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Smooth or Rough - What do owners say


kwilkins

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I have been reading and viewing a lot of reviews on the Navigator and the comments regarding ride quality are all over the board.  Some reviews praise how smooth the ride is and others complain about how bumps and rough roads make the ride unsettled and too rough.  I would be purchasing a Back Label and therefore I believe default into having to take the 22 inch wheels.

 

I'm interested to hear what actual owners think about the ride quality of the Navigator and how it compares to other similar vehicles you have owned or cross-shopped prior to purchasing the Navigator.

 

Thanks to all who can shed some light on ride quality.  

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You really shouldn't worry too much about what others say and just go drive it for yourself on the roads you would normally drive on.   Ride quality can be somewhat subjective.

 

I will say Ford does a good job managing ride quality on larger wheels.  We have 21" wheels on our MKX and the ride is very good.

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I guess it depends on what you are used to. I'm not a big fan of low profile tires but the wheels that come from the factory are a good compromise for looks and ride comfort. Before I got my 2019 Reserve with all options but the entertainment system, I test drove Infinity QX60, QX80 GMC Acadia Denali and Expedition Platinum. I know the QX60 and Acadia are not full size but the Navigator had a much better ride. I could of got a better deal on the Expedition but the Navigator had a better interior,  better ride and Heads up Display (I'm not sure the 30 way seats are a lot more comfortable but the are adjustable!). I did not compare to an Escalade because I did not like the interior for model year 2018. For a nearly 3 ton vehicle and almost a year of driving, I still give the Navigator 5 stars on drive quality .

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We traded in a 2016 ESV for a 2019 Nav black label L.  The Nav has a much smoother ride than the ESV but the tradeoff is it isn't quite as sporty.  It still does have the typical 22" bounce when hitting a rough patch but overall it is quiet, smooth and refined on the road...

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I believe when compared to the truck  competitors like escalade and qx80, it rides pretty favorably.  Compared to car based suvs like gls, x7 and range rover, its not as good.  I haven't driven none of the competitors but an escalade.  After test driving a nav, the nav rides well above the escalade(atleast early builds, the Gm utes have since been retuned).  Honestly, its the best ride of any suv ive driven, but there was no "rough" stretch that i drove on. I dnt know about qx80, but seen that its not quite as nice as the nav or expy. I would say go test one if you can and compare.  If lincoln offers the air glide which i think they will soon, it will most likely be near the top of the class.

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My view is that the ride in town on rougher roads is too soft so the truck bounces excessively. Sport mode makes the ride better, but then you have the transmission acting aggressively. I would love the option just to stiffen the suspension for in town driving without changing the transmission programming. On the highway, on the other hand, the ride is superb in normal mode. Really amazing.

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akirby: That is exactly what I would like, but the Navi only has Normal and Excite drive modes. I'm not fully sure what Excite does, but I know that it affects shifting and I suspect it creates fake engine noise, neither of which I want.

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The nav also has an eco mode which softens the suspension even more.  I did try this on the hwy and thought it was a bit too much but normal mode is quite nice.  Of note, the 2020 nav comes std with ccd now, so the base model will have 20in wheels with the ccd.  This should make the ride even better 

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The experience is all over the place because the ride is both very smooth Courtesy of the computer controlled dampening and body motions and .... also very stiff courtesy of the 22” no sidewall to speak of tires. Drive one and decide for yourself. 

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56 minutes ago, Alx said:

The experience is all over the place because the ride is both very smooth Courtesy of the computer controlled dampening and body motions and .... also very stiff courtesy of the 22” no sidewall to speak of tires. Drive one and decide for yourself. 

 

I wonder if Lincoln would let me order a Black Label with the 20" wheels.  

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