The Navigator was not just the first Lincoln SUV. It was the first, full-size, luxury SUV in the world. Its assembly line began a year before the first generation Escalade. The 2000 Lincoln Navigator was significantly larger than the second generation Range Rover P38A and could easily accommodate 7 people without being a minivan. Many people know that this Lincoln was based on the Expedition, but the Navigator was longer, more powerful, and much more luxurious. In terms of length, this SUV is comparable to an executive-class Mercedes.
But it provides the highest smoothness of ride on any road and even off-road. In addition, it is suitable for cargo transportation. Many of today’s owners transport on their car, for example, fuel briquettes weighing 1 ton. In order to imagine how powerful this car was, you need to remember that Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ with a powerful 5.2L V8 had 211 horsepower, and BMW X5 from ’99 with a 4.4L V8 M62 had 286 horsepower. Of course, Jeep and BMW were comparable to Lincoln only in power, otherwise they are completely different cars. But the Navigator was more powerful than the Jeep when it debuted, and after its upgrade in ’99 it was also more powerful than the just-released first-generation X5.
2000 Lincoln Navigator belongs to the first generation, which was produced from ’97 to ’03 and had index UN173. It speaks about success of the first generation, which gave an impetus to the next generations. Only for the 98th year, 44 000 such SUVs were sold. By the way, already the fourth generation of this model is available today. The car of 2000 year is appreciated by the fact that it was released after the upgrade and received a new 32-valve V8 InTech engine. We’ll talk about the specifications below, but we’ll notice at once that it has 305 horsepower. This is very significant power for the late 90’s and the first half of the 2000s.
This car combined the advantages of an executive sedan, minivan and pickup truck. The assembly of this SUV was carried out in Michigan. The Town Car sedan was also produced there. Of course, the Navigator was a frame SUV, which is still appreciated by many car enthusiasts today.
Sale and Price 2000 Lincoln Navigator.
The new 2000 Lincoln Navigator could be bought for $42,000. This SUV was comparable in price to the Town Car and by the way – was cheaper than the Range Rover. Today, a car with about 150,000 miles can be bought for $5,000 to $7,000. Severely damaged examples sell for as little as $1,000.
Appearance and photos.
The Navigator is visually distinguishable from the Expedition most easily by the front headlights and taillights. But even beyond that, the Lincoln SUV body has quite a few unique features that the Ford doesn’t have. I wasn’t able to show it in the photo, but the lens itself in the headlight has the Lincoln brand logo on it, which emphasizes the premium nature of this car. At the bottom of the front door you can see the Navigator inscription, but note that very near the inscription there is a badge with a picture of a planet.
This designation means that Lincoln SUV is ready for any travels and expeditions. I think everyone understands that Lincoln is not a Land Rover and a heavy car can get bogged down in the mud just because of its weight. But it seems that the manufacturer of this American SUV wanted to emphasize readiness of the car for off-road driving.
If you look at the Navigator from the side you can see a plastic plate on the rear window. This element is decorated with the Lincoln symbol and it is not on the Expedition. The car can be decorated with chrome, door handles. At that time, Ford was equipping many of its models with a code lock, which allowed entering the cabin even without a key.
But while most models had code keys above the handle, the Navigator had them directly under the door handle. Examining this SUV from the side, one cannot not notice the massive sills, but pay attention, that Lincoln’s sills have built-in lights, which also emphasizes the expensive and premium nature of this car. Another unusual thing is that the lever to open the hood of the Navigator does not go through the radiator grille (as it happens in most cars), but over the right headlight. The idea is that with this location the lever will stay clean, which means the hands of the car owner will not get dirty.
With a body length of 5,200mm, the wheelbase is 3,200mm. Curb weight of the Navigator is 2560kg and ground clearance is 21cm. Initially, the American SUV used 245/75 R16 tires, but after the appearance of a new V8 InTech engine the car began to use wider tires – 275/60 R16. In 2000, the truck received 17 wheels with 255/75 R17 and 275/60 R17 tires.
Behind the wheel rims you can see the big, fat brake discs – 304mm – front and 333mm – rear. Yes, – the rear brakes here are larger than the front (usually it’s the other way around). Also in 2000, the radio antenna was moved from the front fender, under the side, rear window. Cars with the new motor are decorated with an inscription 32v InTech V8 on the trunk lid, under the inscription – Navigator. Another unusual thing is that the reflective element of the side mirrors is inscribed, informing that the mirrors are heated.
Lincoln gave a 5-year warranty on the body of their car.
Equipment and interior.
To set the Navigator apart from the Expedition, it was necessary to make the interior significantly more comfortable. The Lincoln’s interior is finished in softer leather than the Ford’s. This leather is called Nudo, but the Navigator’s interior could only be beige, or gray. The backs of the seats have the Lincoln emblem on them. Compared to the Ford it has much better noise isolation – it is noted by owners who used to ride in Explorer, or Expedition.
In the first generation Navigator, the gearshift is on the steering column in the American way. There is a lot of wood in the interior trim, and the steering wheel rim here is also made of wood. There are buttons to control the climate system on the steering wheel. The Navigator stands out also because there are two heater and two air conditioners. There are air ducts on the ceiling above the second and third row of seats.
This is a luxury, American SUV, which means there is electric pedal adjustment. With this adjustment, even a woman who is not tall can comfortably adjust the driver’s seat without moving closer to the steering wheel – which would increase the chance of injury when the airbag deploys. The steering wheel is tilt-adjustable and it’s mechanical. The driver’s seat is adjustable in eight directions, but the backrest is manually adjusted. Between the front seats is a huge box for things. I don’t know its volume, but it is more than a trunk on some supercars.
Already in the base is present CD – changer for 6 disks, which is located not in the trunk, but in the center console. Today, such equipment would seem unnecessary to many, but at the time such equipment was a sign of a high-class car. In 2000, the Navigator got a navigation system with a 5d monitor. Today the graphics of this system seems terrible, but in the early 2000s, it was an expensive option.
The unpainted, plastic door handles look a little strange against the background of luxurious trim.
As on other Ford SUVs of those years, all-wheel-drive modes are switched using a rotary switch to the right of the steering wheel. Thanks to this organ you can choose one of four modes (about them a little bit below).
The seats of the second row were folded in the proportion of 1/3. Thus, it was possible to organize the passage to the third row by folding only one seat. As well as on other American SUVs, it was possible to open back window separately from the door. It is noteworthy that there are two separate buttons, located side by side, to open the glass and the trunk door. There is a hinge on the back side of the trunk door, pulling it to close the trunk from the inside. This can be useful when folding the second row of seats to make a sleeping place.
In front, under the ceiling, you can find buttons labeled Vent. These buttons move the windows around the third row of seats ( I showed this point in the photo). The glass does not go down but slides to the outside of the body. Under the ceiling is the onboard computer, – it is a standard solution for American cars. It is noteworthy that the control panel for climate control is also on the ceiling above the second row of seats, but in order for this switch could work, must be set in the appropriate position switch in the front (the driver decides whether the rear passengers can adjust the temperature for themselves, or not).
The main digitization of the speedometer is in miles, but inside there is also graduation in kilometers.
Engine and Specifications 2000 Lincoln Navigator.
Originally, back in ’97, the Lincoln Navigator received a powerful V8 Triton. It was a 16-valve engine, which at 5.4 liters had a capacity of 232 horsepower at 4250 rpm. Torque of 441Nm was reached at 3000 rpm. The compression ratio is 9.0:1. It is worth to say that for the ’97 it was a significant power. In ’99, the power of the Triton engine was increased to 260 horsepower. But in the same year came the above mentioned 32-valve InTech unit.
This motor with the same volume produced power of 305 hp at 5000 rpm and torque of 481Nm at 2740 rpm. With such engine a heavy SUV can reach 190 km/h speed. Even today, there are people who buy the first-generation Navigator largely because of the engine. It is a great, American V8, comparable in power to the five-liter Mercedes M113 series engine. The Ford Expedition had only a 16-valve V8.
A four-speed, automatic transmission was available for the Navigator. The Lincoln all-wheel drive has four modes; – 2H, A4WD, 4H and 4L. In the first mode the car drives in rear-wheel drive, thus achieving the best acceleration dynamics and the best fuel economy. In the second mode, thanks to the Haldex inter-axle clutch, when the rear wheels slip, the torque is transferred to the front wheels. In the third mode, the inter-axle differential is blocked and the car drives in all-wheel drive all the time. In the fourth mode a lowering gear is engaged, and thanks to pneumatic suspension, ground clearance increases by 40 mm.
Of course, the Lincoln has disc brakes and ABS.
I think few people bought the first Navigator to drive on dirt all the time. But it’s a great car for SUV enthusiasts who want the greatest degree of comfort. Some bought this car even after owning a Mercedes S-class. Such owners were attracted by the opportunity to get maximum comfort not only on the asphalt road, but also off-road.
Lincoln SUV was produced in big series and very many cars are still extant. This gives an opportunity to buy an ultra-comfortable, American SUV for not much money anymore. According to many owners, the Navigator has terrific reliability and in most cases does not require major repairs.
Leave a Reply