2018 spotted

[Trainmaster]

You can check some of the other forums for discussions about mechanical, chassis and design issues. It looks like this one is more based on debates about $20 Chinese DVD player headrests.

It's pretty obvious from these comments alone why Ford made the changes it did.

 

[Garrett]

My wife and I test drove a Denali today AFTER the Navigator. Whoops, bug mistake there.

She got in the Denali and was like, "this thing is so boring" lol.

The guy knows we are looking at the Expy and Gator, and offered us the 18 Denali ultimate for 66k! They have to be scared of Ford now...

So for now we are at
1 Gator
2 Expy
TBD 18 QX80

 

[gtnator]

My wife and I test drove a Denali today AFTER the Navigator. Whoops, bug mistake there.

She got in the Denali and was like, "this thing is so boring" lol.

The guy knows we are looking at the Expy and Gator, and offered us the 18 Denali ultimate for 66k! They have to be scared of Ford now...

So for now we are at
1 Gator
2 Expy
TBD 18 QX80

What about from the outside? Those Denali’s look fantastic, in my opinion. I haven’t seen a Navi yet to compare though. But I do think the Denali looks better than the Expy, from the outside. I’d like your thoughts.


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[Garrett]

What about from the outside? Those Denali’s look fantastic, in my opinion. I haven’t seen a Navi yet to compare though. But I do think the Denali looks better than the Expy, from the outside. I’d like your thoughts.

The Denali looks better, but if I get new wheels on the Gator, I think it will be very close. Also I care more about the inside, and IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE.
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[JExpedition07]

Denali is more of a competition for Expedition Platinum. The GM product to compare a Navi To is a Cadillac Escalade.

 

[Garrett]

Denali is more of a competition for Expedition Platinum. The GM product to compare a Navi To is a Cadillac Escalade.

Even the Escalade is not close.

 

[Pini]

Even the Escalade is not close.

Remember that the current GM triplets have been out for 4 years now so of course a newly redesigned 2018 model isn't going to be as "boring" to most people.
With that said...the new Navi is still butt ugly and the Expedition Platinum is a cheap knock off Denali in so many ways from the outside.
I cringe every time I see a Navigator and think to myself..."damn someone is most likely paying a grand a month to drive in that ugly thing!"
I gotta give the QX80 some credit for at least trying to be different with the latest redesign...even tho it still looks weird to me. To each their own I guess.

 

[rumline]

Yep I test drove a Denali last week, after several folks here talked about how good they are. Sorry but I just don't see it. First of all the Tahoe looks better (but has a smaller... engine) but Garrett is right, the interior isn't even close. I took one look at the third row and my immediate reaction was Nope.com. Immediate deal breaker when you consider that the Expy / Navi third row is usable by people over 10 years old. Well maybe you don't care about a third row at all. The frong seats were comfortable, about on par with the Expy. Rows 2 and 3 seats were not as comfortable as the Expy. Materials were OK, but on par with the non-Platinum Expeditions (aka $10,000 less). The tech functions were all there.

I tried to keep an open mind and took it for a drive. Maybe it's because I am used to driving a turbo, or maybe it's because I was above 5000 feet, but I found the Denali ponderous around town. The engine didn't do much until it revved above 2500 rpm, and the net effect was similar to a long turbo lag, with power coming on suddenly. The Expedition (non-platinum) had a much smoother power delivery and by comparison was downright peppy around town. Next I took the Denali to a freeway onramp and floored it. The engine was fully warm by this point. It roared to life, but despite the noise, the butt dyno results didn't seem any greater than the Expedition. At freeway speeds it had plenty of throttle response for passing which was nice.

Overall I felt disappointed. I honestly came there expecting the Denali to give the Expy a serious run for its money. I feel that the Expedition is overall better, and for not much more the Navigator would blow it out of the water. An Escalade is easily $10k more than the Navi.

The salesman was spitting game about how fast these are selling, so I'd better buy now. If I wanted to get it for less than sticker I could consider a '17. But there wasn't a single other buyer at the dealership lol.

 

[JExpedition07]

Remember that the current GM triplets have been out for 4 years now so of course a newly redesigned 2018 model isn't going to be as "boring" to most people.
With that said...the new Navi is still butt ugly and the Expedition Platinum is a cheap knock off Denali in so many ways from the outside.
I cringe every time I see a Navigator and think to myself..."damn someone is most likely paying a grand a month to drive in that ugly thing!"
I gotta give the QX80 some credit for at least trying to be different with the latest redesign...even tho it still looks weird to me. To each their own I guess.

I agree the Navigator is not my cup of tea at all, but it has never been it just feels it’s for a more old or “mature” customer base than the Escalade. I’ve never been a fan of its interior or exterior styling. But everyone has different taste so to some it looks great so I can’t just call it ugly. When someone has already made an internal decision on a product when viewing the others they will put it down to justify their subconsciously made decision. Lots of science on that.

 

[gtnator]

What about what other's have posted and I kind of see myself, that the Navi has typically (at least with the previous generations) been for a more "mature" or older driver? At least that's the vibe I and many others think it gives off... I'm hoping to be convinced otherwise by you young guys. What do you think?

 

[dlcorbett]

Remember that the current GM triplets have been out for 4 years now so of course a newly redesigned 2018 model isn't going to be as "boring" to most people.
With that said...the new Navi is still butt ugly and the Expedition Platinum is a cheap knock off Denali in so many ways from the outside.
I cringe every time I see a Navigator and think to myself..."damn someone is most likely paying a grand a month to drive in that ugly thing!"
I gotta give the QX80 some credit for at least trying to be different with the latest redesign...even tho it still looks weird to me. To each their own I guess.

Most ppl who drive a navi want a smooth ride, comfy seats and ability of a truck without paying extra for a foreign suv with less capability. Thats the same reason ppl pay that much for an escalade or denali right. Obviously comfort is subjective, so because you may think a navi is ugly, that person is lookin at a person drivin an escalade like "why you a payin 1g a mnth for crap truck that everyone has"....thats what i think anyway. I try and get my dad to trade his in every chance i get lol.

Isnt the yukon denali a response to the ford expedition Eddie bauer trim in the late 90s? Arent the denali and escalade a product of the intoduction to the navigator? I remember when everyone said the 2nd gen expy n navi were the best looking on the market at the time of their release. The 3rd gens werent very well received cosmetically at launch, but now ppl love how they look. If ford didnt let the 3rd gen suvs ride out so long, we wouldnt be having such conversations because the updates wouldve kept sales up, letting ford introduce cosmetic additions like the denali and tahoe.

Also the qx80 gas been the same since 2011, and the 2019 only made changes to the front and rear to make it more "mainstream" looking in my opinion. Like what the 2015 expy n navi did to their 3rd gens. The qx80 and by ext the armada are not attractive at all, but are more functional than the gms.


Since this is a ford forum, i stand by my light gm bashing. i have a problem with overrated things that are held so highly without nothing in their name to prove it(tahoes, rx350s, in n out burger, lebron james). The lx350 for one is possibly the worst crossove suv out and yet ppl overlook q7s, cx9s, cayennes, and lincolns own mkx for a it. Its not a class leader for anything, yet it sells so well due to smart marketing and over saturation....wait

 

[rumline]

What about what other's have posted and I kind of see myself, that the Navi has typically (at least with the previous generations) been for a more "mature" or older driver? At least that's the vibe I and many others think it gives off... I'm hoping to be convinced otherwise by you young guys. What do you think?

I think Lincoln's new designs over the past 2 or so years are much fresher and more appealing to a younger person like myself (mid 30s). I definitely used to regard Lincolns as old fogey cars and didn't really pay them much attention. Then I got upgraded to a new MKX as a rental this year and was pretty impressed.

In general I don't feel a need to convince anybody to accept my point of view, least of all about cars. Nor do I much care about how a certain vehicle will make me look to others. But just to give you a data point, I find the new Navigator to be attractively styled.

 

[Garrett]

The New Gator is anything but an old person ride. Get I one and you will see what I mean.

I'm test driving the new QX80 this week, but my guess is I'll end up with a Gator or Expy, which means I will wait a couple more months for incentives.

 

[Artie]

I’m 40 and just recently found myself in a position to consider a luxury vehicle as something in my price range. I always saw Lincoln as a fancier make but not just for old gray headed golfers, actually I saw most luxury vehicles as just something for people who can afford them and most people can’t really afford that type of item until they are in their 40’s or whatever. I wasn’t crazy about the exterior styling of the previous Lincoln’s, the grille looked like a bird beak to me. I do like the styling now, I believe the new grille started with the continental and it looks good. I also like the fact that it is domestic and built domestic, my current car is a Subaru but built in Indiana so I feel good about being able to still support an American factory. When GM took the bailout a few years ago I knew then I would probably not buy one, Ford didn’t not take the bailout and I had already owned Fords so I was probably going to remain a Ford guy. Having driven one and worked on a few mopar’s I knew I would never have one again. I do not like the looks of the QX80, I feel that the V8 is dated tech and prefer the lighter more efficient offerings of the eco boost (I realize I’m probably in the minority saying this and I do not want to discuss displacement, there are needs and room for both NA V8 and turbo v6 and my needs are met with the turbo at the moment) and I say that with a V8 parked downstairs as my play car so I realize the benefits of one but for my daily driver I just would rather not drive one. Like someone else said, I wanted something that could do truck and 4x4 stuff but not look like a truck on the inside, the Navigator totally nails this for my particular needs and compared to the other vehicles in its class I believe it’s the best value when compared to comparably built models from Mercedes, Infiniti, Audi, Land Rover, and Lexus. I should add that I think the Expedition looks way better now than last model year, we looked at them but waited for the redesign... we actually ordered our 2018 Navigator the day after seeing the 2017 Expy and Gator.

 

[Pini]

Didn't mean to offend anyone...I know everyone has their own taste but I'm just stating what I personally think of the Navi. I live in the Dallas area and I'd like to think I drive a decent amount of miles around town and I see a new Navi once a month maybe? Coincidence?
At some point the exterior looks have to matter somewhat don't they?
I mean you have to wash it regularly and look at it every day out in the driveway. Seats can only be so comfy in a car and the drive can only be so smooth.....

 

[Artie]

Didn't mean to offend anyone...I know everyone has their own taste but I'm just stating what I personally think of the Navi. I live in the Dallas area and I'd like to think I drive a decent amount of miles around town and I see a new Navi once a month maybe? Coincidence?
At some point the exterior looks have to matter somewhat don't they?
I mean you have to wash it regularly and look at it every day out in the driveway. Seats can only be so comfy in a car and the drive can only be so smooth.....

When you say ‘new’ what do you mean? 2018 Navigators are barely out so I’m assuming you mean new as in 2017’s. If that is correct then I would have to say I, also, do not see many 2017’s it that particular body style nearly as much as I do the same year model Escalade or QX80. I do believe that last years body style is ugly. I believe the 2018 is a huge improvement and a step in the right direction.