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2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label Drivers' Notes Review | American luxury

For years, the Lincoln Navigator played second fiddle to the Cadillac Escalade. Even with a refresh a few years back, the big ute couldn't quite match what Cadillac (or anyone else in the class) offered. The design looked dated, and the interior felt a full generation behind. Things sure have changed, as the new Navigator might just be the first Lincoln in years that gets near-universal praise from the Autoblog staff. This class of SUV may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Lincoln deserves credit for doing more than just phoning it in. Our tester this week is a Chroma Crystal Blue short-wheelbase Navigator Black Label. That's the top-trim model, so features like heated and ventilated leather seating, full-LED lighting, a panoramic moonroof, a 20-speaker audio system and adaptive suspension are all standard. The only options on our 2018 model were the $1,750 paint and the $1,250 perfect-position seats. At $98,320, it isn't cheap, but it's right on the mark for the segment. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The Lincoln Navigator is a demonstrative improvement in luxury, power and design. It's more sophisticated and elegant than ever before, but it remains true to itself. The interior is gorgeous — the best-looking cabin I've ever seen in a Navigator — and it's the best in the segment. The Cadillac Escalade, which is still great but is due for a freshening, feels dated and less user-friendly inside, by comparison. Our Navigator, outfitted in the Black Label trim, looks like something out of a 1960s Camelot photo spread. The powder blue materials remind me of old pictures of Jackie Kennedy. The way the Lincoln crest appears above the glovebox also feels very Jet Age. The knobs, switches and buttons for the controls add to the retro look, but they're also tactile and functional. People don't want to navigate four touchscreens to adjust the heat. Lincoln and other carmakers are wisely going back to simplicity for interior features. That being said, the interior has all the modern features and amenities you would expect. Sync 3 is solid. The large touchscreen is easy to read and use. It's colorful and intuitive. Finally, it's a Sync system I can get on board with. The seats are comfortable, supportive, and the front ones can be positioned 30 different ways. There's so much variety I never found the perfect spot in my two nights in the Navigator. The exterior touches from the most recent redesign accentuate the Navigator's luxurious feel.

Ford recalls 1.3 million Fusions, MKZs: Steering wheels could come off

When driving a car, the steering wheel is only expected to move in a rotational fashion, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. When it moves in some other direction, something is wrong, and when it moves the wrong way enough that it is no longer attached to the steering column, that's a really, really bad thing. And apparently, according to a recall issued by Ford, there are over 1.3 million Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZs that are at risk of this happening. And at least two accidents and one injury have been attributed to the issue. Ford says the problem is that the steering wheel bolt that keeps the wheel attached to the column might not provide enough torque, resulting in the bolt slowly loosening and working its way off the column. The good news is that the fix is really simple. Ford will install a larger bolt with more threads along with a larger nylon patch to keep it all locked down. The fix is completely free to owners. Cars affected by the recall include 2014 to 2017 Fusions built built at the Flat Rock plant in Michigan between August 6, 2013, and February 29, 2016. Model year 2014-2018 Fusions and MKZs built at the Hermosillo factory in Mexico are also affected. So if you have one of those sedans, please get in touch with your local dealer to have the issue addressed. Related Video:

2013 Lincoln MKZ [w/video]

Rebranding When Reinvention Is Requisite
Lincoln - pardon us, the Lincoln Motor Company - assures us that Ford is committed to its success. The awkwardness of the statement (which feels vaguely like your mother telling you that she loves and supports you regardless of what everyone else thinks) was hard to escape when we recently spent a few days with the all-new second-generation 2013 Lincoln MKZ.
Launched earlier this year at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the MKZ is a midsize premium sedan that shares platforms with the Ford Fusion (also all-new for 2013). The sedan's primary competitors, according to Lincoln, include the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac CTS and Lexus ES Series sedans - each an established, accomplished player.