2018 Lincoln Navigator Road Test and Review

2018 Lincoln Navigator ・ Photo by Lincoln

For most of the last 20 years, the Lincoln Navigator has been a second stringer in the full-size luxury SUV class. Well, that ends right now. The all-new 2018 Navigator has just been named the 2018 North American Truck of the Year and strong sales are sure to follow. The new Navigator offers unique style, an opulent interior, seating for eight passengers and a twin-turbo V6 engine making 450 horsepower. Lincoln has also stepped up its customer service. Every new Lincoln now comes with complimentary pickup and delivery of your vehicle for all service and maintenance, as well as a loaner Lincoln while your car is in the shop.

Built in Kentucky, the family-friendly 2018 Lincoln Navigator is the largest, most powerful and most capable Lincoln ever produced. And with a base price over $73,000, it’s also one of the most expensive. It competes against the popular Cadillac Escalade, as well as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and Infiniti QX80.

Big Truck, Big Power, Big Price

The 2018 Navigator offers a choice of four trim levels, two wheelbases, and rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Prices start at $73,250 including a $1,195 destination fee. The short-wheelbase model, which is a few inches longer than a standard-length Cadillac Escalade, is available in Premiere, Select, Reserve and Black Label trim levels. The longer-wheelbase Navigator L is a couple of inches shorter than an Escalade ESV. It’s offered in Select, Reserve and Black Label trim levels with prices starting at $81,945. Four-wheel drive is available across the range, but two-wheel drive is limited to the Premiere and Select trim levels. Prices can top $101,000 with all the options, and our short-wheelbase Navigator 4x4 Black Label test vehicle cost $96,570.

Under the hood of every 2018 Navigator is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, which offers more horsepower than the Escalade’s big V8. The Lincoln is also quicker than the Caddy, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds. Interestingly, the Navigator’s new 10-speed automatic transmission, which was developed in partnership with General Motors, is also used in the Escalade.

Photo by Lincoln

Big Exterior Design with Presence

If you remember the Lincoln Navigator concept that wowed the crowds and the press at the 2016 New York Auto Show, the 2018 Navigator's styling is no surprise. It looks just like the concept, and its big chrome grille is similar to the design used on Lincoln's MKZ and Continental sedans. With a body made of aluminum to save weight, the Lincoln shares many of its body panels with the Ford Expedition, which is also all-new for 2018. It’s big, towering over a Mercedes GLS, but Lincoln’s designers showed admirable constraint when it came to chrome. Even our Navigator Black Label test vehicle wasn’t overly blinged-out.

Still, the detail is there, including a large Lincoln logo in the center of the grille that lights up at night and dynamic 22-inch wheels. The result is a massive SUV with an intense presence. Everyone notices this truck. It was the hit of the school carpool line, with moms climbing out of their Range Rovers and Audi Q7s to get a closer look at the Lincoln.

Photo by Lincoln

Big Opulent Interior

As much as we like the exterior of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator, it’s the all-new interior that sets a new standard for the class. This is the best Lincoln interior off all time. It has beautiful leathers and woods, plus plenty of chrome and piano black trim. It looks rich, and it impresses everyone that climbs in. Build quality is high and control placement is excellent, although it takes a few days to get accustomed to the push-button shifter. The heated leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel is large and feels good in your grip, and the 12-inch configurable digital gauge cluster is minimalistic and modern.

Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional Perfect Position Seats with 30-way adjustability and massage. Calling them comfortable is the understatement of the year. They’re decadent. A height-adjustable driver's seat, tilt and telescopic steering wheel and available power-adjustable pedals tailor the driving position to a range of body types. Other luxuries include a huge panoramic sunroof, power-retractable and illuminated running boards, and a hands-free power liftgate with foot activation, which is standard on the Navigator Black Label.

Photo by Lincoln

Big Family-Friendly Interior

Space is never a problem inside the Navigator. It seats eight easily and its third row can accommodate three adults. Our Black Label test vehicle had heated second-row captain’s chairs, which reclined but limited total seating to seven. Everyone gets their own air conditioning vents, and the second-row center console featured rear climate controls and cupholders.

Those second-row captain’s chairs also make third-row access easier, as they fold up out the way with the push of a button. Popping them back into place does take a little muscle, however. Parents of small children will also like the easy-to-reach LATCH connectors and easily accessed upper tether anchors on the seatbacks. The Navigator has not yet received safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Photo by Lincoln

Big Advanced Safety Systems

Our test car came with a long list of safety systems and driver aids. The Black Label features front and rear parking sensors; adaptive cruise control with collision mitigation and stop-and-go capability; a lane departure warning with driver impairment monitor; and lane-keeping assistance, which can help steer the truck back into its lane. Also included is emergency automatic braking with pedestrian detection and a head-up display.

However, Active Park Assist may be the Navigator’s best driver aid. This system steers the big SUV into a parallel parking space for you as you control the accelerator, gear selection and brakes.

Photo by Lincoln

Big Infotainment

Every 2018 Navigator comes with Ford’s excellent Sync 3 infotainment system, which is controlled using a large, well-placed 10-inch touchscreen. Ford has continuously improved its infotainment offerings and now Sync 3 is one of the best systems available. Its menus are simple and its reaction time to your inputs is quick. Plus, the touchscreen works like a smartphone, so you can pinch to zoom and swipe. Graphics are top-notch.

Bluetooth and navigation with voice recognition are standard, and the system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and onboard 4G Wi-Fi. There’s also wireless phone charging.

Photo by Lincoln

Big Cargo Space

Interior storage is generous. There are two massive center console bins, large door pockets and two big front cupholders. Also, the Navigator’s glove compartment is larger than many New York City apartments. With eight aboard, the Navigator offers 19 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat. That’s more than you get in most three-row SUVs, including the Cadillac Escalade. The Lincoln’s power-folding third row is split 50/50 and drops flat with the push of a button, expanding that space to 63.6 cubic feet.

The extended-length Navigator L offers 34 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat, which is less than the Cadillac Escalade ESV. With its third row folded flat, there are 73 cubic feet of cargo, while with both rows folded out of the way, the Navigator L offers an impressive 120 cubic feet of cargo space.

Photo by Lincoln

Big, but quick.

At 17 feet long and over 6,000 pounds, the Navigator is big and burly, but it’s surprisingly easy to drive around town. The steering is light, visibility is excellent and the SUV is maneuverable. It also handles well for such a large beast, with little body roll and quick response. The interior is quiet, but Lincoln pipes in some engine sound into the cabin so you can hear the rumble of its powerful turbocharged V6. The 3.5-liter is similar to the Ecoboost engine that powers the Ford GT supercar, and it gives the Navigator awesome acceleration and passing power. The 10-speed automatic transmission is smooth and perfectly tuned. It’s always in the right gear. There’s also a sport mode called Excite, which retunes the transmission for even quicker response and tightens the steering.

The ride is comfortable, but the 22-inch wheels and tires on upper trims do sacrifice some compliance in the name of style. There’s a bit too much road surface intrusion into the cabin, which the driver can feel in the steering wheel, seat and pedals. Fuel economy is above average for this class and the V6 features a smooth start/stop system that shuts off the engine at idle to save fuel. Rear-wheel drive models are rated 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, while 4x4 models drop to 16 mpg city and 21 mpg highway. We averaged 16 mpg in mixed driving around Los Angeles in our 4x4 test vehicle.

Photo by Lincoln

Final Thoughts

Comfortable, family-friendly and extremely luxurious, the 2018 Lincoln Navigator is a very attractive choice in the three-row full-size luxury suv segment. Its interior, its tow rating, its features, and its capability are the best in its class.

With so many models to choose from, the Navigator can be equipped to satisfy most families. Many will be tempted by the top-of-the-line Black Label model and all its magnificence. However, our choice is the 4x4 Navigator Reserve, which offers much of the Black Label’s lavishness at a lower price.

Photo by Lincoln