Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 Depoe Bay Oregon, 2023.

I've posed with many different vehicles in this same spot.

I was really looking forward to driving my Navigator on this trip. I'd already put almost 3,000 miles on it since I bought it last November. I've taken it on a few shorter trips, to Pismo beach, and Windsor, besides quite a few of those 100 mile plus round trips for errands and trips visiting family. 

This was a great drive because it combined so many different kinds of roadways; freeways, county highways, county byways, and even twisty mountain two lane roads. Up and down steep inclines, climbing to over 5,000 ft. of elevation, there was even a bit of snow still on the ground! This gave me the opportunity to become better acquainted with how the Navigator handles. Experience makes all the difference. I've got lots of experience with my F150, and have supreme confidence in how it will handle it in every situation. 

The Navigator didn't disappoint me. It tracks straight, steers accurately, and can go around curves as well as most cars. I found that I could maintain a very good clip up and down the mountains, I was never holding anyone up. My tactic is to let all the locals pass me, I make it easy to pass me in the passing lanes. I will even pull off onto the shoulder occasionally if a line of locals builds up behind me. If I'm driving at the speed limit I don't rush to do that, but sometimes this courtesy goes a long way. 

As you might expect the Nav is extremely comfortable to drive, it's spacious, quiet, and is very smooth riding. It has plenty of power whenever you need it. Driven in the manner for which it was designed, it is a quite relaxing place to pass the hours. 

On this trip I thought that I'd use mid grade instead of regular gas in the Navigator. Although premium is recommended, it seemed to run fine on regular. I wondered if maybe the engine control system didn't retard the spark a bit. With mid grade it could advance the spark a bit, making the engine run more efficiently. Maybe. When I reached Newport and turned onto n/b US101, I checked the mileage and found 20.5 mpg. 

That's over 2 mpg. better than the EPA  highway estimate of 18 mpg. I'm not saying that's great, but it's as good as it will ever get. Honestly it's right in line, or better, than many other full size or even mid size SUVs. 

Fuel economy was just below 20 mpg. (19.8) for the fill up from Newport to Klamath Falls. The final leg of the trip from Klamath Falls to the Bay Area  recorded 18.9 mpg. What's kind of amazing is seeing the "miles to empty" readout register at 500 miles. I arrived home with an estimated 110 miles left in the tank. 

I usually get pretty good gas mileage, mostly due to my feather foot.

Of course the tank holds a lot of gas, 27 gallons! It costs quite a bit to fill it, luckily we had three fill ups in Oregon where gas is cheaper. By taking the Navigator we were at a 3-5 mpg. disadvantage, comparing it to the Flex. 

I know that this kind of mileage won't make any Prius drivers envious, but considering that my other vehicle options might only return a best of 25-26 mpg. it isn't that bad. MyFlex usually gets 22-24 mpg. on long trips to keep things in perspective. 

I've been doing a lot of internet research and it appears that none of the Lincoln models gets very good mileage. There is only a two mile per gallon difference between the different models.  The new Navigator gets 20 mpg. the Aviator 22 mpg. The Nautilus, 24 mpg. The little Corsair might get up to 30 mpg.  So there really isn't much of a penalty if you pick the two largest models. 

I really enjoyed driving the Navigator, it has such a nice interior, and it's bright Ruby Red metallic with chrome wheels.  I like the way it looks, it's a classic Nav, with the original chrome Continental style grille, but with simplified bumpers and body side claddings, and with retractable running boards. Overall, a very classy looking rig, and I take great pride and enjoyment in driving it.

It is in many ways a continuation of the great Land Yachts of the 1950's and 1960's. I consciously chose this car over a vintage model. For me, it combines that classic American style with real practicality and everyday driveability. It's "Vintage Lite" at its best. 

My Son's model 3 is also blue.

During this trip I got to experience my first long ride in my Son's new Tesla. It is the compact model 3. He and his Wife joined us up in Oregon. 

He invited us to see the Multnomah Falls just out of Portland. My Wife and I rode in the back seat.

First of all, the car was finished and detailed like a quality car, the upholstery, interior fittings and all were nice, like in a real production car, there was no kit car vibe. This was just my prejudice going in. This is the smaller model, but rear seat leg room and headroom were fine for my 5'10'' frame, the glass roof sits a few inches higher than the exterior roof rail. The slanted roof opening took a bit of getting used to. It made my initial entries and exits a bit difficult, as it was easy to hit my head. Once I got used to bending my neck and ducking, getting in and out, it wasn't a problem. 

The a/c and ventilation worked great, and the ride was very smooth. It was equipped with 18'' wheels which give plenty of sidewall, and rolled smoothly over the broken and potholed sections of the roadway. As you might have expected, it was very quiet, but any ICE car with stock exhaust is also quiet. It was also pretty quick.

We stopped once for a quick top off charge, east of McMinville. The charging station was in a parking lot that had a nearby Starbucks, of course. After a 15 minute bathroom and coffee break, we were ready to continue. Tesla charging stations are going up everywhere and of course with the phone app it's easy to plan your stops to coincide with breaks and meal stops. 

Actually all the info that you need, and more, is available from the car's information systems. This is part of the appeal to young and first adopter type folks. They love all the tech, like hands free driving. I got to see that demonstrated, I guess that it is impressive. I can't say that I want my car to drive itself, I don't even like being a passenger!

My Son and his Wife found that the car could carry them and a weeks vacation worth of stuff in the front and rear trunks. With more passengers, or a kid or two, it would be a real tight fit. They drove home from Depoe Bay straight through, a distance of 600 miles. Having two drivers and being young, makes this much easier. Two years ago I drove home in one day, I even took a detour to see the coastal route. I was the only driver and it was tiresome and unnecessary. I won't be repeating that trip!

Overall I thought that the Tesla was fine, but as an old man, I wonder about the reliability and longevity of all that expensive, complicated technology. In response to anyone that says that electronics are more reliable and longer lived than mechanical systems I would respond,"How many laptops and phones have you gone through? Remember how your old phone was no longer supported when everything went to 5G?"

When they are new, and nearly new I suppose that they will hold up fine, but how long a lifespan will they have? There are mechanical systems in the Tesla, there are cooling and lubrication systems and things like wheel bearings and brake pads. But the electronic controls, on board computer systems, and the software that run them are the question. 

I suppose that for any original buyer that trades cars in three or four years, this isn't a real concern. Even with today's more complex ICE powered vehicles. Twin turbos, and hybrid drives are complex. I think that with new cars, I might decide that it is a better idea to lease, than to buy and expect to get a long service life from a vehicle. 

That also brings up the next problem, especially to old cheapskates like me. Cost. Playing in the electric car field is going to be more costly. A new EV that costs in the 30's and 40's thousands is much more expensive than picking up something 5-10 years old for fifteen grand or less. You may save on "fuel" but you will be paying more for  vehicle payments.

I spent a lot for gas on my trip, even with about 20 mpg. the Nav used almost four tankfuls of gas for the 1,400 miles with a bit over a hundred left on the tank when I got home. Three of those fill ups were in Oregon, where the gas was a bit cheaper, and altogether cost me approx 300.00. That may sound like a lot, but my other vehicle choices wouldn't have done much better than 25 mpg, or even less. And, the Navigator is bought and paid for, so no monthly payment.

I've put a trouble free 4,000 miles on the Navigator since I bought it last November. It turned over 113,000 miles on the way back. It is certainly an older used car, and that's always a risk, even with low miles. So far it's turned out well, and realistically I could double the current mileage! That is one strategy for car ownership!

Isn't my carbon footprint bigger than it should be? Who can say at this point. The Tesla itself doesn't emit hydrocarbons, but the electricity generating infrastructure, still mostly natural gas burning, and it's total manufacturing process does. While operating costs are lower, for a retired person that doesn't have a commute, or do much daily driving, the equation is unclear in my eyes. 

There are a couple of special parking slots in front of our local library reserved for "low emission" vehicles. I once used that spot to quickly return a book to the automated return kiosk. I told my Wife, that when I turn off my car, it's a zero emission vehicle!

I'm not going to get into the whole argument, electric cars are here, and they have their place. I don't hate them. ICE cars will remain available for a long time, and of course, there will be plenty of existing cars still on the market. 

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So what's my final verdict, is the Navigator "too much?" 

My conclusion is that the Navigator is not too much, but it is... a lot!

If it's more than you need, you can give it a pass. But if it will fill all your needs, then it's just right. I found it to be a satisfying luxury vehicle, all of it's added capabilities, are just icing on the cake. 

You make the call.