Lincoln Navigator - With a dash of decorum

So, you're cruising the streets in your Lincoln Navigator, captivated by the smaller objects and automobiles that risk getting pulled into the large truck's own gravitational field. The vehicles light up with the glint off of the massive chrome grille, reflecting back to your eyes. Now what if in this spine-chilling (albeit theoretical) situation, you forget what you're driving? The horror!

Not to fear: Lincoln's got your back. (And front and sides, as it turns out.) Right between the chrome-rimmed gauges is a big "Lincoln" label. Crisis averted. Whew. But, if that didn't work, you can figure out what you're driving from the:

• Lincoln crest on the steering wheel
• Embroidered Lincoln crest on each front seat headrest
• "Navigator" embossed into each door pull surround
• Tiny "Lincoln" written on the clock
• Lincoln crest on a chrome plate on each front door

And, just so that passersby don't miss what you're driving, let's add:

• Massive Lincoln crests on the front grille and tail gate
• "Navigator" in the chrome strip on each front door
• Two "Lincoln" labels and one crest on each hubcap
• And, of course, the full "Lincoln Navigator" badging on the rear tail gate

So, by that count, we're up to 11 Lincolns, 7 Navigators, and 11 Lincoln crests. (And I probably missed some.) Funny thing is, it makes a Cadillac Escalade look demure and understated by comparison.

The Ford Expedition I drove recently shares the Navigator's platform and some traits, also prominently displaying "Expedition" between the gauges. What bothers me is that somehow Ford/Lincoln has room for the badge in the instrument panel, but didn't see fit to put in an in-dash gear display, a common omission in recent Ford products. I'd rather be reminded what gear I'm in--especially since it's easy to slide the shifter past Drive--than be reminded of the name of the SUV that I already bought and may be making payments on.

--Tom Mutchler