2020 Lincoln Navigator vs 2021 Audi Q5

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator stood out with its luxurious design, featuring chrome and brightwork that differentiated it from the Ford Expedition, its platform mate. The Lincoln Embrace lighting system welcomed owners with sequential illumination, while the lattice-type grille insert and illuminated star logo added a touch of elegance. The Navigator's design included fender vents, full-width taillights, and black roof pillars, giving it a wraparound glass appearance. The new Reserve Monochromatic Package offered a custom look with body-color enhancements and 22-inch black-painted wheels, available in White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black paint colors.

Inside, the Navigator's Dark Slate leather interior, part of the Luxury Package, featured 30-way Perfect Position front seats with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. The dashboard boasted mid-century modern styling cues, digital instrumentation, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, and piano-key transmission controls. A panoramic glass roof and high-quality materials enhanced the luxurious feel, making the Navigator a convincingly luxurious flagship SUV.

The 2021 Audi Q5 showcased a sharp, modern design with an expressive face, LED headlights, and a prominent Singleframe grille. The body featured crisp character lines, and the rear had bold taillights, giving the Q5 a classy appearance with exceptional fit and finish. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version included S-Line trim pieces and enhancements, along with standard 19-inch wheels or optional 20-inch wheels.

Inside, the Q5 maintained a classy and modern look with an uncluttered appearance. Buttons, switches, and knobs were smartly grouped, and the materials used were authentic, including real wood and metal. The 10.1-inch touchscreen was positioned at the top of the center stack, and the second row offered standard leather seating surfaces. The Q5's interior was designed for comfort and functionality, with a focus on high-quality materials and smart design.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, outperforming the Ford Expedition's most powerful version. A 10-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the rear wheels, with an optional four-wheel drive available. Lincoln Drive Modes tailored the powertrain to specific driving situations, including Conserve, Normal, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions, and Slow Climb (with the towing package).

The Navigator's towing capacity was 8,700 pounds with rear-wheel drive and 8,300 pounds with four-wheel drive, aided by Pro Trailer Backup Assist. The SUV's acceleration was strong, with a subtle yet aggressive engine note. However, fuel economy was a concern, averaging 16.4 mpg on the testing loop, compared to the EPA's 18 mpg combined rating. The Navigator's adaptive damping suspension struggled with impact harshness on imperfect pavement, but body motion control was excellent. Around town, the Navigator felt large, but features like a tight turning radius, parking assist system, and numerous camera views improved maneuverability.

The 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV combined a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor, producing a total of 362 horsepower and 373 lb-ft of torque. The PHEV's 14.1-kWh battery added 114 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph time of 5.0 seconds and a fuel economy rating of 65 MPGe combined. In gasoline-only mode, the Q5 PHEV achieved 27 mpg combined. The battery pack could be recharged overnight with household current or in 2.4 hours with Level 2 service.

The Q5 PHEV used a seven-speed S Tronic automatic transmission with full-time Quattro all-wheel drive and offered multiple driving modes, including battery-only, hybrid, and battery-reserve modes. The Q5's speed-sensitive electromechanical power steering and four-wheel independent suspension provided good handling, with minimal body roll and powerful, predictable braking.

Entering the 2020 Lincoln Navigator required climbing up into the SUV, but once inside, passengers enjoyed ample space and comfort. The test vehicle's 30-way Perfect Position front seats, part of the Luxury Package, were exceptionally comfortable, though finding the right settings took time. The second row offered a choice between a three-person bench or two captain's chairs, with the latter option including a large center console. Triple-zone climate control ensured comfort across all three rows, and the test vehicle featured heated rear seat cushions.

The Navigator's third-row seat provided class-leading legroom and thigh support, making it comfortable for most passengers. Cargo volumes were also impressive, with 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and a maximum of 103.3 cubic feet in the standard-length model. The longer Navigator L offered even more space, with 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively.

The 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV benefited from smart packaging, with the battery pack located under the luggage compartment floor, preserving cargo space. The Q5 offered 25.1 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 53.1 cubic feet with the second row folded. The second row provided 37.8 inches of legroom, 37.7 inches of headroom, and 56.5 inches of shoulder room, accommodating two adults comfortably and a third adult for shorter rides.

The front seats were comfortable and supportive, with a wide range of adjustments, heating, and ventilation (on the Prestige trim). The front row also featured cupholders, cubbies, and a small storage bin in the center-console armrest. The Q5's interior was designed for functionality and comfort, with a focus on smart layout and high-quality materials.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator's Sync 3 infotainment system was its least impressive technology, taking time to load content. However, it offered Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, 911 Assist, a Lincoln Way smartphone and smartwatch 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 test vehicle's Luxury Package included a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system with three listening profiles: Stereo, Audience, and On Stage. Additional technologies included a surround-view camera system and a head-up display. The optional Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system featured dual 10-inch displays, wireless headphones, Slingbox access, Roku media streaming, and Apple and Android compatibility.

The 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV featured Audi's latest MMI 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which was easy to use. The Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus 12.3-inch HD instrument cluster offered three views: classic, sport, and dynamic, enhancing the cabin's futuristic feel. The Prestige Package included the Navigation Package, which optimized fuel consumption and battery usage in hybrid mode based on route data.

The Integrated Toll Module (ITM) was standard on all Q5 models, providing a built-in transponder compatible with most toll road services in the U.S. The Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system with 19 speakers and a 16-channel/755-watt amplifier was available on Premium Plus models and standard on the Prestige trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay was included and worked seamlessly.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360 collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), 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, a rear cross-traffic warning system, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Reserve trim added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

The Navigator's adaptive cruise control operated with refinement, and the lane-keeping assistance system was subtle yet effective. The lane-departure warning system produced a steering wheel vibration that was hard to detect at normal sensitivity. The Navigator received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the rear-wheel-drive model had a three-star rollover resistance rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not tested the 2020 model.

The 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV had not been rated by the IIHS, but the 2020 Q5 gasoline-only model received top "good" ratings in every category except headlights, which received a "marginal" rating. The NHTSA awarded the 2021 Q5 gasoline model five stars, but the PHEV had not yet been rated. The PHEV was expected to match the gasoline-only ratings.

Safety features included six airbags, an anti-lock braking system with brake assist, Audi Pre Sense basic preventative occupant protection, low-speed collision assist, power child safety locks, electronic stability control with off-road mode, electronic vehicle immobilization, anti-theft alarm, interior motion sensor, LED daytime running lights and taillights, LATCH connectors, a rearview camera, and a tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Available driver-assistance features included Audi Advanced Key, Audi Pre Sense rear, Audi Side Assist with rear cross-traffic alert, Parking System Plus, adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist, park steering assist, traffic-sign recognition, and a top-view camera system.