intercooler was designed to handle full throttle demands while towing 9,000 lbs even in high heat and when it is not pushed hard the large intercooler can cool air as well as a A/C evaporator. A TSB states that if customers have this problem dealers are to install a shield to block off a portion of the intercooler. I think the newer models have a redesigned intercooler that prevents this.