2006 Lincoln Navigator

2006 Lincoln Navigator Overview

If you are looking for luxury and prestige in a full size SUV, look no further than the Lincoln Navigator. The Navigator can carry up to eight passengers, haul 105 cubic feet of gear, and tow up to 8600 pounds of trailer. It offers a smooth, luxurious ride and is surprisingly nimble given its size. Its independent rear suspension is unusual in this class, shared only with the Ford Expedition.

2006 Navigator Trims

For 2005 a moderate facelift gave the Navigator a gentler and kinder appearance which is more like a luxury vehicle and less like a truck. At the same time, the Navigator got a small boost in power from a new 5.4-liter, single-overhead-cam V8 with three valves per cylinder and variable valve timing. It's paired with a six-speed automatic transmission that responds to varying driving situations and contributes to a satisfying driving experience. This combination yielded lower emissions as well.

The Lincoln Navigator is available with two-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive. All Navigators come with the 300-horsepower 5.4-liter V8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission and feature a fully independent suspension with load-leveling at all four corners.

All have three rows of seats, leather upholstery in the first two rows, Reverse Sensing System, and nearly every luxury you would expect in a premium vehicle.

The popular Ultimate Preferred Equipment Package adds a power glass sunroof, power liftgate, heated and cooled front seats, and a power folding function for the third-row seat.

New for 2006, the Elite Package adds 18-inch chrome wheels, THX-certified audio with navigation system, HID headlamps, rear-seat DVD entertainment, power-retractable running boards and heavy-duty towing. The Elite Package is available only with the Ultimate Preferred Equipment Package.

Stand-alone options include a 300-watt, nine-speaker THX audio system with voice-activated DVD navigation, power retractable running boards, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, HID headlamps, Class III/IV trailer tow package, chrome wheels, sunroof, and a monochrome appearance package.

To achieve eight-passenger seating, a 40/20/40 split bench second-row seat is offered in place of the standard second-row bucket seats at no charge.

Navigator 2006 Exterior Design

The Lincoln Navigator has a commanding presence, but effuses a softer, more sophisticated look than other large SUVs. Navigator was completely re-engineered for 2003, but the visual changes made then were subtle, especially on the outside, and it took a reasonably keen eye to distinguish a 2003-04 Navigator from a first-generation (1997-2002) model.

For 2005, however, the Navigator got a significant facelift that resulted in a cleaner, more upscale appearance. New side cladding dispensed with the old fussy, double-layered look and integrated better with the restyled running boards. Similarly, the front fascia traded the stubbly jawed suggestion of a brush bar for a clean, boldly horizontal lower air intake. A straight black band across the bottom of the fascia reduced the visual mass of the blocker bar designed to improve the safety of people in other cars in a collision.

Those changes gave the Navigator a richer, more substantial look. It looks more like a Lincoln. For the past 70 years (at least) Lincoln's most memorable designs have been its most pure and clean, while the Lincolns we'd like most to forget appear to have resulted from occasional, unrestrained impulses to try to out bling-bling Cadillac. In short, the current design is the best-looking Navigator ever.

2006 Navigator First Drive

The Lincoln Navigator is remarkably agile, considering its size. That makes it pleasant to drive, even on winding roads. There's little body lean and it's possible to drive fairly quickly without upsetting your passengers. Power rack-and-pinion steering is at least partly responsible for the Navigator's handling dynamics. Lincoln worked hard on the steering system, and the Navigator turns in quickly for corners, moving almost instantly once the steering wheel starts to turn.

Anybody who enjoys driving a European car would be happy with the steering on the Navigator. On the other hand, we can imagine some loyal Lincoln buyers having a little difficulty adapting to a steering system that reacts to a driver's input with such immediacy. Meanwhile, the independent rear suspension keeps the wheels firmly on the ground, with no axle tramping over bumps or undulations, a problem with most SUVs because they use solid rear axles.

With such great handling, one expects outstanding acceleration as well, but in this regard we've found past Navigators lacking when compared to the 6.0-liter, 345-horsepower Cadillac Escalade. Even with last year's new three-valve engine, Navigator comes up short compared with Escalade. The Lincoln rates just 300 horsepower (if one can use "just" and "300 horsepower" in the same sentence) and 365 pound-feet of torque, compared to the Caddy's 380 pound-feet. In its favor, the Navigator develops its peak torque at 3750 rpm, compared to a slightly more peaky 4000 for the Escalade.

On the road, we found the latest Navigator smooth and responsive, though it lacks the sharpness of the Escalade or Infiniti QX56 (which is about the same size). Lincoln designed the three-valve V8 to produce strong torque across the entire operating range, and it does, making the Navigator a good vehicle for towing. The single-cam, three-valve engine is a few pounds lighter as well than the four-valve, twin-cam V8 it replaced, with a stiffer iron block that reduces noise and vibration. Lincoln says the three-valve design helps reduce emissions. Navigator requires premium gasoline.