Transportation

Car Review: 2015 Lincoln Navigator

Published

10 years ago

February 23, 2015

By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist

DETROIT (NNPA)–For a while there, it seemed like the Lincoln Navigator was headed to the trash heap. That’s how long it took the brand to fashion a new generation of the first luxury full-size sport utility. But for 2015, Lincoln has managed to mesh new and traditional in a very appealing package.

Sheet metal design is important but luxury is conveyed in the interior of any vehicle and Lincoln followed that adage. The Navigator was the first three-rowed luxury sport utility on the market and Lincoln has swathed all three rows of its newest edition in leather.

The brand has gone so far as to hand wrap the instrument panel in leather with contrasting stitching. Our vehicle had a “dune” leather dashboard that matched its heated and cooled front bucket seats. There was new to the auto industry Ziricote wood trim. Lincoln said it is a natural grain wood that is used as accents on yachts.

Buttons were nicely mixed with the touch screen on the 2015 Lincoln Navigator. The center stack was set back in the dash and it wasn’t overwhelming. The touch screen was intuitive, each group of digital controls was plainly marked and there was no need for a mouse. It was simple, cleanly styled and it was easy to use.

Lincoln has mastered the operation of its SYNC with MyLincoln Touch system that allowed the driver to use voice-activated or touch screen controls to make phone calls, play music, manage the navigation system or set cabin temperature. We did use the voice controls on our test vehicle successfully to make a phone call; that was an accomplishment. Simply because a vehicle has voice controls doesn’t mean you can control anything orally because a lot of the systems don’t understand the command you are giving.

Again mixing new and traditional, the instrument display featured an analogue speedometer in the center and configurable TFT screens on either side. It was clean, looked upscale and lacked the pedestrian style of some full TFT instrument panels.

The second row seat was heated, it was a 40-20-40 beach seat and the second row also had its own set of climate controls as well as limited media controls. The seatbacks flipped forward and the seat cushion sprang forward creating even more cargo space.

The third row seat backs power folded forward creating a flat cargo space with the folded seat backs of the second row. The power liftgate completed an interior that was luxurious, cleanly styled and functional. Our Navigator was configured to carry seven or eight people, depending on the size of the third-row passengers.

We had the 119-inch wheelbase version of the 2015 Lincoln Navigator; there is an extended (131-inch) wheelbase version. Either or, the split wing grille on the Navigator was certainly split but it didn’t have the upward sweep of wings. Still, it was a new grille along with the hood and a more rounded front end.

LED running lights accentuated the headlights and LEDs were used for taillights in the rear. A chrome-tipped exhaust stood out and puddle lamps that shone the Lincoln badge on the pavement beneath the front door were a nice touch.

Our test vehicle featured 22-inch polished aluminum wheels and black power running boards that deployed when any Navigator door opened and then retracted when it closed.

As new as the 2015 Lincoln Navigator was in terms of exterior and interior styling, the real news was under the hood. The lone engine for the Navigator is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that made a thumping 380 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque at 2,750 rpm.

But the thumping was rhetorical. This dual turbocharged engine was quiet, it moved the Navigator with authority, acceleration was instant, response to driver input was sports car quick and the suspension system removed the small bus feel of most full-size utility vehicles. It was a nice ride.

Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, we had the four-wheel-drive Navigator. It got 15 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg combined. Our 4X4 Navigator weighed 6,069 pounds and it could tow 8,600 pounds.

Our test vehicle had a base price of $65,055. Add options and a $995 freight charge and the total came to $72,900. That is a premium price but the 2015 Lincoln Navigator is a luxury full-size body on frame sport utility. What is that old saying? You get what you pay for.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Bay Area

Former Mayor Willie L. Brown Endorses Dana Lang for BART Board District 7

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island. Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.

Published

2 months ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo courtesy of Dana Lang.

By Oakland Post Staff

Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.

“When I met with Dana Lang I asked many questions, then I asked others about her contributions. Getting to know her I realized that she truly understood transportation. At a time when BART is facing a “fiscal cliff” and an upcoming deficit of nearly $360 million per year, Dana is more than ready for this job, she is ready to meet the moment!”

Over the past 24 years Lang has been a funding and grants specialist with several municipal transportation agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Muni, San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Lang says, “I’ve faced a number of fiscal crises in my career — such as securing $52 million in new transit security funding for SFMTA (Muni) during the 2008 Great Recession, when others thought it was not possible. I have always managed to identify new funding and ways to make transit more secure. Facing a crisis is the best time to act, through advocacy and policy setting. We’ve got to keep BART running and make it safer and more vibrant in order to meet the needs of our riders, our work force, and our community.”

Lang grew up in the low-income minority community of East Palo Alto, CA, and knew that locating grants and resources could positively impact an entire city and its surrounding region — helping to create and retain agency jobs, getting transit riders to their workplaces, and encouraging small business development near transit hubs.

With that in mind, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College, then an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She started her municipal career as a policy advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris and helped secure grants for the City of Oakland before moving to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to serve as a transportation grants specialist.

During her 24-year career she has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for Bay Area transit agencies and municipalities. In addition to BART’s financial health, Lang’s priorities for BART also include safety, cleanliness, station vitality — and bringing riders back to BART. She has served on the BART Police Civilian Review Board since 2022.

Lang is also endorsed by BART Board Director Robert Raburn, former BART Board Director Carole Ward Allen, the Rev. Amos Brown, pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, Alameda County supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan, and many others.

Lang is seeking the BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes San Francisco’s Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island, a large portion of Oakland, the cities of Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, and a small portion of Berkeley.

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Bay Area

Alameda County Supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley Endorse Dana Lang for BART Board District 7

Alameda County Supervisors Nate Miley and Keith Carson have announced their support for Dana Lang for the BART Board District 7 Seat. These supervisors say that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.

Published

3 months ago

October 1, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of Dana Lang.

By Oakland Post Staff

Alameda County Supervisors Nate Miley and Keith Carson have announced their support for Dana Lang for the BART Board District 7 Seat.

These supervisors say that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.

Supervisor Nate Miley acknowledges that, “At a time when BART is facing a “fiscal cliff” and an upcoming deficit of nearly $360 million per year, Dana is the person for the job. As a transportation leader, Dana Lang is exactly ready to meet this moment.”

Over the past 24 years, Lang has been a funding and grants specialist with several municipal transportation agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Muni, San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Dana Lang says, “I’ve faced a number of fiscal crises in my career — such as securing $52 million in new transit security funding for SFMTA (Muni) during the 2008 Great Recession, when others thought it was not possible. I have always managed to identify new funding and ways to make transit more secure. Facing a crisis is the best time to act, through advocacy and policy setting. We’ve got to keep BART running and make it safer and more vibrant in order to meet the needs of our riders, our work force, and our community.”

Lang grew up in the low-income minority community of East Palo Alto and knew that locating grants and resources could positively impact an entire city and its surrounding region — helping to create and retain agency jobs, getting riders to their workplaces, and encouraging small business development near transit hubs. With that in mind, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College, then an MBA from Cal Berkeley Haas School of Business.

She started her municipal career as a policy advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris and helped secure grants for the City of Oakland before moving to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. During her 24-year career she has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for Bay Area transit agencies and municipalities. In addition to BART’s financial health, Lang’s priorities for BART also include safety, cleanliness, station vitality and bringing riders back to BART.

She has served on the BART Police Civilian Review Board since 2022.

Lang is also endorsed by BART Board Director Robert Raburn, former BART Board Director Carole Ward Allen, Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker, former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Oakland Councilperson Janani Ramachandran, Alameda Councilperson Tracy Jensen, Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan, and many others.

Lang is seeking the BART Board District 7 Seat, which covers most of the East Bay, including Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, and a small portion of Berkeley. The district also includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island in San Francisco.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Congresswoman Lee Celebrates Federal Green Transportation Investments for California

Published

3 months ago

September 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

OAKLAND, CA — Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today celebrated the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) announcement of two grants for California to expand clean transportation infrastructure. The DOT announced that Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) will receive over $14 million to install Level 2 EV charging ports at all BART-managed parking facilities for use by customers and community members. The DOT also announced that the California Department of Transportation will receive $102 million for the West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project to deploy charging and hydrogen fueling stations for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles along 2,500 miles of key freight corridors in California, Oregon, and Washington.

The transportation sector is the largest source of U.S. carbon emissions. According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a 50 percent reduction in carbon must be achieved by 2050—and as much as a 91 percent decrease by 2100—to stay within the globally accepted goal of limiting the planet’s warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Today, I am excited to announce that BART has been selected to receive this critical federal funding to help expand mobility and end fossil fuel dependence,” said Congresswoman Lee. “It is especially important the first phase of the project will prioritize deployment at stations in or near disadvantaged communities. BART is an essential part of our public transit system, and these funds will improve transit for its riders in throughout the Bay Area.”

By installing chargers at BART stations that are close to multifamily housing, workplaces, medical facilities, schools, and retail, the project will support robust EV adoption across a wide range of socioeconomic groups and road users.

Furthermore, because of discriminatory policies, highways were built near and through Black and brown communities, making these communities much more vulnerable to chronic illnesses associated with disproportionate exposure to air pollution. A reduction in gas-powered cars will be especially beneficial to communities of color and low-income communities who have been disproportionately harmed by infrastructural and environmental injustices.

The West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project will enable the emissions-free movement of goods connecting major ports, freight centers, and agricultural regions between the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.

On this funding, Congresswoman Lee said: “This funding will go a long way toward not only combatting the climate crisis, but it will create good-paying jobs as well. I thank the Department of Transportation and the Biden-Harris administration for their continued commitment to a cleaner and healthier environment.”

Last year, alongside the California delegation, Congresswoman Lee sent a letter to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging support for the grant application of the West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure program.