Boston.com's view

When the Lincoln Navigator was introduced for the 1997 model year as the first full-size luxury SUV, I had one thought: Who’s going to buy this thing? So far, 189,836 people, willing to pony up $50,000, $60,000, or more to ride in opulence in what still is a body-on-frame truck.

Word of mouth (and a peek in player parking lots at baseball parks, football stadiums,, and basketball venues) says that professional athletes love the Navigator. Basketball players love them because Navigators are big. Football players love them because they are big. For all I know, jockeys love them because they are big.

Now comes the 2003 Navigator, the most luxurious of all, in three models, Luxury, Premium, and Ultimate (as tested). And though I had my early doubts about Navigator sales, other luxury brands have had to follow suit: Cadillac, Lexus, BMW, and, coming soon, Porsche are now in the large luxury market. Navigator, in the face of this competition, is holding up quite well, thank you, cornering about 40 percent of the market.

The 2003 Navigator will do nothing less than solidify that market share.

It arrives with a new pugnacious nose (split by an easily identified Lincoln grille) that sits beneath a hood line that is four inches higher and a beefy wrap around bumper that is two inches lower.

It comes in two-wheel- and four-wheel-drive versions and, in the unlikely event anyone actually takes one of these swank rigs offroad, has honest-to-God tow hooks protruding from the bumper.

The inside oozes luxury, with a textured, leather-look black coating to the upper dash, burled walnut bisecting the dash horizontally, and creamy, textured leather-something swathing the lower half. A brushed-nickel center console with navigation, audio, and climate controls sits at center dash, right below a nifty analog clock that looks like it could have been plucked from an early ’60s Continental.

The plush leather seats are air-conditioned up front (cool air blows through tiny perforations) and are soft yet supportive. The second-row seats come in two forms — a bench for three that splits 40/20/40, or a pair of buckets with center console (again, as tested). The third-row bench splits 60/40, folds flat into the floor when not needed, and offers a whopping three feet of leg room for rear-seat passengers.

White LED lights — 120 of them — are used throughout on buttons, switches, and lit areas. At night they cast a warm, white glow over the interior.

Power options abound: the running boards (available only on the Ultimate) are power, folding under the rocker panels when the doors are closed, popping out a full four inches when doors are opened. The rear lid is a power unit and takes about 10 seconds to open or close. That folding rear seat is also a power job, its sections easing themselves down and flat in seconds. Even the heated outside mirrors ar e power folding.

The engine is a 5.4-liter, DOHC V-8 that produces 300 horsepower and 355 lb.-ft. of torque.

There have been some complaints from automotive critics that this isn’t enough power for a three-ton truck, but I really had no problems with its ability to move the big rig. Sure, there are those who want, for some strange reason, high performance starts from their SUVs, and rumors of the V-10 Triton engine making its way into future Navigators should soothe those complaints. In the meantime, this engine does just fine, linked to a four-speed automatic transmission that has an overdrive lockout and oil cooler. Towing capacity is a more than respectable 8,300 pounds.

If you live in New England, you need the 4WD version of the Navigator.

This version can be run in 2WD, with all torque going to the rear wheels.

It can be put into full-time all-wheel-drive, with electronic monitors watching front and rear drive shaft speeds and sending as much as 100 percent of the torque forward if the rear wheels spin. In 4WD high range, torque is split evenly for easy offroad travel or moving in moderate mud or snow. Low-range 4WD gives a gear reduction for the necessary crawling offroad situations or deep mud, sand, or snow.

Traction control systems monitor wheel spin and use antilock brakes and engine torque control to prevent slippage. The additon of optional Advancetrac means the Navigator can move even if only one wheel finds purchase. It also detects over- and understeer and corrects to prevent skids.

On the road, this is a truck that does not drive like a truck.

The steering — finally from Lincoln, rack-and-pinion — has remarkable response and feel, more like a fine sedan than an SUV.

Also new is a four-wheel independent suspension system that features short- and long-arm with monotube dampers, air springs, and stabilizer bar up front and, in the rear, short- and long-arm toe links, monotube dampers, air springs, and stabilizer bar.

The suspension and a thick treatment of insulation makes for a remarkably smooth and quiet ride. Whisper quiet, in fact.

The Navigator changed lanes smoothly and quickly in highway passing and displayed virtually no roll or yaw in cornering on sharp, backcountry roads.

Safety features include dual-stage front airbags and a side-curtain airbag system for front-seat and middle-row passengers. Later this year, a tire pressure monitoring system will be an option.

In 1997, I hadn’t a clue about who would pay tens of thousands of dollars for a big, luxurious SUV.

Now I know. People who will spend tens of thousands to ride in huge space and oozing opulence.

2003 Lincoln Navigator
Base price: $48,775
Price as tested: $60,040
Horsepower: 300
Torque: 355 lb.-ft.
Wheelbase: 118.8 inches
Overall length: 206 inches
Width: 80.2 inches
Height: 77.8 inches
Curb weight: 5,994 lbs.
Seating: 7-8 passengers
Fuel economy: 13.4 miles per gallon
Source: Ford Motor Co., Lincoln Division; fuel economy from Globe testing.
Nice touch
The giant consoles between both the front and mid-row bucket seats. Deep, roomy, and useful.
Annoyance
The lids on those selfsame consoles. They have pointed overhangs on each corner at the front that make them look and feel like they don’t fit right. I’d expect a cleaner fit at these prices.