Leather is one of the invariable hallmarks of automotive luxury, and the Navigator's interior is slathered with
plenty of it--rich, creamy and smooth. Roominess is another luxury in any form of transportation, and the Navigator
has lots of this as well, along with seating for eight--comfortable quad captain's chairs in the first two rows and
a bench seat in the rear, elevated slightly to give the rear passengers a view of what's going on up front.
Leg, head and hip room are plentiful in the first two seating positions, though the third row is limited, and
not really suitable for folks of adult stature. On the other hand, there's lot of cargo space. The rear seatbacks
flop forward to expand stowage, the rearmost seat is readily removable and the spare tire stows underneath the rear,
rather than inside. Beyond that, there are bins and cubbies scattered around the interior for small items.
The Navigator's instrument panel is basically the same as the Expedition's, with the same oversize controls for
the audio and standard automatic climate control systems--easy to operate when the vehicle is moving and well marked
for function. Luxury licks include tasteful strips of walnut trim and a handsome wood steering wheel with leather
wrapping on the sections of the rim that are gripped most of the time.
The wheel spokes are adorned with auxiliary buttons for the audio and climate controls, and the switches for the
power windows and mirrors are easy to identify by touch, a trait common to most Ford vehicles.
As you'd expect of a sport-utility vehicle, the driver's seat affords a commanding view of the road, and driver
sightlines are above average in all directions, thanks to the Navigator's vast glass area. A wide range of power
adjustability for the seat--as well as height-adjustable seatbelts--should make just about anyone comfortable here,
and the seats themselves afford lots of room for wriggling around during long hauls.
Although its dimensions stop short of the brobdignagian Suburban, the Navigator is a big vehicle. The curb weight
of the 4x4 version tops 5500 pounds, which is a lot of mass to move.
With mass in mind, we found this vehicle's all-around performance to be a very pleasant surprise. The 5.4-liter
V8 gets the Navigator moving without straining, and it thrives on freeway cruising. Our 4x4 tester logged a steady
17 mpg during some extended mountain driving in California--impressive for a vehicle in this size class--and the
interior noise levels were lower than any sport-utility in our experience.
Handling and all-around ride quality were also pleasantly surprising. We think the Navigator is the smoothest
operator in its class, but it still manages quick maneuvers without excessive rock and roll, and its steering is
best in class. Braking performance, with disc brakes and standard ABS, is also remarkable, both for power and resistance to fade.
Our California travels also included a trek through the rocky wastes of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and we were impressed once again with how well this big vehicle handled off-road trundling, particularly when the 4WD system was called on to claw its way up stretches covered with deep, loose sand.