2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label 4x4 |
3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (450 hp @ 5500 rpm, 510 lb/ft. @ 3000 rpm) 10-speed automatic transmission, four wheel drive 16 city / 21 highway / 21 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 19.7 (observed mileage, MPG) Base Price: $94,900 US As Tested: $96,150 US Prices include $1,195 destination charge. |
Do not adjust your monitor. This full-size SUV is indeed painted something other than the piano black of livery companies and Uber drivers trying to emulate livery companies. I didn’t pick anyone up at an airport while driving this beast, nor did I drop passengers at a tony downtown restaurant.
It says something about our world when large luxury SUVs have become the default conveyance for the well-heeled. But this 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label turns that idea on its head, as beneath the the many plush layers is a proper truck, ready to haul in style.
My time with the Navigator was different than my usual banal “commute and haul kids to soccer” week — I had a road trip planned. 500-plus miles, each way, to help some friends at a race in southern New Jersey. While my wallet would have preferred something significantly more fuel efficient than a rig the size of a small house, my back was pleased with the optional Perfect Position seats fitted to this nearly-maxed out Navigator.
Those seats, as well as basically every surface inside and out, were swathed in burgundy. I’m trying and failing to recall the last car I experienced with a burgundy interior — my wife immediately recalled her grandfather’s circa-1986 Town Car. It’s surprising at first, but it’s a welcome change from the black and/or tan toward which most luxury cars have gravitated.
The burgundy leather is part of the Destination theme, one of three themes offered on the Black Label Navigator. A Chalet theme offers what seems to be a ski resort aesthetic, with off-white leather and silver wood trim. I’m partial to the Yacht Club theme, with a medium blue leather and bleached wood meant to evoke a weathered watercraft. I’d like to imagine that the SiriusXM satellite radio in the Yacht Club Navigator has all 18 presets pre-programmed to channel 311 — Yacht Rock — and that Christopher Cross himself will appear to shake your hand as you peruse the foursquare.
Yes, I turned up the volume when Spotify presented me with “Ride Like The Wind” via Bluetooth. Twenty speakers seems overkill for but two ears, but the Revel Ultima sound system made everything sound better. Even the 8-plus hours of historical podcasts I endured for the drive home.
Those 30-way adjustable seats are simply incredible. Between the seats, the power-adjustable steering wheel, and the adjustable pedals, finding a relaxing driving position is simple. I’ll admit to playing with the door-mounted seat adjusters a bit too much during my long drive, merely out of boredom. The dual extending thigh cushions were especially welcome, as I never seem to have enough support at my knees.
Most of my drive time was solo, but I did haul the kids a bit to properly test the Navigator. The third row bench seat, my kids report, is more comfortable than most second rows. My 5’8” wife fit in the third row with room to spare, as well. The second row — the chauffeured row, perhaps? — offers nearly all of the same comforts as those experienced by the driver and front passenger. The Black Label has a center console and a pair of captain’s chairs replacing the second row bench found in more pedestrian models, giving cupholders, audio and HVAC controls, and plenty of storage space for, in my case, the kids. The only negative? That second-row console means the otherwise flat load floor that would come in handy for the occasional lumberyard run is no longer good for sheets of plywood (or a large driver wanting to nap at a Maryland truck stop).
The styling of the Navigator Black Label is about as subtle as a three-ton SUV can get. The corporate grille, resembling a thick chrome moustache, is prominent, as are the flanking headlamps. Other than the distinct horizontal line defining the bodysides, stretching from headlamp to tail lamp, the Navigator is a traditional, elegant, two-box beast.
The details are where the Navigator shines. En route to a date with a South Philly roast pork sandwich, a city sanitation worker motioned for me to roll down the window to ask about the wheels. “Whoa. Are those stock?” Indeed, the impeller-inspired 22-inch wheels are the factory fitment on the Black Label. They might be a bit showy for some, but I’m a fan — as is my new shovel-wielding friend, who quickly snapped a pic while I sat in traffic.
Once I got to the track, I didn’t feel too much out of place. While several of the crew brought their daily drivers, there were plenty of proper large SUVs there, hitched to enclosed trailers. And while Lincoln has eschewed the big V8 for its newest, I have no doubt that this EcoBoost-powered Navigator will appear in paddocks for years to come. Beyond dragging over eight thousand pounds of toys to the track, once the hitch is dropped one can haul the entire pit crew to the local pizza joint in comfort once the track grows cold.
Indeed, this is a brilliant way to haul people in comfort. The independent rear suspension does a great job of soaking up road imperfections and controlling body motions. It’s still a truck, so it’s better suited to the slab than the twisties, but I’d not hesitate to volunteer another 12 hours or so on the interstate.
I was a bit alarmed when I walked through the paddock, shortly before a nor’easter rolled through, and saw that all of the windows had been lowered. Somehow, in my struggles to get all of my gear to the garage, I manipulated the key fob in such a manner as to invoke global opening of the windows. A quick consult of the owners manual disabled that option — the rain coming over the weekend would be nasty, and I’d rather not have a conversation with the nice folks at Lincoln about why I flooded their nearly-$100k truck.
[Get new and used Lincoln Navigator pricing here!]
And that’s the rub — I’m clearly not the target market for this Navigator Black Label. This is for that horse owner, the vintage race car driver, or the boat owner. The driver who has money, doesn’t need to flash it, but needs to haul the family and a bunch of toys on the weekend. A century and a half ago, a family of means like that might have had a private train car with which to travel. The Lincoln Navigator Black Label is that modern train car — with the locomotive included with the package.
[Images: © 2018 Chris Tonn/TTAC]
I love Lincoln’s brave move to bring back colors to interiors, they look to be of a very high quality as well. Rhapsody Blue, this burgundy, is a nice green around the corner?
I love the blue leather of the Yacht Club, but not the bleached wood – dark wood always looks better to me. It’s so white that it almost looks like an enamel rather than wood. I’d like something similar to the shade of wood here (with pin dot detailing as well) matched to the blue leather.
And while I absolutely applaud them for providing different stitching/perforation on the seats *by trim*, the Chalet’s geometric perforations are much too flash.
https://www.techweirdo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/lincoln-navigator-2019-price-and-release-date.jpg
I think Destination is my Final choice.
On a only somewhat related note, I found myself randomly window shopping used 2nd gen S80s (the Audi is turning me into a Euro-snob?), It’s entirely possible to find a cared-for Inscription trim car in the low teens. Volvo guys swear up and down that these 2nd gens are rock solid…
goo.gl/images/kMBGW6
I have a hard time with the S80, because even on the later ones the interior still has an early 00s look about it. Combine that with ones over 5 years old looking super ratty, and I’m just not sure. I shopped them seriously for a while when I ended up with the M.
Volvo people usually end up (like Saab people) showing quite a bit of confirmation bias.
Personally, I think that “outdated” design is what I find attractive, finished in first-rate materials. I like the outside as well. Understated but solid. My brother had a customer’s T6 in the shop a while back and came away quite impressed. I forget what it was in the shop for, that’d be a useful reference point haha
Yeah, their idea of “rock solid” might be a rebuild only every 60k instead of 40k, lol.
I think I told the story of my friend who, against my advice, bought a mid-late 00s Volvo and it quickly turned itself into a Sweedish lawn ornament.
They ended up getting a n/a Ford Flex to replace it (ironically based on a Volvo platform), which has been problem-free so far (I think they’ve had it about a year or longer). He finally got rid of his horrible Malibu and got a Mazda Protegè5 5 speed, which he loves.
Not to continue off-topic, but I too am a 2nd Gen S80 admirer. Its a kind of quiet elegance that floats my boat. I’m a plebe that lives in a tony area and there are quiet a few of these around, in fantastic condition. One I see regularly is a black V-8 with an aftermarket dual exhaust. Otherwise stock exterior with a legal window tint driven by a 50-something man. Exhaust note is not loud, but just enough of a rumble on acceleration to let you know its not OEM.
Currently own the 2nd gen-S80. Highly recommend. Feels like a tank. Survived one accident already and going strong. Wish I got the turbo 6 and premium audio but the inline 6 is really smooth.
The car is spacious and has a generous curb weight. My favorite features are the adaptive headlights, ventilated seats, and keyless entry. The seats are very comfortable.
Only thing that annoys me is the driver’s side power window gets stuck when rolling up, so I have to hold it down the whole time (sometimes twice). Mechanic said I’d have to replace some of the electronics in the door.
volvoguy how does it ride? Any oil burning from the 3.2? How many miles and any issues to date?
Bought my S80 at 40 000 miles, have put 8000+ on it with nothing but an oil change and winter tires.
Highway ride is very competent, solid feeling at high speeds. City driving is good too, I usually put the suspension in the comfort setting. I rarely put it in dynamic or sport unless I’m on the highway.
The interior may look a little dated, but has fared a hell of a lot better than other designs originally introduced in 2007. Solid material construction and excellent ergonomics.
The 3.2 sounds nice enough. Here’s a good demo of 0-60 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFlay7e9ypI
I’d be curious to see how it holds up with more miles. I ask about the ride because I’ve heard some criticism that it can be flinty over rough roads despite not being a particularly sharp handler (but competent and stable). Totally different vehicle, but I had a brand new rental XC90 and I was appalled at how horrible the ride was on our downtown streets, very unbecoming of a premium car, heck it’d be unacceptable in a Nissan Versa.
I have heard the XC90 ride is really harsh without the air suspension, which is too bad. The S80 steering is certainly competent, yes. I enjoy the ride quality. Not overly harsh at all.
As a former owner of two Volvos I can certainly attest to the confirmation bias. I “loved” them until they both finally broke me (mentally and financially). I had an XC90 but the engine and electronics are the same as S80 you speak of (and XC70). I don’t feel like torturing myself this morning by making a list of failures but I can say, without hyperbole, that it was quite nearly everything. The engine was pure crap in every possible regard. My MIL has the XC70 and has fared somewhat better than I did but she still has persistent major issues. If you’re really after one of these, I can tell you the seats are nice (as long as the adjustment motors don’t give out) and the interior is kinda pleasant.
Indeed. I’ve never cared for red interior, like that in my 1992 Tempo LX, but this being considerably darker, paired with authentic-looking (if it isnt actually real? Honestly don’t know) wood, changes the image from a whore house to an exclusive gentleman’s club where distinguished men sip expensive Brandy and smoke cigars the size of toilet paper rolls while discussing multi-million dollar acquisitions as you and I might talk about buying oil filters.
Either way, it’s a welcome change from a sea of black that engulfs most luxury vehicle interiors. Don’t get me wrong, black interior is okay, its just kinda played out at this point.
It is apparently real khaya wood, with laser-etched pin dot appliques.
Very nice.
I remember reading Mary Walton’s “CAR” about the DN101 Taurus and them talking about all of the different interior colors you could get, yes including a green, mauve/purple, blue, in addition to grey and saddle.
I have seen the green interior on a second gen, and I drove a Rose Mist 1996 with pink interior. I was considering buying the 1996, but I couldn’t get past the color and bought the 1992 Tempo LX instead (for about half the price lol).
I don’t know if we’ll ever see green make a comeback but I applaud and appreciate the burgundy, blue and almost pure white and can only hope it sets a trend.
One can only hope, gtem. Car interiors are either too drab, or way over the top (like a Camry with bright red leather seats).
“The driver who has money, doesn’t need to flash it, but needs to haul the family and a bunch of toys on the weekend.”
That person is driving a Yukon Denali or a Land Cruiser. Those wheels alone scream “Look at me I’m rich!”
Agree the wheels are of poor taste generally. Prefer something more understated. I’ve never been big on turbine things aside from on old Chryslers.
The wheels kind of look like what you see looking into the front of a jet engine spooling down. Not exactly my cup of tea.
However, I can see this as something the “upwardly mobile” crowd could be satisfied by, and it most likely would bring some “SUV envy” to the neighborhood to spur more sales. I bet the profit margin on this house is huuuge, and since FMC can write the paper on it, I foresee many leasing options put on the table, and 3 years from now, you will probably be able to pick one up in the $30-35k range. Ironically, I met with some friends who drove down to our local NFL game. They had a 2018 Explorer, and with my back issues, I got to ride shotgun, and daymn, it was comfortable, quiet and had the HP on hand to make the right lane changes to get to our parking lot.
I know this is unrelated to the topic, but it is with respect to leasing. After the game we took a quick spin around the mall to check out the Tesla “parking lot”, and it was 3x more from 2 weeks ago, lot’s of Xs, lots of Ss, P75 and even more P100Ds, and a butt-load of Performance Model 3s. I know, wrong thread, but Tesla needs to get a lease plan in place ASAP to move all of those $65-70k Model 3s out the door before they begin shipping to Europe.
Re the wheels:
Coincidentally I happened to see one of these on my drive home today, and I have to say the turbine wheels look quite a bit better on a white truck vs the maroon pictured. Still not exactly my cup of tea but somehow it’s just easier on the eyes.
Only to people who aren’t even remotely rich. And has never met anyone who is. In tonier neighborhoods, those wheels are more design’y than gaudy.
+1. The quiet millionaires all drive Land Cruisers or new E class wagons.
“+1. The quiet millionaires all drive Land Cruisers or new E class wagons.”
Platinums, Denalis, Limiteds, etc. seems to be the choice around here. Both the McMansions and the Estates around here seem to have a truck in the driveway (1500 in the McMansions, HD in the estates) unless you’re LDS- and frankly it’s probably too showy for that demographic. We don’t have a lot of rappers or mafia so it’s rare to see a new Escalade. I still see the Yukon XL being the SUV of choice in my area.
@MrIcky,, in my brother’s 8-figure neighborhood, the SUV of choice remains the Range Rover.
Its 46° and you have the A/C on as well as heated seats? Lol that’s a weird combination.
Keeps the air dry, avoiding window fogging.
Ahh. I know most systems run the A/C with the defogger to remove moisture, didnt think about it being used this way.
I’m not seeing that he has the heated seats on, but the AC light is on because it is in Auto Mode and it is on by default, above about 35 degrees to dry the air, before sending it through the heater core. However I’m betting you could push the button and turn it off while leaving it in Auto. I know you can do that in my older Ford products.
Beautiful truck :)
Seats need velour, folds, and buttons.
People tease about velour, but they sure were comfy in the winter and could really grip your ass in a tight turn
You hit the nail on the head with the problem of Lincoln as a luxury brand in the first paragraph. Is it true luxury when every glorified taxi heading to the airport is the same vehicle as yours?
Is Mercedes luxury? For the same reasons let alone Mercedes trucks buses
I was in Munich last weekend and every single cab I took was a Merc. I know things are different in Germany but it was still kind of strange.
Something about this Navigator – and all of Lincoln’s products in the pipeline (Nautilus, Aviator, etc.) – is too literally retro for me. The boxy dashes complete with old-school Lincoln star on the passenger side, the wonderfully colorful but OLD SCHOOL interior options (“Yacht Club” – really?), the multi-gizmo seats that remind me of the up-trim seats available in the aero T-Bird / Mark VII, etc. Even the turbine wheels from an ’80s Town Car.
It’s like they pretended the 1990s and 2000s never happened, and picked up building cars from where they were circa 1986. It’s cool in a nostalgic way, but it’s not modern. Not advancing the industry or making innovations. Just reheating old gingerbread and tinsel that worked in the (distant) past.
P.S. The back end of the Navigator is a close copy of the ’80s “Box” Town Car.
I’m probably one of the few who even made that connection (I’m 35 but have a much older father, and therefore an old soul when it comes to cars). It’s like, I get it, but why do a literal carbon copy of that treatment from the ’80s? I get that those were good years for Lincoln, but the world has moved on.
Regardless, interesting to see Lincoln and Cadillac take two very different approaches to modern American luxury. Lincoln is going full old-school, while Cadillac is trying for more modern (especially with stuff like Super Cruise and more “on-trend” models like the XT4).
Where else would you prefer them to go? Chasing BMW like Cadillac (because that’s working out *so* well), or return to their roots and build a proper American luxury vehicle?
It’s hard to describe…I do like that there are signs in life at Lincoln, and that they are going “back to basics.” But I think they are being too literal about it. They are REPEATING themes rather than taking the SPIRIT of those themes and offering a fresh take on them. For example, to use movie terms, I feel like Lincoln is doing literal remakes rather than “reimaginings.”
I think Cadillac finally learned to stop chasing BMW and to focus on what the market wants. The good thing about Cadillac’s attempts to chase BMW in years past is that they have nailed driving dynamics and can truly say they offer top-flight driving dynamics. Unfortunately Lincoln can’t say that.
I see one of these monsters every once in awhile where I live. Can’t miss ’em; they get your attention like nothing else.
The whole thing looks tasteless to me, especially the interior.
I think that color isn’t doing it any favors, I’ve seen that interior with other colors and it’s actually quite attractive. I think it won some interior auto award or something.
No idea why I love these and Denalis so much, but completely despise other SUVs (4Runner excepted).
Because they’re the last of the big, classic, American luxo-bardges. Love ’em or hate ’em there’s no mistaking the Navigator/Escalade/Denali for anything but
“The driver who has money, doesn’t need to flash it, but needs to haul the family and a bunch of toys on the weekend.”
LOL, Navigators and Escalades are thick on the ground around here, and the only thing I ever see them hauling is their owners’ rear ends – to the Cheesecake Factory.
Nice looking rig, though, if you can ignore the wheels (which I can’t).
By mistake, they put wheels from the Aviator on this
Base Price: $94,900 US
As Tested: $96,150 US
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I realize that I have the capacity to be approximately seventy billion times more eloquent than this…
….BUT WHY BOTHER?
Fourth generation (2018)
“Chassis
The fourth-generation Lincoln Navigator uses the Ford T3 platform, developed under the U554 code name. Retaining body-on-frame construction, the Lincoln Navigator (and Ford Expedition) were engineered alongside the 2015 Ford F-150. The four-wheel independent suspension configuration was retained, with a redesigned rear suspension layout.
The Lincoln Navigator is equipped with a 450 hp twin-turbocharged 3.5L EcoBoost V6 (although Lincoln has ended its use of the EcoBoost nomenclature).”
Enjoy your $100,000 V6 EcoBoosted F-150/Expedition Navigator Edition, with an extra smattering of leather, deep pile carpeting, extra FOB controls, and that incredible Ford build quality, reliability, and attention to the fine details!
The Escalade is garbage for the money (it’s a dressed up Tahoe/Suburban with horrendous reliability and awful ride quality, chock’full of Chinesium parts courtesy of PROC suppliers, aka GM Shanghai), so Lincoln once again says, “[W]e can play in that pool, too!” with their new F-150gator.
Oh please, a fully loaded F-150 Platinum will sticker about the same and no one is going to pay anything close to that
@DeadWeight, we’ll put you down as a maybe. Do you really think anyone who buys one of these looks under the hood and noticing that it’s a 6-cylinder turns around and marches out the door?
Hell, they are told “450 HP” by the salesman and that’s as far as it goes. And if you think they are shopping the lineage of the BOF, Ford just blew past you with their inane marketing department.
Still waiting for that eloquence, DeadWeight. All I ever read from you is arrogance.
We know that this car will be driven by guys like LeBron, who care-less about durability, value, etc. In fact, they will order some custom package that will take thins thing over 100K in no time. Normal, high-earning people for this will go get that new BMW X7
Let the leasing begin! Tasteless is the new tasty, gang! If these were a thing that made sense this would be a good one.
Man, that’s an ugly truck with ugly wheels too match. Horses for courses but if I wanted a three row American SUV it’d be the SRT Durango.
I would’ve loved to have been a participant during one the various focus groups this tank was put through. There’s no grace or elegance. Nor does it look athletic or sporty. Just a giant mass of offending and soporific metal with grotesque wheels and to top it all off, it’s highlighted by chrome trim and chrome door handles.
It may sell, but this thing is a design fail.
Is anyone buying a $100,000 Lincoln in 2018?
Probably not, but this is like the 1968 Continental of SUVs—huge, plush, fast, state of the art—so in a sense it’s not a bad deal.
Three tons, 10 speeds, roughly 500 each hp and torque, an interior to outbrougham the broughamiest broughams, and about 20 mpg in the bargain. That is honestly impressive.
Edit: this is body on frame. The 1968 Continental was not. Ok, not so state of the art. Traditional Lincoln air suspension though, I presume?
The Navigator probably does not handle any better than the 68 Continental. It is no fun driving most SUVs on a twisting road. In fact sometimes it is scary.
I would say Ford would be better served putting the Navigator’s nice interior into the current continental and MKZ.
Form and enthusiasts perspective the Navigator is trash.
didn’t read article, just saw photo on main page.
I tend to like these Navigators, but my god they have the ugliest wheels in the automotive kingdom on them. Those things are horrible. I’d rather have chrome 65″ spinners.
Or steelies
Throw some charcoal gray paint on that bad boy and it would look amazing with the maroon interior. Kind of reminds me of the old school full size Jeep Wagoneers with the maroon leather-and-corduroy seats and DiNoc wood panels on the sides.
On the subject of LDS families, I worked with a gentleman who identified as “jack Mormon”…sorta followed the rules, sorta didn’t. At any rate, his wife drove what he referred to as a B.M.W., Big Mormon Wagon…a stripped down Dodge Caravan. That was as fancy as they were willing to go.
Burgundy interior – I’M IN LOVE.
Yes I do hope this is a trend. (Buick has a bourbon/whiskey sort of colored interior but only in the Lacrosse.)