Test drive Lincoln Navigator 1998 - 2003 SUV

VIP truck

Addition in the Ford family, in the lateral branch - the Lincoln branch. When you hear the name of this brand, you can imagine a long-long car, from which some superstar is about to be majestically and, accompanied by a numerous guard, will begin to make their way through a crowd of fans. Or you remember an unkind word of car traffic jams on the blocked streets of their hometown, where the obscene drivers are waiting for the motorcade with red -blue flashing lights and sigh in relief, looking at the stern of the car, the front of which is already in two quarters around the corner. With Lincoln Navigator, everything is somewhat different.

More recently, we had two cars on the test - a light F -150 truck and created on its basis Ford Expedition (Motor 7 (15). Therefore, when we were offered to experience the new Lincoln Navigator, we first doubted: well, what could be in it This is the same - the same car. After all, for example, General Motors SUVs, produced by different compartments, differ from each other only by names and emblems. But then curiosity prevailed - after all, the Navigator was created by the Lincoln branch, which means that it should differ at least the luxury of the finish or the decoration or the decoration or the decoration or the decoration increased comfort.

In recent years, the image of off -road cars and their owners has undergone significant changes. Of the work horses, these cars turned into steep cars, and instead of farmers and lumberjacks, solid and very solid gentlemen, and sometimes hired drivers, are now sitting at the wheel. Of course, many cars of the class of light trucks are still used for its intended purpose, but in this sector of the market the sphere of influence are divided, and consumer addictions have long been determined. Therefore, now manufacturers are fighting for a buyer who can peck at a sophisticated equipment. In the avenue of any company producing increased cross-country ability, in the option of options, you can see equipment, five years ago, the former privilege of representative machines: a leather salon, decoration with valuable wood, cruise and climate control, electric drives of everything that is possible, and The like is expensive, but very pleasant little things.

But the boosting of serial models is not limited. Almost all manufacturers either produce, or are about to release a special - luxury - version of their SUVs. You don’t have to go far for examples: Toyota Land Cruiser made Lexus LX450, from Ford Explorer - Mercury Mountainer, from Nissan Pathfinder/Terrano - Infiniti QX4.

Even those companies that were seriously did not engage in a piece of luxury cake even those companies. Merdcedes-Benz, which produced Gelandewagen eighteen years ago and has since languidly modernized, caught on and released the ML320, in the Mercedesian solid and expensive. There are stubborn rumors that the gamut of its models is going to replenish even Porshe as an SUV.

Against this background, the appearance of a Lincoln car of increased cross -country ability is a regular event that is fully consistent with fashion and spirit of time. Although with complete confidence it can be said that if these cars someday leave the asphalt coating, then only in order to throw the owner to the coast of some completely civilized reservoir, where he can drink a Dom Perignon bottle of plastic cups in a good company, Thus satisfying your craving for nature and adventure. Basically, the outstanding off -road qualities of such machines will remain unclaimed. The manufacturers themselves perfectly understand this, offering, along with an all -wheel drive version and cars with a 4x2 wheel formula.

But this is, so to speak, the theory of the issue. We turn directly to the car itself. With a fugitive external inspection, the car differs from the Expedition only with the design of the front part, with a typical radiator cladding and new light for Lincoln, but this is only at first glance. Only the roof remained from the prototype body of the prototype, all the other external panels are new. In addition to the changed relief, plastic linings are underway on the bottom of the body, reminiscent of tuning sets from Lada Engineering. A strong footboard, which automatically turns on when opening the doors, helps to step over the tall thresholds, which goes along the entire body.

In the cabin, primarily pays attention to the remote control panel of the driver's seat, located on the side surface of the seat. It seems that the designers so wanted to ensure the possibility of optimal landing of the driver that they even overdo it with the number of seat adjustments.

In addition to moving back and forth and up and down, the chair is able to change the slope in the front and rear parts separately. The tilt of the back, as well as the rigidity of the pillow and the lumbar emphasis, are adjustable, but for some reason manually. Naturally, all this luxury is unthinkable without heating in two modes and leather seats.

The front passenger chair is equipped with the same service kit, but two seats are not adjusted in the second row - if you intend to use the driver’s services, take care of ordering a car in a different configuration. Two seats are not a reservation: instead of the usual sofa from behind, separate chairs are really installed, and between them something resembling a vase, in fact, is a thermal for drinks or provisions - who needs what is more needed.

You can not talk about the dimensions of the Navigator salon - they are huge. Of course, it is unsuitable for dancing, but each of the four passengers can accommodate as it wishes. There is a third row of seats, but this folding sofa is only suitable for children: the floor is raised in this place, and there is nowhere to put a person above 150 cm. The manufacturer, however, claims that this is done on purpose - to improve the review from the sofa.

The climate installation switches, the display of the route computer and some airplane boxes are located on the ceiling. In front of the cabin, two penalties are also placed - for glasses and for a walkie -talkie, a phone or a distance control unit of the garage gate. Next to the penalties are the buttons with which you can open the rear side glass -slips. By the way, except for the frontal, all the glasses are tinted - the front ones are very insignificant, and through the rest you can’t look into the salon outside. The darkening is performed in accordance with American norms, but it is argued that we will not have any problems during the inspection.

Above each armchair is an individual lamp and nozzle of the air conditioner - as in an airplane. For sitting from the back, it is possible to manage music using a remote control between the front seats.

The trip by truly off -road this time was not included in the test program. Firstly, we fully appreciated the cross-country ability and maneuverability of cars on this chassis on the previous test. Secondly, there was no tractor for insurance. Thirdly, these machines are not placed in the standard car wash, and the commodity of the car would have to be restored in the swamp on their own.

First of all, we were interested in the work of a pneumatic self -leveling suspension, which for Navigator is a standard configuration (it is also provided for expedition, but as an option, and last time we were not lucky).

In order to look around in the driver's place and fit the armchairs and belts for yourself, it was not necessary for a lot of time-everything has been familiar from the time of the F-150 test drive and expedition. When the engine is turned on, the automatic checkpoint selector cannot be moved from the Parking position without pressing the brake pedal. Then we did not pay attention to this feature. Movement along the streets is no problem. Good dynamics, a circular review and - importantly - a very definite image of the machine allows you to easily squeeze into the most dense stream and freely maneuver in it within the total speed of movement. During the passage of the tunnel, the automation reacted to reduce light and turned on the headlight. After that, passing cars began to give way even more willingly.

Having been flesh in the vicinity, they found a winding and bumpy path, which perfectly corresponded to our goals. At the first - an introductory - the trip moved at a speed of 40-50 km/h, looking for the deepest potholes, mainly on turns. They noted to themselves that the suspension really works - the car body perfectly retains a horizontal position. The second circle was passed by 60 km/h. The result is the same.

The third race, speed - 80 km/h. It turns out that the car does not like two front axis wheels entering the pit at the same time. It follows a bit with a nose - this is normal and expected, but then the suspension is village for a while, and if the second is followed by the second, then the car overcomes it with the softness of the stool. The collision with the obstacle only with the right or left wheels does not cause any inconvenience: probably, the inter -normal balancing of the suspension is more sensitive than the intends, which is completely opposite to the behavior of previous tested cars.

On a winding but flat road, the stability of the car is magnificent - you can put a glass filled to the edges on the torpedo and do not splash along the way. The speed, quantity and steepness of turns with a reasonable mode of movement do not have values. Well, this is Lincoln, and the smoothness of these machines is well known.

Navigator suspension has another interesting feature. When the ignition is turned off, the machine drops by about 25 mm - it is more convenient to enter and go out. At the beginning of the movement, the clearance increases and retains its value to a speed of about 40 km/h, after which the machine is again lowered. The logic here is this: if the speed is small, then under the wheels of the off -road, therefore, the clearance should be larger. And if we went quickly, then we got out on the highway, and a large road clearance is no longer needed.

The engine for Navigator provides only one - 5.4 l V8 with a capacity of 235 hp. Compared to the Expedition, the machine is hindered (to a large extent due to a huge additional amount of sound -absorbing materials). But it was not possible to notice any deterioration of the dynamics related to this. But the silence in the cabin was obvious.

So, Lincoln Navigator is a dynamic, powerful and comfortable car. They made it in a record short time - in 23 months. And in some places you feel hasty. Leather seats, wooden steering wheel and inserts on the dashboard - luxury. But the plastic in the interior decoration is exactly the same as in the F -150 truck.

The steering wheel is entirely licked with Jaguar. Although, on the other hand, why not? Who, after all, is the master?

Of course, the luxury image of Range Rover is difficult to surpass. But it is necessary to compare both the cost and everything else. In the USA, for example, Range Rover prices start at $ 56,000, and it is less capacity. LX450 will cost at least $ 49,000, but Navigator can tow. And it costs a maximum of $ 46,000 - in the all -wheel drive version and in the most sophisticated configuration. You can compare prices for these cars in Moscow car dealerships yourself.

In general, we can assume that the VIP truck for the Lincoln department was awarded in a first approximation. Given the popularity of the initial Expedition, Navigator should be sold well. If only the guys from the Cadillac branch do not dare to bore Chevrolet Suburban in the same way.

Lincoln Navigator was provided by Art Motors. Tel.: (095) 245-8450.

Until the mid-70s, manufacturers of SUVs around the world have traditionally focused primarily on military, hunters, tourists and other consumers who needed transport, capable of doing without roads. The manufactured machines were intended for people's courageous and unpretentious people who do not attach much importance to the convenience and appreciate only its cross -country ability. The interior of the SUVs was extremely ascetic, with naked iron panels and a minimum of control devices, but with an abundance of various levers sticking out of the floor, and with huge pedals, which you can’t miss even in dirty boots.

For the first time, a car of increased cross-country ability, equipped with a salon, which was less or less adapted for a normal person, was made, oddly enough, in the USSR. Whether this happened for the reason that the country was bad with the roads, and the people still wanted to move in more or less comfortable cars, or because the launch of the new car was timed to the series of the new car, and there was no time to master The production of a new interior is now difficult to say. But one way or another, the VAZ-2121, which debuted in 1976, was equipped with a cabin from the VAZ-2106, at that time-a car of the luxury category.

In fairness, it should be noted that attempts to put a standard body on an all-wheel drive chassis were made in our country earlier (GAZ-61, GAZ-M72), but these were just combinations of finished parts, and not a specially designed car.

And since we firmly remember that Russia is the birthplace of elephants, we will assume that the Americans stole the idea. The company AMS, uniting two Russian approaches to the topic, in 1981 produced the Eagle car, developing an off -road chassis for existing in three versions (coupe, sedan, station wagon). By the way, subsequently, after the acquisition of AMS, the Chrysler Corporation, Jeep Cherokee was created on the basis of Eagle Wagon.

Traditional manufacturers of SUVs did not reconcile with the advent of a new competitor in their sector of the market, who until then an unprecedented interior luxury for a car, and began to create salons for their machines that were no different from ordinary - road, urban and family versions. At first, most manufacturers offered a civil filling only as additional equipment, but very soon cars with Spartan decoration ceased to be in demand, and a comfortable interior for SUVs became the norm.

Evgeny Romantovsky
 
 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 11/1997]