2021 Lincoln Navigator

The redesigned, fourth-generation Lincoln Navigator was launched in 2017 as a 2018 model and competes in the uppermost SUV segment where other full-size, three-row SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes-Benz GLS, and BMW X7 rivals reside. Three trim levels are offered - and none of them are cheap. With an MSRP of over $76k for the base model, and the Black Label trim easily cracking the $100k mark, this is the most expensive vehicle in the Lincoln range.

The Ford Expedition on which the Navigator is based starts at only $49,995 and shares the same underpinnings and powertrain, although suitably detuned not to tread on the Navigator's toes. The powertrain in question is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 gas engine with 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque and a ten-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. Can the Navigator justify its hefty premium? Even more importantly, does it have the on-road poise to hide its 'T3' truck chassis and hold its head high among its rivals? The Navigator's ride and transmission refinement are a letdown, but perhaps it has enough redeeming features to stave off the competition. Let's find out.

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator bears the most imposing rendition of the Lincoln family look, enhanced even more because of its size. An Escalade might be more in-your-face, but the Navigator is arguably more elegant. Standard models have roof rails, 20-inch, machined aluminum wheels, all-LED exterior lighting, with adaptive headlights. Reserve models get 22-inch wheels, power-deployable illuminated running boards, and a powered, panoramic Vista Roof. The Monochromatic Package is optional on the Reserve, for added blacked-out exterior bits. The Black Label trim runs on 22-inch Ultra-bright alloys with pockets finished in Ebony, has an illuminated Lincoln star in the grille, and comes standard with 4WD and a heavy-duty towing package. This top-end trim can also be had with the Special Edition Package, which adds black painted wheels, a black painted roof, a unique grille, and a Lincoln Star Hub wheel ornament.

The full-size Navigator SUV is a very large car and we're not even talking about the extended-wheelbase models, which are identified by the 'Navigator L' moniker. Even the normal Navigator has huge dimensions, with a length of 210 inches, a wheelbase of 122.5 inches, and a height of 76.4 inches (76.3 for the 4WD model). Threading it through a narrow lane will be difficult with a width of 93.8 inches including mirrors. Even with the mirrors folded, it's 83.6 inches wide. However, this is par for the three-row SUV course, with the Escalade being of a very similar size. Minimum ground clearance is a decent 9.6 inches for the 4WD models (9.7 for the 4x2), but because of the long wheelbase and sizable overhangs, the 4WD's 22.2/21.1/21.9-degree approach/breakover/departure angles will limit how far off the beaten track you can go. The base curb weight of an RWD Navigator is 5,645 pounds while the 4WD tips the scales at 5,870 lbs.

Five no-cost colors are offered on the Standard model, and these are Silver Radiance, Green Gem, Infinite Black, Signature Navy, and Asher Gray. Ceramic Pearl, Pristine White, and Burgundy Velvet cost $695 extra. On the Reserve trim, Flight Blue is added to the list of extra-cost hues.

For the Black Label, the choices are Infinite Black, Silver Radiance, Pristine White, Burgundy Velvet, and Flight Blue, all included in the price and not charged extra for. Two exclusive $1,750 hues are available on the Black Label only: Chroma Molten Gold and Chroma Crystal Blue. Flight Blue and Silver Radiance suit the Navigator's lines particularly well.

For the Navigator, only the best will do, and the performance specifications reflect this. There is only one engine and transmission combination for all models: a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 with 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, mated to a ten-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. The only drivetrain variations available are RWD or 4WD.

Perhaps Lincoln is of the opinion that quoting drag-strip figures is a bit uncouth for their premium land yacht, so they don't; however, independent testing suggests that all Navigators should be able to complete the 0-60 mph sprint in under six seconds, which is quite quick for something so large. Top speed is limited to 115 mph - going that fast in a near-6,000-pound SUV is tempting fate, though, even where it's legal. Towing capacity is 8,700 lbs for the RWD and 8,300 lbs for the 4WD, making this ideal for those weekends away with your boat in tow. With the optional Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package fitted, the 4WD models get an additional two-speed transfer case with a Slow Climb mode to tow heavy rigs up steep inclines.

Lincoln has eschewed a big V8 like the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated unit used in its Cadillac Escalade rival for a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with more power and torque, in the interest of fuel economy. The engine develops 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque and can be had with either RWD or 4WD drivetrain - except on the Black Label, which is 4WD only. Both RWD and 4WD models are coupled to a ten-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, but a two-speed transfer case can be added to 4WD models as part of a heavy-duty towing package. This package can be added to RWD models too, but they do without the two-speed transfer case.

The drivetrain certainly has the measure of the Cadillac Escalade, offering better performance and refinement, despite the Navigator's weight penalty. The Escalade's V8 is a little agricultural and short on refinement by comparison and runs out of puff at the top end. Both SUVs share the same ten-speed automatic transmission jointly developed by GM and Ford.

We can't say this isn't a big beast, or that it drives smaller than it looks, because it doesn't. It's a pain to get out of a crowded parking lot, but Lincoln did a fantastic job tuning this engine for its task of moving a three-ton house on wheels down to the corner store and back. The V6 usually stays in the meat of the powerband. The Navigator does go quickly, and if we were to pick a point when it doesn't feel absolutely enormous, on acceleration would be the time. But press down on those long-travel brakes and you'll be well aware of how much weight you're dragging to a stop. The transmission can get flummoxed at times and is prone to occasionally thumping and clunking its way about the multiple ratios around town.

The Navigator comes loaded with seven drive modes including Normal, Conserve, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions, Slow Climb and Deep Sand. Excite is the Lincoln version of a standard sport mode; the throttle gets more sensitive and the shifts come later. Conserve is an economical mode and the rest are self-explanatory. We stayed in Excite most of the time as it suited our driving style. We did click over to slippery when we cruised through some narrow, muddy trails, but we're sure it would have been fine in any mode as the Navigator feels almost impervious to outside forces.

What isn't ideal - and will probably be addressed at the mid-cycle refresh - is the Navigator's suspension. It's not that it's bad, but the truck genes cannot quite be disguised sufficiently as the Navigator proves unable to properly isolate its occupants from the shocks transmitted by larger road scars, despite the standard adaptive dampers fitted. The problem is worse on the larger, 22-inch wheels. It would be wise to tick the box for the optional air suspension to address some of these shortcomings. Thanks to standard Roll Stability Control, cornering is quite composed and body lean contained, but it never matches the precision and poise of the Escalade, never mind the German competition.

It doesn't matter which configuration you choose, the Navigator is a thirsty beast that drinks lots of gas. The RWD model's EPA-rated city/highway/combined figures are 16/22/18 mpg and the 4WD is worse at 16/20/17. So, has Lincoln's ploy to use a boosted V6 to reduce fuel consumption worked? Well, yes, if judged by the rival V8 Cadillac Escalade: RWD models manage 15/20/17 mpg and cannot even beat the 4WD Navigator's figure. The 4WD Caddy's figures are heavier still at 14/19/16. These are all terrible figures, but it goes with the territory if you're opting for a full-size gas-powered SUV. Cadillac offers a more economical diesel-powered Escalade too, but Lincoln doesn't.

Even with its 23.6-gallon gas tank, the thriftiest Navigator won't get more than around 425 miles on the combined cycle before it runs dry.

The Navigator majors on size, luxury, and comfort and was designed to transport seven passengers, but offers up to 8 seats when optioned up. As such, passengers occupying the front seats get a center console with winged armrests, overhead sunglasses storage, and a conversation mirror, and passengers in the second and third rows get fast-charging USB ports. Premium materials are used and they are of excellent quality, even if the squidgy plastics don't have quite the solidity and density of a BMW X7's. Tri-zone climate control with rear controls and vents is standard, there's genuine wood trim, and heated and ventilated front seats. Overall, the interior ambiance is among the best in class.

The Lincoln Navigator seats seven or eight passengers, depending on whether you spec a bench seat for the second row. With adjustments for bolsters, leg length, middle back angle, and headrest, these might be the best seats out there for adjustability. If we had to complain, we might ask for a little more padding.

The central, woodgrain armrest is huge, with spaces for drinks and other storage. Overall the cabin feels massive - especially in the front. It's within an inch of the Cadillac Escalade in first-row headroom at 41.8 inches. It's close in legroom and shoulder room, too. The second row feels huge as well. With Captain's chairs specified, head-, leg-, and shoulder room measure 40 inches, 41.1 inches, and 65.1 inches, respectively. This is plenty of space for an adult, and more than enough for anyone smaller than average size. Surprisingly, the third row is relatively roomy too, with 37.3 inches of headroom, 42.3 inches of legroom, 64.2 inches of shoulder room, and 51.4 inches of hip room. It also folds flat when you need to carry something big.

The premium leather seat upholstery in the Standard Navigator can be had in either Ebony or Cappuccino hues. The Reserve trim also offers these two but adds Dark Slate and Ebony/Russet as well. For Venetia Leather, you'll have to opt for the Black Label, which comes in Alpine/Espresso, Blue Bay/Sand, or Mahogany Red. However, you can also select certain interior themes, the default being Chalét, with Destination and Yacht Club as options. Depending on the theme, some of the interior and exterior color choices may be linked and others excluded, so check your combination carefully. None of these options attracts an extra charge. Genuine wood trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are standard on all derivatives.

The Navigator offers decent trunk space behind the third row; the 19.3 cubic feet offered in this configuration is plenty for the weekly shopping or the kids' paraphernalia on the school run. Folding down the 60/40-split third row liberates lots of extra space and this varies from 57.5 to 63.6 cu-ft, depending on the position of the sliding second row. With both second and third rows folded, a cavernous 103.3 cu-ft is on offer.

If the second-row bench is specified, it splits 40/20/40. Still, as good as these figures are, they are beaten by about 20 percent on average by the Escalade, although the Navigator soundly bests the X7. The BMW can only muster 12.8 cu-ft behind the third row, rising to 48.6 behind the second row and 90.4 with all seats folded.

In terms of interior storage options, all passengers are well catered for and there are many cubbies and receptacles of various sizes for passengers' oddments. There is an overhead console with a sunglasses holder and the center console bin in front is sizable too.

The list of standard features is impressively long, even on the base model. This includes leather upholstery, an overhead sunglasses holder and conversation mirror, a 12-inch configurable digital gauge cluster, a heated steering wheel, adaptive LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, tri-zone climate control, a 110-Volt/150-Watt AC power outlet, active noise control, ambient lighting, and a wireless phone-charging pad. Among the many standard safety features are blind-spot warning, forward collision mitigation, cruise control, and lane-keeping assist.

A variety of extra features are added at Reserve level, such as a panoramic sunroof, more luxurious front seats, adaptive cruise control, powered and illuminated running boards, and a 360-degree camera system. A head-up display is optional.

The Black Label gets even better front seats with a massaging function and Venetian leather, the head-up display as standard, unique interior trim packages, and the heavy-duty towing package.

A 10-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen sits atop the center dash and offers sharp graphics through the SYNC 3 system and is easy to read on the move. Incorporated in the infotainment system are USB ports for all three rows, along with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system works in conjunction with the Lincoln Way smartphone app (with related services), to which owners are subscribed for free for five years. Satellite navigation is standard and included with it is a six-year SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link subscription. The navigation system can be activated with voice controls, and a 14-speaker Revel sound system is standard.

The Revel Ultima 20-speaker audio system is part of the optional Luxury Package on the Reserve trim, but comes equipped to the Black Label. An onboard Wi-Fi hotspot is included. There is also a rear-seat entertainment system can be specified on upper trims.

There have been no NHTSA recalls on the 2021 Lincoln Navigator so far, although the 2020 model year had two recalls issued; the first pertains to the second-row headrests potentially being improperly welded, and the second for a fault preventing the pre-collision assist from being enabled.

J.D. Power's review of the Navigator resulted in a high 83 out of 100 scored overall, with an 84 rating for quality and reliability. These are identical to the 2020 model's scores. The standard Lincoln bumper-to-bumper warranty covers the Navigator for four years or 50,000 miles and the powertrain for six years or 70,000 miles.

The NHTSA review of the Lincoln Navigator for 2021 resulted in a full five-star rating overall, with a three-star score on 2WD models for rollover tests, and four stars awarded for 4WD models in the same evaluation. The improved ratings could be due to the lower center of gravity from the heavier 4x4 gubbins on the 4WD models. The IIHS doesn't offer any safety reviews for the current-generation Lincoln Navigator.

The list of safety features is extensive, even on the base Standard trim. All models come with dual-stage front airbags, front-side airbags, knee airbags for both front passengers, and a full-length curtain airbag that covers all three rows. Additionally, safety-belt usage sensors, roll stability control, cross-wind assist, park assist, tire-pressure monitoring, rollover sensor, and an SOS post-crash alert system are standard on all models.

From the base trim, Navigators include the Lincoln CoPilot360 safety suite. This is comprised of blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, auto-high-beam headlights, and a backup camera. A reverse sensing system, cruise control, and enhanced park assist are also standard fare. Mid-range Reserve models add adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera, while the head-up display found on the tops-spec Black Label can be optioned on. Inflatable seatbelts for the outboard second-row passengers are optionally available for the Reserve and Black Label.

Although the Navigator is not leading the pack as it once was, and it's getting on in life, it's still a good choice. Refinement can be improved and the transmission needs better calibration, but the safety system and basic features list are good. But with SuperCruise now available on the Escalade, the safety credentials of the Navigator's main rival are superior. Cadillac's infotainment system is also better, as is its ride and handling, on which front the Lincoln is also beaten by its German competition. A mid-life facelift and refresh is imminent, though, and Lincoln will be sure to address some of these shortcomings.

Still, in mid- and upper-spec guise, the Navigator offers a lot of car for the money. You'll need to spend at least $85k to get the better options available, which is less than what you'd spend on an Escalade, but for that money you could have a BMW X7 with a few options added. With such formidable competition, we might take a rival over the Navigator, or wait to see what the 2022 model has in store.

The lowest 2021 Lincoln Navigator price is that of the Standard RWD, which has an MSRP of $76,705. Adding 4WD raises the price to $79,375. Reserve trims start at $82,490, with an increase of $2,675 if you add 4WD. Pricing for the top-spec 4WD Black Label starts at $98,655 without options. Keep in mind that Lincoln's destination charge of $1,295 has to be added to the above prices.

The 2021 Navigator is offered in three trims: Standard, Reserve, and Black Label. All of them have exactly the same 450-hp/510-lb-ft twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine sending its power to the wheels via a ten-speed automatic transmission. You can have the Standard and Reserve with a choice of RWD or 4WD, but the Black Label is 4WD only.

The Standard trim has 20-inch alloys, adaptive suspension, the CoPilot360 safety suite, a ten-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, heated and ventilated front-row seating, a 14-speaker audio system, and voice-activated navigation.

The most notable features added for the Reserve trim are 22-inch alloys, 360-degree cameras, an enhanced security system, 24-way electrically adjustable front seats, adaptive cruise control, and a panoramic sunroof. Optional extras at this level include a head-up display and an improved sound system.

Black Label trims bring personalization in the form of bespoke interior themes, as well as Venetian leather, the Heavy-duty Tow Package, front seat massagers, and a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system. A head-up display is also made standard.

The Standard trim is, as the name suggests, pretty standard. Not many packages are available on it. The main option here is the choice of heated Captain's chairs for the second row, or a second-row bench with heated outboard seats. There is no cost for choosing either of these. You can add adaptive cruise control for $695, but not much else.

More options are available to the Reserve, but these can add up quite quickly, so be careful which boxes you tick - also note that some packages require the addition of others. The Reserve I package retails for $1,275 and will add 24-way Perfect Position front-row seats, a head-up display, and the Lincoln Lit Star in the grille. For an extra $3,270, the Reserve Monochromatic package will fit 22-inch black aluminum wheels, add body-colored exterior mirrors, and monochromatic accents around the grille. The heavy duty trailer tow package on this trim costs $690, while an electronic limited slip differential can be fitted for $1,665. There's also the $2,500 Luxury Package, which upgrades the front seats to 30-way with massage function, heating and ventilation for the front passenger, and the top-of-the-range Revel Ultima 20-speaker sound system.

While the Black Label comes the most comprehensively outfitted with features, there is a Special Edition Package for $6,695 that can be optioned on, which will equip the Navigator with 22-inch bespoke black wheels, a black painted roof, unique body-color mesh grille, and a Lincoln Star Hub wheel ornament. A rear-seat entertainment system costs $2,000, and is only available to Reserve and Black Label trims.

The entry-level Navigator starts at almost $77k, so it's not small money you're spending. It's decently equipped with luxuries and the safety suite is comprehensive - but there aren't very many options you can add on to really bring it up to the level of a true luxury cruiser. The mid-range Reserve adds important bits like a surround-view camera, panoramic moonroof, adaptive cruise control, more plush seating, and - most importantly - the option to equip a whole bunch of other items. The Reserve trim plus the Reserve I and Luxury Packages will top out at around $88,205 all-in, and give you all the benefits of the upgraded sound system, head-up display, 30-way front seats with massage, heating and ventilation for both front seats, adaptive cruise control, and illuminated belt buckles for the first two rows. That's a lot of luxury for around $10k less than the top-spec Black Label - but it doesn't offer the bespoke interior themes, Special Edition options, and exclusive paint colors. Our internal monologue suggests that if we had the funds and were looking for a mega-luxury SUV with space for seven or eight, the Black Label is where our money would go.

The Escalade - like the Lincoln also hailing from the USA - is also the newest of the Navigator's rivals and has overtaken it in many key areas. An all-new version was released for 2021, boasting a modern cabin, a 38-inch curved OLED display, Super Cruise hands-free tech, and an available 36-speaker sound system, to name just a few. There are also two powertrains to choose from, with a 420-hp V8 and a turbodiesel that makes only 277 hp. Still, the Navigator wins when it comes to towing capacity, as the Caddy only manages around 7,000 lbs. The Navigator also comes out on top when it comes to fuel economy, saving you a few bucks at the pumps. With a very similar pricing structure, we'd definitely have the newer, more advanced, plusher Escalade.

On paper, the X7 may seem like it's already out in the first round due to its smaller size - it comes in at almost seven inches shorter in length and more than five inches shy of the Navigator's height. The wheelbase is similar, though at 122.2 inches to the Lincoln's 122.5. Naturally the X7 doesn't offer as much cargo space either, with only 12.8 cubic feet when all seats are in place. Maximum cargo volume in the Bimmer is 90.4 cubes, which can't hold a candle to the 103.3 cubes offered by the Navigator. But that doesn't mean the X7 doesn't impress - it comes with a beautifully tuned transmission and a fun-to-drive nature that the Navigator just can't muster up. And, if you're looking for a bit of a performance kick, the X7 gets to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds with its 523-hp V8 engine. The answer is simple - if you want space and comfort, go for the Navigator. If size doesn't matter, but performance does, get the Bimmer.