2007 Lincoln Navigator Test Drive

November 12, 2007 by Malcolm
Filed under Automotive, Lincoln, Magazine Articles, Test Drives

For 2007, the original full-size luxury sport utility vehicle gets bolder looks with more ‘bling’, a smoother and more refined ride, extra length with the new ‘L’ stretched model, and more standard luxury features.

The statement of its power and presence begins with the bold chrome grille. The newly designed horizontal and vertical lines are inspired by the Lincoln star, detailed with sharp surfaces. The precision of the grille extends into the HID headlamps and also carried into the chiseled chamfers that define the prominent powedome hood, all reinforcing Navigator’s look. The lower grille carries through the theme, housing the integrated fog lamps. Some may say that Lincoln is going too far with the ‘cheese grater’ design but upon closer inspection, it all seems to fit in place. The Navigator’s profile is defined by clean, sheer, tapered surfaces. That design language is consistent throughout the vehicle, from the smooth quarter panels to the chiseled side mirror shells. A Lincoln-signature chrome strip highlights the beltline, while chrome body-side trim extends from the front wheel well to the back for a tailored appearance. The stance is further punctuated by the 18X8in. standard or 20X9in. chrome wheels wrapped with all-season radial tires.

The Navigator offers power-deployable running boards. With the doors closed, the running boards fold out of sight and are perfectly integrated into the lower body wrap.When one of the side doors is opened, the running boards fold out in presentation, offering a step bar for easy entry and exit.The rear features large, wraparound tail lamps designed similar to the ones found in the Lincoln MKZ luxury mid-size sedan, with wing-shaped lamps that cut into the lift-gate, and wrap around the vehicle. A round polished stainless steel exhaust tip and a bold chrome outline and white inserts in the red optic areas complete the look from the rear.

Power is provided by Lincoln ‘s 5.4 liter, 3-valve V8 engine that generates 300hp and 365lb.ft. of torque, and is mated to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission.

This wide-ratio transmission has smaller steps between gears and offers improved shift quality and faster acceleration. With a wide 6.02:1 gear ratio and two overdrive gears, the Navigator’s 6-speed offers up to a 7% increase in fuel economy. I would like to see more power because Lincoln has been using the same engine for too long. When fully loaded the Navigator needs more power and torque, at least 400hp for quicker acceleration, when driving up a long steep grade, and when merging into fast-moving freeway traffic.

The Navigator comes with a great, smooth ride with better than expected handling from such a large vehicle. The independent front suspension features double-wishbone, short-and long-arms, with coil-over shocks and a 36mm stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is independent and features a five-link design with coil-over shocks and an 18/19 or 20mm stabilizer bar. The rear independent suspension controls fore/aft movements while the short-and long-arms control lateral forces. This allows for greater control of wheel movement, as well as enabling lighter suspension components for improved response.

Part of the quick and precise response comes via the low-friction rack & pinion with power assist. Not boosted very much, you get a great feel for the road with very good response. Enhancing ride and handling even further is the stiffer and more torsional chassis and frame. The frame features a tube-through-tube design for increased stiffness.

Safely slowing the big Navigator down from speed are large, steel disc braked with power assist and ABS. Up front are 13.5in. vented discs and 13.2in. vented discs in the rear. The pedal feel is very linear and responsive; I never doubted the Navigator’s stopping power and enjoyed several spurts of high speeds on the freeway.

The Navigator comes standard with rear-wheel-drive and available 4X4, which I had to enjoy with shifting into and out of 4X4 on the fly.

The spacious and refined interior has received critical acclaim, winning the 2007 ‘Interior of the Year’ award for premium-priced trucks as voted by the editorial staff at Ward’s Auto World magazine.

It features a flow-through center console that sweeps up into the rectangular ‘eyebrows’ that frame the dash panel. The strong graphic presentation is echoed in the shape of the instrument bezels, a design inspired by popular rectangular fashion eyewear. Navigator offers the elegance of Dark Ebony or Anigre wood trim on the console and upper door panels. The wood trim is book-matched so the grains are precisely aligned. For example, the coin tray cover is laser cut from the center console wood trim for perfectly matched wood grain.

Details like stain-nickel accents on the center stack, binnacle inserts and door trim along with chrome accents on cup-holder rings and door releases speak to Lincoln Navigator’s fine craftsmanship. A touch of black on the center stack and instrument panel provides further emphasis of refinement. At night, the interior is bathed in Lincoln ‘s signature cool-white lighting, creating a soothing atmosphere.

Premium leather surrounds you and the standard 10-way power driver and front passenger seats are designed to comfortably accommodate a diverse group of occupants, from 4ft. 10 to 6ft. 5, from 90lbs. to 300lbs. power-adjustable pedals and memory functions enable drivers t o fine-tune their positions. The front seats also feature heading and cooling for the ultimate in comfort-a Lincoln signature. Even the Navigator’s seat frames are refined to improve comfort by eliminating the vibration from the floor.

This premium seats extends to the available 40/20/40-split second row seat, (captain’s seats with a center console are standard), and 60/40-split third row, which effortlessly tumble to create a flat load floor. With seating for up to eight, the Lincoln Navigator offers 18.2cu.ft. of cargo space, while the Navigator L offers 42.7cu.ft. behind the 3 rd . row.

With both the second-and third-row seats folded, the Navigator can accommodate 103.5cu.ft., while Navigator L offers a giant 128.2cu.ft.

The second-row seats feature mechanisms that enable one-hand fold-tumble operation to access the third row. For increased visibility, the second-row head restraints fold forward 90-degrees to improve driver rear view. Navigator’s third-row folds flat in the floor giving 54.5cu.ft. of space behind the second row seats and it is as easy as pushing a button. A standard power lift-gate provides even more convenience.

Inside the cabin, convenience features also include a voice-activated DVD-based navigation system featuring a 6.5in. touch screen. The Navigator is available with the industry’s first THX II-Certified audio system designed by THX, a California company renowned for its movie theater sound systems. The THX system uses a 12-channel amplifier to deliver 600-watts of power to a total of 14-speakers, including two subwoofers, strategically placed in the cabin. The system also features a fast-loading six-disc CD changer, MP3 compressed or text formats. The AM-FM tuner is compatible with Radio Data Broadcasting Systems (RDBS) and displays participating radio station call letters, formats and song titles. If rear seat passenger entertainment is in order, Navigator has an available DVD entertainment system with an 8in. screen and two wireless headphones.

The quiet interior ensures that you will really enjoy the supreme sounds from the audio system. Noise-dampening insulation is used in the headliner and dash to help decrease wind and powertrain noise. Noise-absorbing padding is also used in the carpeting to further reduce tire and road noise. Thicker side glass and cut-line seals are included for decrease wind noise. Additionally, when engineers redesigned the 2007 Navigator, they added structure to the roof to reduce body boom. A stiffer chassis and new body mounts were incorporated to further isolate road noise and vibration. Side mirrors were tuned to reduce wind noise in the cabin and tire tread designs were optimized to minimize road noise.

Navigator’s confident handling can help prevent some accidents but in the event of a collision, standard Advance Trac with RSC, (roll stability control), uses two gyroscopic roll rate sensors to enhance the vehicle’s rollover resistance. Additional safety features include dual-stage second-generation driver and front passenger airbags that tailor deployment based on crash severity, safety belt usage and occupant size. Three-row Safety Canopy side curtain airbags are designed to activate in rollovers and side impacts for enhanced head protection. Seat-mounted side airbags for the first row and energy-absorbing knee bolsters and glove box for the front passenger. The new frame design meets the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers vehicle-to-vehicle frontal crash compatibility voluntary agreement.

Since first being introduced in 1998 as the first luxury full-size sport utility vehicle, the all-new 2007 should still hold its own as the competition heats up in this still expanding segment of the industry. Once you grow accustomed to the ‘cheese grater’ front fascia, the Navigator is one of the best full-size luxury sport utility vehicles.

ALL NEW 2007 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR
“NEW LOOKS-SAME GREAT RIDE”

Price: MSRP $50,655 Invoice $46.704

Type: Large SUV
Where Built: United States
EPA Class: Sport Utility Vehicles