As cheesy as the name is, the Yacht Club Theme interior is quite impressive in person!
How hot is the new Lincoln Navigator? So hot that Ford has boosted production targets 25 percent since the SUVs introduction last fall.
How hot, again, is that new Navigator? From a Ford release: “Lincoln dealers simply can’t keep the entirely new Navigator on dealer lots; the luxury SUVs are spending an average of just seven days at the dealership before they are sold.”
Once more, how hot is that Navigator? How about North American Truck of the Year.
So, yeah, in the world of trucks it’s a fairly big deal.
It’s also a fairly big truck packed with a lot of stuff. Standard power comes from a twin-turbo, 3.5-liter engine–450 horsepower along with 510 lb.-ft. of torque–backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission. Yes, that’s more than you’d find in other 3.5-powered Ford vehicles.
Our test vehicle featured the Black Label package–22-inch ebony wheels plus lots of towing equipment–and four-wheel drive. Interior: Yacht Club Theme.
While the Navigator starts at $72,055, ours specced out at $98,320 after factoring in delivery and destination.
I had a simple request: I just needed something to carry three bikes to an old-school BMX reunion. We arrived in style.
Remember when 500 lb.-ft. of torque was something reserved for Vipers and ’60s-era Hemis? Yeah, guess not any more. Ford’s 3.5-liter turbo is an impressive engine. In fact, I’d love to see more of them produced this state of tune. (Also, how about this engine in a Mustang?)
According to Lincoln our test truck weighs some 5855 pounds, but it was no pig. Power was everywhere and all the time. The 10-speed auto always seemed to be in the right gear. It’s proof that the traditional gearbox can be refined to hang with today’s twin-clutch units.
Downsides? It grows as soon as it enters a parking lot. A few of the switches didn’t quite feel German-grade. I’m still not a fan of pushbutton transmissions–unless we’re talking vintage Dodges, of course.
The masses, though, will likely love the Navigator.
Bells and whistles? Yep, all of them. Massaging seats? Exactly where and how intense?
Fold-out running boards? Of course.
Power-operated everything, including the second and third row seats? Just press the button, please, and the seats fold away.
Cup holders? All of them.
Presence? Yup.
King of the road? Totally.
But it doesn’t quite feel like the AMG 63 that we recently sampled. And that’s kind of the difference. Both are six-figure vehicles, but there’s still a difference. The Benz coupe felt as if of that goodness came from the initial kernel. At the end of the day, the Navigator, while plush and deluxe, does start out as a full-size truck. It’s a pretty sweet truck for hauling around some BMX bikes, but it’s still a truck.
As cheesy as the name is, the Yacht Club Theme interior is quite impressive in person!
I like that someone at Ford decided Lincolns should actually look good again. Been a while...
John Welsh said:A cheesy as the name is, the Yacht Club Theme interior is quite impressive in person!
It is. And the day we left, our press car people pinged me: Please be super-careful with the Lincoln as it's heading to a photo shoot next week. So I tied everything down. (This is before we fit another bike, plus the rest of our gear, in there. )
And impressive stats on the engine. So, what would you swap one into?
Please, please, please keep buying them. Next March, I will me really happy. :)
As for the new engine, having PFI and DI opens up a lot of power opportunity for cheap (relative to DI only and that kind of power).
Is the Aviator supposed to slot in above or below this? That is a handsome looking truck.
Almost a hundred grand??!!
I can't - in a million years - imagine spending that much money on that. I'm completely stunned. And I thought that $50K for a F250 King Ranch was silly.
Alfadriver, you'd know: Is the Navigator powered by EcoBoost? I noticed that the site doesn't mention that word. Or is EcoBoost reserved for Ford-branded cars? Either way, heck of a drivetrain, especially in that tune.
Pretty truck. That's a LOT of scratch.
If past models are any indicator, these will be under $10k in about 10 years and a couple hundred thousand miles. The old ones seem to depreciate faster than the same year Expeditions.
USERNAMETAKEN said:Almost a hundred grand??!!
I can't - in a million years - imagine spending that much money on that. I'm completely stunned. And I thought that $50K for a F250 King Ranch was silly.
I just specced out a similarly loaded GMC Yukon XL and reached about the same figure.
I drove the truck in question, and it's really quite nice. Is it $100K nice? ......well I don't know. I certainly think it makes more sense than the $200K Mercedes we had around the office a couple of weeks ago. They are both opulent, they are both large, they both make a statement (if that's your thing), but the Navigator can TOW, and deal with horrid weather. If I'm going to spend that kind of coin on a luxury vehicle, I want it to do everything....including towing my boat, RV, or racecar through a blizzard.
The fit and finish of the Navigator was thousands of miles beyond any Ford product I've ever witnessed. It will be interesting how these hold up depreciation wise. It will also be interesting how the myriad of electronic doo-dads will hold up over time--- as the vehicle really couldn't function without them.
Not my bag.....but it was pretty damn impressive.
I'm shocked it's as light as it is considering all the power doo-dads everywhere. There must be 800lbs of seats alone.
David S. Wallens said:I just specced out a similarly loaded GMC Yukon XL and reached about the same figure.
Clearly I'm out of touch with the Luxury SUV Market. If I was going to spend that amount of money it would be on a GMC House Addition XL. With the surround sound and the optional half-bath.
USERNAMETAKEN said:David S. Wallens said:I just specced out a similarly loaded GMC Yukon XL and reached about the same figure.
Clearly I'm out of touch with the Luxury SUV Market. If I was going to spend that amount of money it would be on a GMC House Addition XL. With the surround sound and the optional half-bath.
I'm pretty sure those options come standard on the Navigator, but with a full bath and sauna.....not sure as there were so many options I wasn't able to check them all out! Those seats are pretty amazing--- just like the ones featured in the Continental commercial......and they offer message. Decadent! Silly.....but decadent!
In reply to Joe Gearin :
Insert rude massage joke here...
David S. Wallens said:Alfadriver, you'd know: Is the Navigator powered by EcoBoost? I noticed that the site doesn't mention that word. Or is EcoBoost reserved for Ford-branded cars? Either way, heck of a drivetrain, especially in that tune.
Yes. Same, basically as the other trucks and the GT (production GT, not the racing one). Some big steps taken in 2018 for this powertrain- 10 speed trans, and a host of engine improvements.
I'm convinced I want one of these.
What has society taught us about “labels”.
man, the turbo business is going to be amazing in about 5 years
grover said:man, the turbo business is going to be amazing in about 5 years
Navigator-powered Locost?
I'm not even that old and I'm already starting to say "I remember when my parents bought a brand new Tahoe for $25k fully loaded."
Even $72k for a base is a head scratcher. The car looks awesome however! Ford depreciation isn't a brutal as it used to be. It's not like buying an old W-Body GM or early 2000s Ford 500.
DirtyBird222 said:I'm not even that old and I'm already starting to say "I remember when my parents bought a brand new Tahoe for $25k fully loaded."
Even $72k for a base is a head scratcher. The car looks awesome however! Ford depreciation isn't a brutal as it used to be. It's not like buying an old W-Body GM or early 2000s Ford 500.
Ready to feel old? The 1998 Navigator 4x4 had an MSRP of $43k. $43k in January 1998 is $66.4k today. Yeah, there is price creep above inflation, but I'd say that this is a true luxury automobile whereas the 98 was basically an F150 with more sound deadening and a permanent cap.
My goodness, that is gorgeous!
Somebody over at Ford has got their head screwed on right, between the eco boost and the Lincolns actually looking classy again...
USERNAMETAKEN said:And I thought that $50K for a F250 King Ranch was silly.
You're not getting an F250 King Ranch for $50K anymore either. Entry level for the cheapest gas powered King Ranch F250 MSRP's for north of $55K before adding any additional options. Diesel starts at $65K MSRP.
I'm glad these are selling. They're gorgeous as well. Ford did this one right.
I am so happy that this is a success, I've been familiar with this since inception and was involved in creating the show car that came out in 2016. At the time the OTT gullwing doors were so people who think it was a pure concept car not really related to the production vehicle, then when the production vehicle came out with regular doors but otherwise very similar the press went nuts. It's an amazing place to travel in comfort for long distances.
I'm only sad that the really amazing Continental isn't selling, but people don't seem to want cars any more. I've driven Continentals to and from Chicago a couple of times and they are wonderful to drive, you can be slowed by a snow storm and still get out feeling fresh after 6 hours. If I wasn't planning on getting a new Bronco, I think I'd be taking advantage of gravity like depreciation getting a used Continental black label in a couple of years.
In reply to Adrian_Thompson :
I really like the Continental. Beautiful car.
I think the Continental was hurt buy the fact that they gave the MKZ the same front end as the Continental.
In pictures the Continental looks big. When you see it on the lot you realize that it is based off the Fusion/MKZ, not the big chassis that was the MKS.
For years now I have refered to the Taurus/MKS as a SUV disguised as a sedan.
However, I would be interested in a fully depreciated Continental. Maybe it too will get the Yacht Club interior soon.
I drive a low mileage 2008 Navigator. Got all the goodies. For us, it performs well, and is a very comfortable highway cruiser. Would love to own a new one one, but for that kind of dough, there are plenty of other things in life, I would like to do. It's nice too dream though.
David S. Wallens said:And impressive stats on the engine. So, what would you swap one into?
I'm thinking a later Mk VIII:
The Continental should have suicide doors to differentiate it from all the other luxo coupes. It needs something to stand out from the crowd.
alfadriver said:David S. Wallens said:Alfadriver, you'd know: Is the Navigator powered by EcoBoost? I noticed that the site doesn't mention that word. Or is EcoBoost reserved for Ford-branded cars? Either way, heck of a drivetrain, especially in that tune.
Yes. Same, basically as the other trucks and the GT (production GT, not the racing one). Some big steps taken in 2018 for this powertrain- 10 speed trans, and a host of engine improvements.
The one time I get to drive a dev vehicle I had a 2018 F150 with the 10 speed. however it was stuck in limp mode so out of 10 forward gears I only got the 1st 3 :(
Also my thoughts are congruent with yours, please keep buying these so I can keep my boss very happy.
Joe Gearin said:The Continental should have suicide doors to differentiate it from all the other luxo coupes. It needs something to stand out from the crowd.
Agreed.
98k is more than i bought my house for by a large margin, holy screaming monkey testes.
Having said that.....i would love to see that engine in lots of stuff, my ranger? absolutely and mark 7 would be cool as hell too
Joe Gearin said:The Continental should have suicide doors to differentiate it from all the other luxo coupes. It needs something to stand out from the crowd.
Of all the Black sedans at this weeks spring meetings for the IMF crowd it's Mercedes and Caddies with only a few Continentals if even that. Nothing says solving world hunger like blocks of black on black luxo barges. However I'd buy the current version of what I used to call the 'circum-navigator'. Because y'all be stressing 'tow'!
Not my world at all. $100K, 3 tons, 16 mpg in the city. Another luxobarge clogging up the streets and parking lots. Americas obsession with bigger is better to the extreme. Black Label? Maybe they can release a Bill Blass, Cartier or Givenchy edition like they did back in the 70s on their town car. Sorry Lincoln, I vote obscene, you won't be getting my money.
In reply to Feedyurhed :
insert ‘here, eat a Snickers.......’ meme
Adrian_Thompson said:In reply to Feedyurhed :
insert ‘here, eat a Snickers.......’ meme
Yes, I knew I would come across that way! Good one though.
After casting about wildly for a Lincoln design language every few years Ford really hit a attractive and distinctive look. I saw the Continental the other day and loved it and this behemoth looks the part as well. Who did they hire?
Love it but the price is above my pay grade.
Shaun said:After casting about wildly for a Lincoln design language every few years Ford really hit a attractive and distinctive look. I saw the Continental the other day and loved it and this behemoth looks the part as well. Who did they hire?
David Woodhouse came over from the London office about three years ago. The Continental had already been designed (styled) by then but there was a lot of detail work still to do. The new Navigator was under his direction from start to finish though. As have been all subsequent including the New Aviator Concept that was just unveiled at New York, you'll have to wait to see the final production version though. I hasten to add David is the Lincoln Design Exec Director and head of advanced, not the person who actually designed the Navigator.
The Aviator is based on the Exporer? Does that mean a possible third row and 5k towing?
I look at the motor that they gave the Navigator and think that they may give the Aviator a similar hotted up motor and..... holy moly is it dead sexy.
This thread got me looking at the Lincoln wikipedia page. Lincoln has (and has had, for quite some time) a hybrid. Huh. This may make my search a little bit more octegenarianesque.
In reply to mtn :
THe MKZ hybrid is more or less the same thing as the Fusion Hybrid I believe. They seem to be fairly under the radar cars, but have gotten solid reviews since their release.
My #1 lottery car is a loaded Conti Black label in Rasphody in Blue.
The new design language really is pretty, and that Aviator is sexy.
It also makes me hopeful that the guy with the inside track at Ford likes the upcoming Bronco enough that he's holding out on these for one. That's a good sign.
EDIT: you know, I'd never really looked at the Connie. That thing is amazing! 400HP/400tq? I'll take mine in Rhapsody blue with the Cappuccino interior please! Wow.
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