AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2011 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR

 

On The Cover Review: 2011 Lincoln Navigator

Everyone’s favorite tarted-up Ford Expedition is back in 2011, and the Navigator is as brash and in-your-face as ever.  Don’t look for a lot of changes this year, although this isn’t the kind of vehicle most people expect to be state-of-the-art.  The Lincoln Navigator is all about the swagger, and that chrome-drenched smile and large shimmering wheels let everyone know you’ve arrived.  The Achilles heel of this bus is under the hood, where the 5.4-liter V8 only pumps out 300-hp.  We say “only,” because these days, that’s not particularly outstanding on a full-sized luxury SUV.  For cruising around town it’s perfectly adequate, but should you find yourself in a drag race with some other player in an Escalade, you’d be wise not to run for pink slips.  All told, the Navigator is a good, solid vehicle.  How could it not be—it’s based on the Expedition, which is based on the venerable Ford F-150, America’s number-one selling vehicle.  And if Ford is known for nothing else, they’re known for their trucks.  Of course, the Lincoln upgrade is a big step from the Expedition’s bottom line.  But if you want to drive the Big Kahuna on the Ford food chain, you can’t get much bigger than the tried-and-true Navigator.