2012 Lincoln Navigator Overview Change Vehicle

2012 Lincoln Navigator review with specifications, fuel economy data, safety information, reliability ratings, a photo gallery, and The Vehix View

Take one Ford Expedition full-size SUV, load it with luxury features, package it with unique styling details, and you have the Lincoln Navigator. The Navigator has three rows of seats and is available in standard or extended length models. It competes against the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali, Infiniti QX56, Lexus LX 570, and Toyota Land Cruiser.

Lincoln Sync AppLink technology gives the Navigator’s occupants voice control access to selected smartphone applications when an appropriate device is paired to the Sync system. The 2012 Navigator also has new side blind-spot mirrors for improved visibility when changing lanes.

Lincoln sells the 2012 Navigator in a single level of trim, well equipped in standard format and offered with a handful of options and option packages.

Highlights include genuine Burl Walnut wood interior trim, a leather- and wood-trimmed steering wheel, premium leather upholstery, second-row bucket seats with a center storage console, and a 60/40-split PowerFold third-row seat. Appropriately, the Navigator also includes a voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic reports and a reversing camera display, and this Lincoln is equipped with a standard THX II Certified 5.1 Surround Audio system with a six-month satellite radio subscription, HD Radio, an auxiliary audio input jack, a USB port, and a CD changer. Lincoln Sync smartphone pairing allows hands-free communication and music streaming capabilities, and new AppLink technology provides voice-activated access to selected smartphone applications.

In addition to these standard items, the Navigator is equipped with dual-zone front automatic climate control, 10-way power heated and ventilated front seats, rear air conditioning, power adjustable pedals, a power adjustable tilt steering wheel, and two-position memory for the driver’s settings. A power liftgate is also included, as well as power deploying running boards, rain-sensing wipers, heated side blind-spot mirrors with approach lighting and auto-dimming driver’s side glass, forward and reverse sensing systems, a 110-volt power outlet, and a SecuriCode keyless entry keypad. The Navigator’s high-intensity discharge Autolamp headlights illuminate the way after dark, and this big Lincoln rides on 18-inch alloy wheels.

Lincoln offers few options for the 2012 Navigator. A rear DVD entertainment system with dual headrest-mounted screens is available, along with a power moonroof, remote engine starting, all-weather floor mats, extra chrome grille trim, and a set of 20-inch polished wheels. Additionally, buyers can choose a Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package with a rear load-leveling suspension and heavy-duty radiator and transmission cooling components, a Monochrome Appearance Package that tones down the Navigator’s standard chrome-dipped look, and a Monochrome Limited Edition Package that includes Olive Ash interior trim, Canyon leather with black piping, and embroidered Lincoln logos on all the headrests.

Lincoln provides a single engine choice for the Navigator, a 5.4-liter V8 making 310 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 365 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. Maximum towing capacity is 9,000 pounds when properly equipped, and a six-speed automatic delivers the power to the rear or all four wheels. Burning unleaded gasoline, the Navigator is expected to get 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway with two-wheel drive and 13-city/18-highway with all-wheel drive. Alternatively, this engine is designed to operate on E85.

One thing you won’t need to worry about with the Navigator, at least for the duration of the standard warranty, is costs associated with maintenance. For the first four years or 50,000 miles, Lincoln pays the tab for scheduled service.

Given a curb weight that can top 6,000 pounds, the 2012 Lincoln Navigator is a safe vehicle purely by virtue of its sheer poundage. However, this luxury SUV is well equipped with numerous standard safety features. Six airbags, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, and an AdvanceTrac stability and traction control system with Roll Stability Control are standard. Additionally, the Navigator is equipped with Trailer Sway Control, front and rear parking assist systems, a reversing camera, and rain-sensing wipers.

Safety features that demand additional explanation include the Navigator’s SOS Post Crash Alert system, Sync with 911 Assist, and MyKey technology. In the event of an airbag deployment, the SOS Post Crash Alert and 911 Assist systems are activated. The former activates the hazard flashers and sounds the horn, while the latter automatically dials 9-1-1 when a smartphone is paired to Sync. The 9-1-1 operator can ask if everyone is OK, and even if nobody can respond the operator can send rescue personnel to the Navigator’s exact location. MyKey technology allows the Navigator’s owner to program certain limits with regard to vehicle speed and stereo volume, as well as other safety- and convenience-related features.

Unfortunately, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had performed crash tests on the 2012 Navigator as this review was written. However, the NHTSA does give a 3-Star rollover resistance rating for two-wheel-drive models and a 4-Star rollover resistance rating for AWD models.

Reliability is expected to be average according to Consumer Reports. J.D. Power and Associates is slightly more optimistic, having estimated that dependability would be slightly better than average in the market research firm’s most recent predictions.

When equipped with all-wheel drive, the 2012 Navigator is not only less likely to roll over in an accident, it tips scales at a hefty 5,986 pounds. The downsides to choosing the all-wheel-drive model are lower fuel economy estimates and a lower towing rating at 8,700 pounds. The rear-drive Navigator gets 20 mpg on the highway and can tow up to 9,000 pounds.

One selling point for the Lincoln Navigator is its independent rear suspension design. An independent rear suspension, as opposed to a solid axle rear suspension like the one on the Cadillac Escalade, is a better ride quality, improved handling, and extra space to install a third-row seat that adults can actually inhabit. The Navigator’s minimum ground clearance measures 9.1 inches.

Another benefit of that independent suspension design is the Navigator’s fold-flat third row seat. In the Escalade, you must remove the third-row seats to access maximum cargo capacity behind the second-row seat. Plus, the Lincoln features a handy in-floor storage well that the Cadillac does not. Cargo volume measures 18.1 cubic-feet behind the third-row seat, nearly as much as a Lincoln MKS sedan. Fold the third-row seat flat and the Navigator provides 54.4 cu-ft of space. Maximum cargo volume is 103.3 cu-ft.

The 2012 Navigator is equipped with Lincoln’s Easy Fuel capless fuel filling system. No fuel cap means you can’t lose it, and it speeds re-fueling when the weather is foul.

The 2012 Lincoln Navigator may not offer much in the way of choice, but it certainly is competitive against other large luxury SUVs when it comes to comfort, amenities, and capability. However, this SUV hasn’t been restyled – even a little bit – in five years. Our bet is you can find a really nice used one for much less.

By Christian Wardlaw