Though this segment has cooled somewhat with the rise in fuel prices, it's still one of the hottest. Our Best Buys are the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban.

Recommended are the Ford Expedition and GMC Yukon. For a few more bucks you can get the Toyota Land Cruiser. Its high price is the only thing holding back this refined and drivable SUV. We love the size, comfort, and power of these big SUVs but wish they got a few more miles per gallon.

Navigator bowed five seasons ago and really pumped up Lincoln's image, sales and profits. But the volume has since turned down, with year-to-year sales off 10 percent in calendar '99, another 3 percent in 2000, and a further 18.6 percent in the first nine months of 2001. Several factors account for this, but the main one appears to be the embattled national economy, which has accelerated the general sales decline for most all big SUVs.

A relative lack of change also hasn't helped, but just wait 'til next year. Like sister Ford Expedition, Navigator will be sustantially updated in both appearance and engineering. The big change is an independent rear suspension like that of the latest midsize Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer, which promises a much more car-like ride than today's old-fashioned solid axle can provide. Navigator will also be restyled to stand more clearly apart from Expedition and should offer more exclusive features, including a few borrowed from the related Blackwood "lux truck."

The revised Navigator will appear at about the same time as a second Lincoln SUV based on the latest Explorer/Mountaineer. To be called Aviator, it follows the Navigator formula with Lincolnesque looks and interior, plus more standard horsepower--a rumored 280 minimum from a massaged 4.6-liter V8. Expect a big wheel/tire package (17s or 18s) as standard, plus full-zoot trappings and a price to match. Buyers will have a choice of rear drive or Mountaineer's all-wheel drive.

But why stop there? Ford plans to expand the Lincoln lineup by mid-decade to include as many as eight models, and a luxury spinoff of Ford's compact Escape SUV is a strong prospect. If approved, it's likely to appear for model-year 2004 or '05. Lincoln may also be in for an uptown edition of the new high-body midsize Ford "sport wagon" due as a 2004 model. No word on which of these crossovers Lincoln would get, but we wouldn't surprised to see both.