2020 Lincoln Navigator vs 2021 Buick Encore GX

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator stood out with its luxurious design elements, setting it apart from its Ford Expedition roots. Designers gave it unique front and rear styling, along with the Lincoln Embrace lighting system that sequentially illuminated the SUV to welcome its owner. The Navigator featured a lattice-type grille insert, an illuminated Lincoln star, and fender vents with simulated exposed front door hinges. Black roof pillars, except those framing the windshield, provided a wraparound glass appearance. The new Reserve Monochromatic Package added a custom look with body-color grille and side mirror enhancements, combined with 22-inch black-painted wheels.

Inside, the Navigator's Dark Slate leather interior, part of the Luxury Package, included Lincoln’s 30-way Perfect Position front seats with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. The dashboard featured mid-century modern styling cues, digital instrumentation, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, and piano-key transmission controls. A panoramic glass roof bathed the interior in natural light, and high-quality materials were used throughout. The test vehicle, a standard-length Navigator Reserve with 4WD, extra-cost paint, and both the Luxury and Reserve Monochromatic option packages, was priced at $92,385, including the $1,295 destination charge.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX impressed with its styling, a significant improvement over the original Encore. The SUV came in base Preferred, mid-grade Select, and top-shelf Essence trim levels, with the racy-looking Sport Touring (ST) package available for all trims. Buyers could choose between FWD and AWD, with two turbocharged three-cylinder engines: a 1.2-liter for FWD and a 1.3-liter for both FWD and AWD. Pricing started at $24,200 for the Preferred FWD with the smaller engine and rose to $30,600 for the Essence AWD with the larger engine.

The test model, an Essence trim with the 1.3-liter turbo 3-cylinder, included extra-cost paint, a power hands-free rear liftgate, and three option packages: Advanced Technology, Experience Buick, and Convenience. The MSRP was $35,065, including the $995 destination charge. Buick offered significant discounts for current GM customers and attractive lease deals for non-GM owners. The Encore GX’s cabin provided expected quality levels for the small SUV segment, though the interior design wasn’t as clean as the exterior. The analog gauges were hard to read, and the head-up display vibrated on anything but smooth pavement, highlighting the SUV’s lack of refinement for its price.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine generating 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, outperforming the Ford Expedition. A 10-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the rear wheels, with an optional 4WD upgrade. 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 maximum towing capacity was 8,700 pounds with RWD and 8,300 pounds with 4WD, aided by Pro Trailer Backup Assist.

Acceleration from the twin-turbo V6 was strong, with a subtle engine note. The SUV averaged 16.4 mpg on the testing loop, slightly below the EPA’s 18 mpg combined estimate. The Navigator’s 22-inch wheels and adaptive damping suspension struggled with impact harshness over imperfect pavement, especially in Excite mode. However, body motion control was excellent, lending the SUV a hint of athleticism. Around town, the Navigator felt huge, but a tight turning radius, parking assist system, and numerous camera views improved maneuverability. The automatic hold function was useful in heavy traffic.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX offered two turbocharged three-cylinder engines. The standard 1.2-liter engine produced 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, while the 1.3-liter engine delivered 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The larger engine was available with both FWD and AWD. The FWD models used a CVT, while AWD models had a nine-speed automatic transmission and a Watt’s linkage rear suspension.

The Encore GX’s ride quality was inconsistent, feeling brittle over poorly maintained roads, soft over speed humps, and bouncy over bumps and dips. Despite Buick’s QuietTuning efforts, the interior wasn’t particularly quiet. The Encore GX lacked refinement, especially given its premium-brand positioning. However, it cornered with a flat attitude, and the brakes performed well, though the pedal was sometimes hard to modulate. Steering effort was light, making the Encore GX easy to drive and maneuver. The SUV averaged 28.2 mpg on the testing loop, slightly below the EPA’s highway estimate.

Entering the 2020 Lincoln Navigator required climbing up into the SUV, but once inside, passengers found plenty of room to stretch out. The test vehicle’s 30-way Perfect Position front seats 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 an optional center console. Triple-zone climate control ensured comfort across all three rows, and the test vehicle had heated rear seat cushions. The third-row seat provided ample legroom and thigh support, unmatched by competitors.

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 a maximum of 103.3 cubic feet. The longer Navigator L increased these measurements to 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively. The redesigned 2021 Cadillac Escalade was expected to match the Navigator in terms of passenger comfort and cargo space.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX’s front seats were supportive enough for multi-hour drives, though they lacked lateral bolstering. The test vehicle had a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 8-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The back seat was less comfortable, with limited legroom and thigh support. The rear seatback shape was flat and reclined at an odd angle, and there were no rear air conditioning vents.

Interior storage was good, with the trunk offering 23.5 cubic feet of space, including storage under the floor and a well to the right of the load floor. Folding the back seat created 50.2 cubic feet of volume. The test vehicle had a hands-free power liftgate option and a standard fold-flat front passenger’s seat for carrying long items. These features added practicality to the Encore GX.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator’s Sync 3 infotainment system was the least impressive piece of technology, taking time to load content. However, it provided Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, 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 wasn’t as advanced as some competitors.

The Reserve’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 test vehicle didn’t have the optional Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system, which offered dual 10-inch displays, wireless headphones, Slingbox access, Roku media streaming, and Apple and Android compatibility.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX Essence featured an infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, and Buick Connected Services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The test vehicle had a navigation system, natural voice recognition technology, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and a high-definition surround-view camera, thanks to the Advanced Technology Package. Wireless smartphone charging was part of the optional Convenience Package.

The Encore GX’s infotainment system offered quick response to input, impressive voice recognition, pleasing graphics, and a simple user interface. Steering wheel stereo controls, a volume knob, tuning buttons, and Home and Back functions on the dashboard enhanced usability. Despite the added packages, the test car didn’t have the available 7-speaker Bose premium sound system.

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 vibration in the steering wheel, but it was hard to detect due to road surface vibrations. 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 hadn’t tested the 2020 model.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX came with Buick Driver Confidence, which included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional with Preferred trim and standard with Select and Essence. Adaptive cruise control was available and offered a standard cruise control setting.

The Encore GX also featured Teen Driver technology, automatic collision notification, and a Tire Fill Alert system. During testing, the adaptive cruise control’s stop-and-go function required manual resumption after a few seconds of idling. The distance-management settings were challenging to find, and the lane-keeping assist felt unnatural. The Encore GX earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, but the IIHS hadn’t tested this model.