Overview & Reviews

Since its pioneering days in the 1990s as the first full-size luxury SUV, the Lincoln Navigator has always been a traditional truck-based SUV with standard V8 power. Over the course of its three generations, the Navigator has offered seating for seven to eight and plenty of cargo and towing capacity. As such, it often appeals to large families and/or those with a boat or trailer to tow.

Drawbacks to the early Navigators included subpar fuel economy, sluggish acceleration, sloppy handling and an interior that didn't really live up to other luxury brands. Although the current Lincoln Navigator is certainly the most advanced, those drawbacks continue to this day when stacked up against its rivals. Add in a retro interior design that looks both intentionally and unintentionally dated, and you get a full-size luxury SUV that is far past its prime.

Current Lincoln Navigator
The current Lincoln Navigator is a full-size SUV styled and equipped for an upscale audience. It shares the bulk of its underpinnings with the Ford Expedition, including its standard 310-horsepower 5.4-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. Navigator buyers have a choice between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

The Navigator is offered in one well-appointed trim level that includes 18-inch wheels, three-row seating for seven (with captain's chairs in the second row), leather upholstery, multizone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second- and third-row seats, Sync voice activation, a navigation system, Bluetooth, a power liftgate, power-folding third-row seats and a 14-speaker surround-sound audio system. Stand-alone options include 20-inch wheels, a sunroof, a heavy-duty tow package and a dual display rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

The ability to seat adults comfortably in all three rows of seats is the Lincoln Navigator's greatest advantage over other full-size competitors, most notably the Cadillac Escalade. The Navigator's independent rear suspension allows for a lower floor, which opens up more rear legroom while providing fold-flat capability for the third row. Besides its dated interior and cumbersome driving dynamics compared to more modern SUVs, the Navigator also suffers from lackluster acceleration and fuel economy.

Used Lincoln Navigator Models
The present, third-generation Navigator took to the stage in 2007 with significant updates to the exterior styling, frame and rear suspension, along with larger brakes, higher-quality cabin furnishings and additional sound insulation. These changes added significantly to curb weight, but yielded tidier handling dynamics and a quieter, more refined ride.

The 2007 refresh also brought about a pronounced, chrome-heavy grille design that was reminiscent of an early 1960s Continental as well as a similarly retro-inspired cabin design that further differentiated the Navigator from its Expedition roots. Two years later the Navigator gained 10 more hp, Ford's Sync voice control system and a more advanced, hard-drive-based navigation system that allowed voice activation. Only minor feature updates have occurred since.

For other used Navigators, you'll want to check out the two previous generations. The second generation was in production from 2003-'06 and featured many revisions inside and out, compared to the first generation. In addition to a larger grille and numerous other styling changes, this variant was the first to incorporate a six-speed transmission and an independent rear suspension. One of the more prominent interior alterations included a symmetrical, dual-cockpit layout also inspired by vintage Lincoln Continentals.

Consumers looking at used Lincoln Navigators would be wise to confine their search to 2005 and newer models, as Navigators sold in 2003 and '04 had an older version of the 5.4-liter engine. It had a 300-hp rating but produced less torque than the current engine. It also came paired to a less sophisticated four-speed automatic transmission. Safety-conscious buyers should note that Navigators sold before '07 did not have front-seat side airbags and only provided side curtain coverage for the first two rows of seating. Stability control was optional rather than standard, up until the '05 model year.

The first generation Lincoln Navigator was sold from 1998-2002. It arrived one year after Ford's Expedition hit the market and was basically a rebadged version of that vehicle but with softer leather, extra wood grain trim and additional chrome detailing. The differences weren't so easy to spot, especially on the inside where Lincoln's dash design hardly differed at all. In fact, the Navigator's most noticeable distinction over the Expedition was its higher price, and indeed the first-gen Navigator enjoyed one of the highest profit margins of any vehicle on the market.

First-year Navigators were considered underpowered, as a 230-hp 5.4-liter V8 was their sole source of motivation. Things improved in 1999 when the Navigator got exclusive access to a 300-hp, double-overhead-cam version of the 5.4-liter V8. Compared to today's large SUVs, the first-gen Navigator was decidedly trucklike in its demeanor. Continual course correction was necessary to keep it pointed straight ahead on the highway, and the steering had a disconnected feel, whether you were finessing the Lincoln into a parking space or going around a curve at speed.

If you're shopping for a used Lincoln Navigator from this generation, it's a good idea to pay attention to the year-by-year changes. In addition to the more powerful V8, 1999 Navigators gained power-adjustable pedals and more easily removable third-row seats (thanks to rollers mounted on the bottoms). For 2000, the Navigator received front-seat side airbags, much needed optional rear parking sensors and a CD-based navigation system. Rear-seat video entertainment

User Reviews:

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  Improvement needed - 2006 Lincoln Navigator
  By Joe - October 31 - 1:10 pm

  My second. 1998 was a quiet, reliable vehicle with over 115,000 miles. 2006 has only 6,000 miles is very noisy up to 60 mph, leaks oil and has a navigation system that works sometimes. Quality has gone downhill. I have been to the dealer 3 times to repair the oil leak. What a disappointment from my previous Navigator.

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  Nice to look at cost to drive - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By stan walker - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Under Power,The radio which is part of the navigation system on the AM side picks so much static from the engine and power lines you can only use it if you are parked in the radio station lot.They have dropped two cup holders in the front seat area and storage pockets next to the front seats.The floor area in back of the front seats are not level my dogs falls in the big crack between the third row seats andthe second row seats.I had an 2000 navigator which was much better.cant get the same MPG as I could on my 2000 nav.

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  Good BUT! - 1999 Lincoln Navigator
  By gswar2003 - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I can sum it up for you buy it before 100,000 miles. It was great until that point i have replaced pretty much everything except the engine. cheap inside. Great car to travel in not an everyday 100,000 miles.

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  Paying for looks, not substance - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By Jon - April 23 - 7:10 pm

  Problems include: alternator that went out 800 miles after warranty, torque converter and other associated parts needed to be replaced at 75,000 miles, outside door panels that vibrate on interstate, the memory on the outside mirrors have amnesia- they never go back to the same place after they are moved. 13.5 mpg (which I expected. If you are buying one, be prepared to spend some money at the service department.

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  2007 Licoln Navigator L - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By dtipainter - February 22 - 7:23 pm

  After owning the car for 9 months, I have few suggestions for improvement: The A/C cooled seats dont have enough cooling power on hot days. You cant even tell if they are operating if it is above 90 outside. The center console is very very busy. It is very difficult to find controls while driving for specific actions because there are so many buttons, I am 6-3" tall and for me the vehicle has a very bad blind spot. I have almost moved over on other vehicles several times. Back up sensors are nice, but a backup camera option would have been nice.

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  A money looser - 2010 Lincoln Navigator
  By t - November 26 - 10:36 am

  Glad we purchased this used a 2010 in 2013. at that time it had already lost $ 30,000 from its original value. it is now 2015 and we found out it lost another $ 10,000 in value from date of our purchase...So if you want to loose $ 40,000 in value for a vehicle in less than 6 full years go ahead and throw your money away. We will be purchasing a Toyota which holds its value a lot better than this Lincoln. This vehicle, on the other hand is a great towing vehicle for our 34 Travel trailer, and did great in our last 2 winters of heavy snow here in norther Indiana where we get lake effect snow. We have had about $ 2,000 in repairs out of our pocket since purchasing, (bad brakes, battery, oil leak, computer problems) some were covered with the "ford certified" some where NOT. We wont waste our money on a certified car again. The car had 46,000 miles when we purchased it and they had never replaced the brake pads! The MPG is a lot better than we had hoped for at 16 city/20 highway

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  linclon - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By momo16 - October 16 - 12:58 am

  the car has a lot of problems.the first one is the engine coils have to be replaced on a regular basis,the air suspention goes bad,most electical accessories go bad the car is a ticking time bomb.

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  Another step downward - 2007 Lincoln Navigator
  By longtime Nav owner - May 17 - 8:16 pm

  As a previous 2004 Nav owner and a 2001 Nav owner and a 1998 Nav owner, I certainly have a solid perspective on trends in the Navs design. I am sorely disappointed by changes to the 2007 model. All of the reviews talk about the spaciousness of the interior. They have definitely downsized the interior, lowering the height of the headliner. All of the exterior chrome certainly went past tacky. I was also positively spoiled by the huge sideview mirrors in the 2004 model. Im sorry to see those downsized too. Probably the only positive changes are the redesigned power running boards.

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  Very Frustrated - 2003 Lincoln Navigator
  By Cinnamons - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I have had my car for 4 months and it has been in the shop 7 times for various different things. This has been and extremely frustrating. I love my car I just wish it didnt have so many problems.

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  Should Have Known no to buy another Ford - 2004 Lincoln Navigator
  By gjnockie - June 28 - 7:20 pm

  Should have known not to buy another Ford product. Every one I have had has been trouble. Its amazing that they still have any customers. So far in 7.000 mi. the front seats are falling apart, the windshield looks like it was installed by a 2 year old, the paint quality, interior fit and finish are a joke and the dealer just ordered a whole new rear end because it whines! Someone needs to explain to Ford that when a customer spends 50K plus for a Lincoln it needs to be built better than a Explorer! Why dont these guys get it? My advice is to buy Japanese... its a shame but they just do a much, much better job! I am going to sell this piece of junk soon and go back to Toyota.