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Expedition MAX vs Navigator L - Worth the $?


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I have been looking at the Expy MAX  hard for towing our 6500lbs trailer.  I've noticed the Navigator L isn't too much more than a Limited MAX.

Few things that have piqued my interest:

1) auto level headlights - would be a great for towing to not have to crank the headlights down with a screwdriver to avoid blinding everyone.

2) Lincoln service - how true is it that they will come drop off a loaner and pickup my car for service?  My last Ford supposedly had service loaners, but only if repairs went overnight.  I think I took it in four times for the same issue, and it only took the full business day to "repair" - thus I would drive away and the CEL would turn on on the way home.  Since almost all the Lincoln dealers are adding to Ford dealers - do you get better service?

3) Is there anything else beyond the nicer interior that makes it worthwhile?

Thanks!

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Auto level headlights are cool I like watching them "ratchet" down the rear end of the driver in front of me.

The loaners are nice though you have to reserve them weeks in advance at my local dealerships I can't plan part failures so they sometimes stick me in an mkx if that happens which sucks.

The ride is really what sets them apart for me sure the leather is supposed to be better and you can get 30 way massaging seats in the nav but the cabin noise and smoothness of the ride is infinitely better in the nav than the expy.

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I wasn't aware of a difference between the CCD in the Expedition and Navigator - will have to look into that.  I've only driven the Expedition - but sat in the Navigator.  I was interested to find that the "Select" navigator seats don't vent unless you upgrade to the 30-way massagers - but overall all the seats from Expedition to the 30 way massagers all felt good.

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40 minutes ago, Expy Aladocious said:

I have been looking at the Expy MAX  hard for towing our 6500lbs trailer.  I've noticed the Navigator L isn't too much more than a Limited MAX.

Few things that have piqued my interest:

1) auto level headlights - would be a great for towing to not have to crank the headlights down with a screwdriver to avoid blinding everyone.

2) Lincoln service - how true is it that they will come drop off a loaner and pickup my car for service?  My last Ford supposedly had service loaners, but only if repairs went overnight.  I think I took it in four times for the same issue, and it only took the full business day to "repair" - thus I would drive away and the CEL would turn on on the way home.  Since almost all the Lincoln dealers are adding to Ford dealers - do you get better service?

3) Is there anything else beyond the nicer interior that makes it worthwhile?

Thanks!

If you are more price conscious and concerned about value the 2019 Expedition Platinum is probably the best value right now.  Shop around and you can find dealers with great deals below invoice as they start clearing out the 2019's (2020's arrive ~Novermber).  I have test driven both.  Room wise they are the same.  The Navigator has more comfort and more power which is a little offset by its heavier weight.  The HUD on the Navigator is awesome.  That being said though I am still leaning heavily to the Expedition mainly due to price difference, unless I can find a Lincoln Dealer willing to make a deal (my local dealer won't budge off of MSRP yet).  The pick up and delivery is great.  Sometimes they don't always leave a loaner if it is just a quick oil change, but most of the time they will.  You do have to schedule in advance for that, but it isn't an issue.  We have an MkC and they usually use another MkC or MkX for the loaner.  They haven't upgraded to the Nautilus yet.  I think the Navigator owners get another Navigator, but the one ours uses is the Select or no option Reserve. 

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Good to know, I just hate being stranded at the dealer.  It's not as bad now that we have Uber/Lyft, but still can be annoying.  As I alluded to in the other thread -- biggest issue with the Navigator I am now finding is the second row console is on many of them -- would rather have the passthrough or the bench so I can fold everything flat.

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8 hours ago, Flying68 said:

If you are more price conscious and concerned about value the 2019 Expedition Platinum is probably the best value right now.  Shop around and you can find dealers with great deals below invoice as they start clearing out the 2019's (2020's arrive ~Novermber).  I have test driven both.  Room wise they are the same.  The Navigator has more comfort and more power which is a little offset by its heavier weight.  The HUD on the Navigator is awesome.  That being said though I am still leaning heavily to the Expedition mainly due to price difference, unless I can find a Lincoln Dealer willing to make a deal (my local dealer won't budge off of MSRP yet).  The pick up and delivery is great.  Sometimes they don't always leave a loaner if it is just a quick oil change, but most of the time they will.  You do have to schedule in advance for that, but it isn't an issue.  We have an MkC and they usually use another MkC or MkX for the loaner.  They haven't upgraded to the Nautilus yet.  I think the Navigator owners get another Navigator, but the one ours uses is the Select or no option Reserve. 

You can get X-Plan pricing at most Lincoln dealers ... cheapest way is to sign up for the Ford Mustang Club ($25 for a year). When I was looking at the Navigator last year I think it worked out to be around $5,000 off MSRP. Some people probably could do better than that depending on their negotiating skills.

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58 minutes ago, Husker4theSpurs said:

You can get X-Plan pricing at most Lincoln dealers ... cheapest way is to sign up for the Ford Mustang Club ($25 for a year). When I was looking at the Navigator last year I think it worked out to be around $5,000 off MSRP. Some people probably could do better than that depending on their negotiating skills.

Dealers are not required to accept plan pricing. On Navigator's, supply has been constrained enough that they could sell every one they were allocated for sticker. Larger dealers might be more willing to deal, especially if they have several on the lot. I think the supply has finally started to pick up. Hopeful that the 2020's are more plentiful. 

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20 minutes ago, Flying68 said:

Dealers are not required to accept plan pricing. On Navigator's, supply has been constrained enough that they could sell every one they were allocated for sticker. Larger dealers might be more willing to deal, especially if they have several on the lot. I think the supply has finally started to pick up. Hopeful that the 2020's are more plentiful. 

That's why I said "most," not all.

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Comparable builds, the reserve doesnt have 30 way seats, but 24 way heated/cooled/ massage seats are std.  Also, the stock radio is comparable to the base b&o unit in the expy.  Lastly, the reserve l comes std with 4x4, so thats added to the expy as well as 2nd row buckets.  If i had nav money, id get bone stock navy l reserve.

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I ordered a Navigator Select with the 30 way seats and love them. I wanted a bench in the middle row. I did not want a sunroof and did want the technology package. I got x plan pricing and a $2000 rebate. Took about 6 weeks to get.

 

The HIUD and 30 way seats were most important for me. I found that the Navigator was worth the extra money for me.

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We decided on the Navigator Reserve and ordered before they were in showrooms.  We ordered the bench and have been extremely pleased with it since our kids are 2 and 3, my wife can jump back there if needs be.  My wife hated the look of the Expy interior, she thought it looked like a truck and it does.  The HUD was so worth it as was the 30 way seats.  Our dealer is amazing and we have made same day appointments without issue and gotten the loaner driven to us.  The loaner drop of feature was a big selling point for us since I’m a stay at home dad, sitting at the dealer is a no go.  If I get stuck with a smaller suv I make it work and it’s no biggie.  We do a lot of camping and just ordered a overland trailer so I’m going to have to get some different wheels for anything remotely technical off road but that’s really my only complaint.  It’s been nice to sit in the ventilated seats after camping for several days.  We did X plan as well.  Just call the dealer before hand.  After seeing the expy in person now we know we made the right choice.

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21 hours ago, boredinbirmingham said:

We decided on the Navigator Reserve and ordered before they were in showrooms.  We ordered the bench and have been extremely pleased with it since our kids are 2 and 3, my wife can jump back there if needs be.  My wife hated the look of the Expy interior, she thought it looked like a truck and it does.  The HUD was so worth it as was the 30 way seats.  Our dealer is amazing and we have made same day appointments without issue and gotten the loaner driven to us.  The loaner drop of feature was a big selling point for us since I’m a stay at home dad, sitting at the dealer is a no go.  If I get stuck with a smaller suv I make it work and it’s no biggie.  We do a lot of camping and just ordered a overland trailer so I’m going to have to get some different wheels for anything remotely technical off road but that’s really my only complaint.  It’s been nice to sit in the ventilated seats after camping for several days.  We did X plan as well.  Just call the dealer before hand.  After seeing the expy in person now we know we made the right choice.

Stay at home dad here too ... our kids are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2. I'm kind of concerned about opening the doors and pulling the kids out after having these ridiculously convenient sliding doors in the minivan ... do you find yourself having much trouble parking or concerns with fitting in a spot? I mean, I can park with the best of them so it's not an issue, but just curious. My wife is worried she will feel it's too big, but this will be my car primarily.

And your wife is right about the Expedition interior ... so much better in the Navigator. I do wish the Navigator had a dedicated heated steering wheel button like the Expedition however.

What exterior and interior color did you choose? How's it holding up with the beating kids can give to a vehicle?

Edited by Husker4theSpurs
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5 hours ago, Husker4theSpurs said:

Stay at home dad here too ... our kids are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2. I'm kind of concerned about opening the doors and pulling the kids out after having these ridiculously convenient sliding doors in the minivan ... do you find yourself having much trouble parking or concerns with fitting in a spot? I mean, I can park with the best of them so it's not an issue, but just curious. My wife is worried she will feel it's too big, but this will be my car primarily.

And your wife is right about the Expedition interior ... so much better in the Navigator. I do wish the Navigator had a dedicated heated steering wheel button like the Expedition however.

What exterior and interior color did you choose? How's it holding up with the beating kids can give to a vehicle?

The heated steering wheel buttons haven’t been an issue, there are two locations to turn it on and I’m ok with that.

the parking hasn’t been a problem unless someone parks next to you and they get too close.  I usually park on a corner spot or far enough away as to avoid close parkers.  Where I live the parking spaces are decent size so it’s ok.  Having driven in LA before those spots are tiny and there this vehicle would get dinged for sure.  The minivan sliding doors are hard to beat but that’s the only thing the minivan has over the Navigator IMHO and going from the minivan to anything without sliding doors will be a learning curve for a short while. 

My kids are 3.5 and 2.5 yrs old and typical for kids that age.  I make a point to stay on top of the mess as I obsess over the cleanliness of my vehicle.  We have a Dyson cordless that’s mounted in the garage so quick crumb cleanups are a breeze and I usually spend about 1-3 minutes every day or so keeping on top of the mats and car seats.  I also got the  cappuccino interior and it’s been relatively easy to keep clean.  Honestly, it looks as good as it did when new.  Exterior color is the Ingot Silver, it does a great job of hiding dirt.  

The kids love the giant sunroof by the way and have no problem climbing into the back at their current age.  We keep a double bob stroller and Osprey kid carrying back packs in the back and more recently a potty training potty. We have the regular length wheelbase and I think it’s just fine, my wife says get the L lol. 

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Thanks for the replies, we are looking at a gently used option if we can find one.  Looking for tow+tech - the tow package being the slightly more rare option.  First pick would be the 2nd row bench, followed by passthrough, and least popular now is the console.  I like the idea of being able to put some plywood in the back when I don't want to pull the utility trailer.  If I could pull out the console and replace it with a truck fridge/freezer unit that were as high as the folded seat backs, that might be interesting. 

 

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23 hours ago, Expy Aladocious said:

Thanks for the replies, we are looking at a gently used option if we can find one.  Looking for tow+tech - the tow package being the slightly more rare option.  First pick would be the 2nd row bench, followed by passthrough, and least popular now is the console.  I like the idea of being able to put some plywood in the back when I don't want to pull the utility trailer.  If I could pull out the console and replace it with a truck fridge/freezer unit that were as high as the folded seat backs, that might be interesting. 

 


I found a couple of 2018s used that had 2nd row bench on autotrader.com ... I think both were upper $60s to mid $70k maybe?

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  • 4 months later...
On 8/16/2019 at 4:39 PM, LincolnLawyer said:

I was originally looking at the Expedition Platinum, but at $78k it was hard to justify. I ended up getting my $91k MSRP Navigator L Reserve for $79k so it made sense. 

 

On 8/16/2019 at 5:26 PM, Flying68 said:

That is a sweet deal. Care to divulge how/where?

Yes, I consider myself a shrewd negotiator. Just ordered a Black Label for $1041 below invoice, but your price relative to MSRP is impressive. Rebates/incentives?

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