Although the idea of a luxury sport-utility vehicle was at one time a contradiction in terms, it is now one of the hottest segments in today's auto market, and the reasoning behind Lincoln's Navigator.

By the end of 2001, the Navigator owned 40 percent of the luxury full-size SUV market. Just calling it a well-equipped version of the Ford Expedition doesn't take into account Navigator's high level of luxury amenities, such as an interior featuring rich leather and wood.

Navigator is designed to attract the buyer who wants the capabilities of a sport utility without sacrificing the features of a contemporary luxury sedan. This is taken ever further with the redesigned 2003 Navigator with a number of new luxury features as well as interior styling that combines design cues from the 1961 Lincoln Continental with modern lighting technology.

Since the Introduction of the Navigator in 1998, its been a reliable sport Utility all its owners can rely on. The Lincoln Navigator also comes in a two wheel drive version. The four wheel drive model is the better choice. It costs just over 3,000 more (around $44,000), but it is far more tractable and easier to drive. Off road, the 4WD is known to handle itself in any sort of terrain.