2020 Jeep Renegade vs 2020 Lincoln Navigator

The 2020 Jeep Renegade was easily recognizable with its signature Jeep round headlights, 7-slot grille, and trapezoidal wheel arches. It offered a purposeful yet expressive design, available in various trims including Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk, with special editions like the Jeepster and High Altitude. The base Renegade Sport started at $25,210, while the High Altitude trim, loaded with extras, reached an MSRP of $36,515. The High Altitude trim featured extra-cost paint, dark gray 19-inch wheels, and a dual-pane panoramic glass roof, giving it a surprisingly grown-up look. However, the interior, dominated by hard plastic and an all-black color scheme, felt inexpensive despite the fancy details.

In contrast, the 2020 Lincoln Navigator stood out with its chrome and brightwork, sharing a platform with the Ford Expedition but featuring unique front and rear styling elements. The Lincoln Embrace lighting system welcomed owners with sequential illumination. The Navigator's design included a lattice-type grille, illuminated star logo, fender vents, and full-width taillights. The Reserve Monochromatic Package added a custom look with body-color enhancements and 22-inch black-painted wheels. The test vehicle, a standard-length Navigator Reserve with 4WD, was priced at $92,385. Inside, the Dark Slate leather interior featured 30-way Perfect Position front seats, a wide storage console, digital instrumentation, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, and high-quality materials, making it a convincingly luxurious flagship SUV.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade offered two engine choices: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 177 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. The test vehicle had the turbocharged engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and AWD. The Active Drive system disconnected the rear wheels to save fuel and activated when needed. Despite the turbocharged engine's energetic feel, it suffered from turbo lag and a transmission calibrated for fuel economy, leading to uneven power delivery. The Renegade averaged 23.6 mpg, below the EPA estimate of 26 mpg, and had a small 12.7-gallon fuel tank. The driving dynamics were less than ideal, with a flinty ride, sloppy steering, and a loud cabin, though the Trailhawk trim offered better off-roading capabilities.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Navigator offered multiple drive modes, including Conserve, Normal, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions, and Slow Climb with the towing package. It had a maximum towing capacity of 8,700 pounds with RWD and 8,300 pounds with 4WD, aided by Pro Trailer Backup Assist. The Navigator's acceleration was strong, with a subtle engine note, though it averaged 16.4 mpg, below the EPA estimate of 18 mpg. The adaptive damping suspension struggled with impact harshness on imperfect pavement, but body motion control was excellent. The Navigator felt huge around town but was more maneuverable with a tight turning radius, parking assist system, and numerous camera views.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade's interior felt larger than its competitors due to the distant windshield, thick pillars, and vertical side glass, enhanced by the panoramic glass roof. The eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat was comfortable, but the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Rear seat space was cramped, with no air conditioning vents for rear occupants. The Renegade had limited interior storage and cargo volume, offering 18.5 cubic feet behind the back seat and 50.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator required climbing up into the SUV, but once inside, it offered ample room for all passengers. The test vehicle's 30-way Perfect Position front seats were exceptionally comfortable, with power-adjustable pedals and a heated steering wheel. The second row could be configured with a bench or captain's chairs, with a large center console and audio controls. The third-row seat provided excellent legroom and thigh support. Cargo volumes were class-leading, with the standard-length model offering 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and 103.3 cubic feet maximum. The longer Navigator L increased these measurements to 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade impressed with its technology, featuring the Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen. Despite showing its age, Uconnect remained user-friendly with volume and tuning knobs and logically arranged menu buttons. It included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The new Kenwood premium audio system offered good sound, and the Renegade had a comprehensive driver information center and a parking assist system.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator's Sync 3 infotainment system was less impressive, taking time to load content. However, it provided Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, 911 Assist, a Lincoln Way app, and wireless device charging. "Phone As A Key" technology allowed the smartphone to function as the vehicle key. The voice recognition system worked reasonably well but required specific command pathways. The Reserve's Luxury Package included a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system with three listening profiles. Additional technologies included a surround-view camera system and a head-up display, though the test vehicle lacked the optional Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade offered the Advanced Tech Group, which included adaptive cruise control, full-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Safety and Security Group added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning. The Renegade earned a 4-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a 3-star rating for rear-seat side-impact protection. The IIHS gave it commendable scores but did not award a Top Safety Pick rating for 2020.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator came with the Lincoln Co-Pilot360 collection of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, a blind-spot warning system with trailer coverage, rear cross-traffic warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Reserve trim added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The Navigator earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, though the RWD model had a three-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not tested the 2020 model.