Traded the Navigator and couldn't be happier!

[Deadman]

Wow, thats sweet. We just dumped our 2019 expy on Carmax sunday so we are in the market for something else. After all the issues we had with the cam phasors, leaky struts, etc, probably wont be a ford. This looks like a great alternative. thx

GOOD LUCK finding one with a Hemi. They are like finding a needle in a haystack, muchness optioned the way you want it!

 

[RABAYL01]

So my wife was just DONE with the famous 2018 Navigator Black Label L 4x4 Cam phaser eater. Its been good since the engine replacement, but it just rides like a fricken dump truck. It bucks all over the road on sharp bumps on the interstate because the rear springs are just stupid-stiff. It axle hops both tires off the road on the sharp bumps and NONE of the struts are leaking or malfunctioning. The Black Labels are just this stiff.

She traded it for a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L with a Hemi in it. It has air shocks on it and it absolutely blows the Navigator away on ride comfort. Literally like 10X smoother and no more "bobble heading" from the ancient rear suspension design on these Fords.
The interior uses all quilted leather and it makes the interior on that Navigator look silly. I'm not saying either is any better, but I'm saying this is a pretty impressive offering from Jeep. I've NEVER owned a Jeep and never wanted a Jeep, but she had me test drive a pile of Mid sized SUV's before we bought anything because she Hated the rough ride and the bobble-head rear suspension so badly on that Navigator. I know this is a smaller vehicle, but we were just done dumping $100K into any vehicle, its just getting ridiculous.

These with Hemi's were literally impossible to find, so she found it in Oklahoma and had It shipped to us in Northern, WI. lol. The dealer we bought the Navigator from is buying it back for about what we paid for it a year or so ago, so we came out fine on that minus the fact that it was broke down 90% of the time.

Here's a couple pics from Yesterday when it arrived. BTW I have both front and rear sway bars for this thing new in the box ready to ship.... weather tech full mats in brown, auto start stop delete.....

You went from a Body-on-frame SUV with magneto struts (Navigator) to a UNIBODY air suspension SUV (Jeep GCL). Of Course it'll be 10x smoother! The current Expedition and Navigators are not ancient. You should test drive a previous gen Tahoe and sit in the 3rd row.

 

[Deadman]

You went from a Body-on-frame SUV with magneto struts (Navigator) to a UNIBODY air suspension SUV (Jeep GCL). Of Course it'll be 10x smoother! The current Expedition and Navigators are not ancient. You should test drive a previous gen Tahoe and sit in the 3rd row.

The current rear suspension geometry on the Expedition/Navigator was designed way over a decade ago, thats ancient any way you twist it. The current Tahoe uses brand newly designed rear suspension components with their 4 link IRS, so it eliminates all the bobble head scrubbing that the dated Expedition and Navigator use. Even the redesigned 2022 Navigator still uses these dynosaur parts on its rear suspension.

 

[Emilner]

The current rear suspension geometry on the Expedition/Navigator was designed way over a decade ago, thats ancient any way you twist it. The current Tahoe uses brand newly designed rear suspension components with their 4 link IRS, so it eliminates all the bobble head scrubbing that the dated Expedition and Navigator use. Even the redesigned 2022 Navigator still uses these dynosaur parts on its rear suspension.

In a head to head competition the 4 model year old Nav beat out the all new Escalade (including in ride quality). It's a great riding truck- better than my GL and head and shoulders better than my ESV's.

 

[cdog2964]

In a head to head competition the 4 model year old Nav beat out the all new Escalade (including in ride quality). It's a great riding truck- better than my GL and head and shoulders better than my ESV's.

Can you post a link to that article? Would love to read it.

 

[Emilner]

Can you post a link to that article? Would love to read it.

2020-bmw-x7-2021-cadillac-escalade-lincoln-navigator-mercedes-benz-gls-class-3-row-luxury-suv-comparison-test-review
I think they called it pretty spot on. As usual the Nav and Escalade do have some jitteriness with their 22" rims but all in all the Nav is a great drive.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

The current rear suspension geometry on the Expedition/Navigator was designed way over a decade ago, thats ancient any way you twist it. The current Tahoe uses brand newly designed rear suspension components with their 4 link IRS, so it eliminates all the bobble head scrubbing that the dated Expedition and Navigator use. Even the redesigned 2022 Navigator still uses these dynosaur parts on its rear suspension.

I haven't driven the latest Tahoe/Suburban to feel the differences, but I've driven dozens of Chevy SUVs over my lifetime - including all previous gens of the Tahoe/Suburban - and one thing that has never changed is the buoyant ride and sloppy steering. If it wasn't for that, I might be driving a Suburban or Escalade ESV right now.

 

[dlcorbett]

Edmunds(expy vs tahoe, nav vs esc vs gls), motortrend(expy vs tahoe, fs lux test), and various journalists have done ford vs gm fs suv comparison with the new trucks, you can Google or YouTube them. For majority, the fords beat the gms mainly due to interior versatility, passenger space, and powertrain performance. Gms with the air suspension do better in ride and handling tests though. I havent driven the new gms with air suspension, but I have driven with my spouse denalis in both variants(swb and lwb) and driven nav back to back for each(no l version however). I will say, the gms handle better, but do not ride better than the fords and ccd. Spouse agrees as well. I also didn't care for the steering feel in the gms, it's quick and accurate, but a bit too loose and light for my tastes. The brake calibration would be a deal breaker for me, it's like stepping on pudding. Also, not all car based suvs ride better than fs suvs. You can assume that newer versions of car based suvs ride better because they are newer. My wife and I (and various passengers) agree that our old expy with base suspension rode better than palisade, highlander pre remodel, cx9, volvo xc90(without air), pilot, Sorento, or mdx in most situations.

 

[Emilner]

They just started using the air suspension after years of mag ride. Personally I found the mag ride too performance based and not focused on a smooth ride. So far it seems the air ride hasn't improved things.

 

[Deadman]

In a head to head competition the 4 model year old Nav beat out the all new Escalade (including in ride quality). It's a great riding truck- better than my GL and head and shoulders better than my ESV's.

Theres a reason there is like a 40 page thread on here only discussing rear sway bars and the endless bobble-head motion that these things produce.
Again, I LOVE my expedition, and I'll have it forever, but the rear suspension still pi$$es me off.