2004 Lincoln Navigator

The 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 (which qualifies the Navigator as a ULEV) produces 300 hp at 5,000 rpm and 355 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,750 rpm.

The 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 (which qualifies the Navigator as a ULEV) was also refined. Producing 300 horsepower, it's challenged to move this big boy with true alacrity, but the two-wheel-drive Navigator will allegedly tow some 8,500 pounds of boat or horse float. Rivals have 6.0-liter engines and/or more power. (Insiders won't deny that a Triton V-10-powered Navigator is in the works. With 420 lb.-ft. of torque, it will not only be another solution, it will provide SUV cylinder-club bragging rights.) The four-speed automatic shifts very smoothly.


Better body sealing and more sound-absorbing materials help reduce the Navigator's cabin noise to just 42 dB at idle. Safety buffs will appreciate the dual-stage front bags, "Safety Canopy" side-curtain airbag system and a tire-pressure monitoring system that warns even when your spare is too low or too high. Optionally, the AdvanceTrac stability-control system helps correct over- and understeer situations, and in extreme cases, needs only one wheel with traction to get underway. For 2004, Lincoln adds Roll Stability Control with the AdvanceTrac system, which will reduce the risk of untripped vehicle rollovers. An audible rear park-assist system (using ultrasonic sensors and radar) is the first to take into account vehicle speed rather than simply the distance to an object.


From a styling perspective, Lincoln designers kept the front doors and roof from the old model and changed virtually everything else. The new hoodline is four inches higher than the old model, and the front bumper is two inches lower to improve truck-to-car crash compatibility. Extend the lower grille line around to the sides and you meet this SUV's handy built-in running boards, a definite aid to entrance and egress on a vehicle this large. Optional power running boards deploy four inches lower and three inches toward the rear of the vehicle. Discrete chrome accents on the grille, doors, roof rack and rear hatch (which has a handy lift-up window) accentuate the Navigator's massiveness. An optional power liftgate raises the rear in about ten seconds.

Over 120 white LEDs illuminate the cabin's controls and switches. Cold cathode technology illuminates key indicators like the speedometer, tachometer, fuel and coolant gauges.

No other big SUV offers a choice of bucket or bench seats in the second row. Consoles, map pockets storage abound, and there are redundant rear audio and climate controls. The interior employs brushed aluminum and American burl walnut in an inviting manner that's reminiscent of one of the nicest Lincolns ever, the 1961 Lincoln Continental.


Gerry McGovern, Lincoln's chief designer, likes to point to the alloy Halliburton luggage line as an excellent example of domestic design prowess. The new Navigator's interior, with its low-luster satin nickel finish, unabashedly borrows some of this influence. Over 120 white LEDs illuminate the cabin's controls and switches. Cold cathode technology illuminates key indicators like the speedometer, tachometer, fuel and coolant gauges. Power-folding heated side mirrors (which are 30% bigger than their predecessors) have built-in signal indicators visible from nearly every direction. Optional HID (high-energy discharge) headlamps are offered, but the standard lights are 40 percent stronger than the previous model's.