2021 Lincoln Navigator

The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV with seating for up to eight people. First introduced in 1998, it was the first truly full-size American luxury SUV. It’s arch nemesis, the Cadillac Escalade, debuted a year later. They’re still the two largest luxury SUVs on the market, but they’ve since been joined by a host of marginally smaller imported luxury SUVs. 

This highly competitive field now includes the BMW X7, Infiniti QX80, Lexus LX and Mercedes-Benz’s GLS-Class, among others. Buyers in this market demand luxe accommodations, visual flair and bleeding edge tech. The Navigator, overhauled into its fourth and current generation in 2018, offers unique and attractive styling, lots of power and space and comfort levels that are hard to beat.

The 2020 Navigator added new standard features, including an adaptive suspension, power running boards, heated and ventilated front seats, an updated infotainment system and automatic high-beam headlights. The 2021 model is largely unchanged.

The 2021 Navigator is offered in three trims: Standard ($77,480, including destination charges), Reserve ($83,260) and Black Label ($99,420). The Reserve and Black Label are also available in a long wheelbase “L” configuration. Nearly a foot longer than the regular Navigator, the Reserve L starts at $86,485, the Black Label L at a lofty $102,620.

Equipment levels on all Navigators are generous, but the Reserve adds upgraded leather, heated and ventilated front seats, heated lower-back rear seats with power folding and a center console and a power panoramic sunroof. The Black Label models have even more posh materials and special colors under labels like Yacht Club and Chalet. They also come with four years or 50,000 miles of complimentary maintenance and Lincoln’s concierge services.

For 2021 there’s also a new Black Label Special Edition with two-tone paint, black accents and blacked-out 22-inch wheels that adds $6,695 on top of the regular Black Label’s cost.

All Navigators are equipped with Lincoln’s CoPilot360 system with blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assistance and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. The Reserve and Black Label add on adaptive a surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control with stop and go capability, which slows the vehicle to a stop and resumes speed when traffic moves. A heads-up display is optional on the Reserve and standard on the Black Label.

Rear-wheel drive is standard on the two lower trims, with four-wheel drive available. Black Labels are all four-wheel drive. All Navigators are powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

That powerful engine and crisp 10-speed transmission give the Navigator effortless and vigorous power. It feels much quicker than such a big vehicle has any right to be, but it’s not without pain at the pump. Rear-wheel drive Navigators return 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway for a combined average of 18 mpg. Four-wheel drive Navigators return 16 mpg city, 20 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined. Both are below par for the class and particularly low compared to Cadillac’s diesel Escalade.

The SUV’s adaptive dampers absorb broken pavement and potholes like a sponge but are sometimes at odds with the V6’s prodigious thrust. The Navigator can sometimes feel a little too soft and its size means slow going in tight spaces, but it’s generally a pleasant ride. The SUV’s optional 22-inch wheels pick up sharp impacts and react more to road imperfections than expected, but the Standard model’s 20-inch wheels yield a silky-smooth ride.

Space, comfort and technology take center stage in the Navigator’s cabin. Posh materials, such as high-end leathers and open-pore woods adorn nearly every visible and touchable surface. The range-topping Black Label trim’s standard “perfect position” 30-way power-adjustable seats are aptly named. The seats’ high degree of adjustability and thick, soft leather, rival anything from Germany’s top brands.

Thanks to its size, the Navigator offers lots of space for cargo and people. It’s generous second row has executive-level legroom and plenty of headroom. Captain’s chairs are a welcome addition, especially for parents, keeping wandering kids in place. The Navigator’s third row offers best-in-class legroom. Even in the standard wheelbase model, the “way-back” seat is well-padded, has plenty of space for most adults.

Although it may not get used for Home Depot trips, the Navigator offers 19.3 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row with the third row folded and 103.4 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. That tops all rivals except for its foe, the redesigned 2021 Cadillac Escalade.

The Navigator’s standard 10-inch touchscreen, a little small nestled into the Navigator’s cavernous interior, runs Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment software. It’s colorful, easy to use and offers an intuitive way to interact with controls for climate, seats and vehicle features. Two more 10-inch screens mounted behind the front seat headrests are optional for passenger entertainment.

When the current generation of Navigator was introduced for 2018, it drew lots of critical praise for its cool styling, advanced technology and high-end interiors. Because of its size, the Lincoln is still the roomiest luxury SUV around, but it’s tech isn’t as up-to-the-minute as rivals like the BMW X7 and it can’t match driving dynamics of smaller imported rivals. Still, its aged well overall, offering plenty of comfort and luxury to buyers interested in a distinctively American style of luxury.