2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2020 Lincoln Navigator

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, a Lincoln Embrace lighting system, and a lattice-type grille with an illuminated star logo. The Navigator also featured fender vents, full-width taillights, and black roof pillars for a wraparound glass appearance. The new Reserve Monochromatic Package added body-color grille and side mirror enhancements, along with 22-inch black-painted wheels, available in White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black paint colors. The test vehicle, a standard-length Navigator Reserve with 4WD, came with extra-cost paint and both the Luxury and Reserve Monochromatic option packages, totaling $92,385.

Inside, the Navigator's Dark Slate leather interior, part of the Luxury Package, included 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 added natural light, and high-quality materials were used throughout. The overall look and feel of the Navigator made it a convincingly luxurious flagship SUV.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, in its second generation since 2014, received an interior and exterior refresh in 2018, which carried over into 2021. This refresh introduced the dual-screen center console, a defining feature of Land Rover interiors. The 2020 model year saw the addition of a plug-in hybrid variant and the availability of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Range Rover Sport offered trims including SE, HSE Silver, HST, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography, SVR, and SVR Carbon Edition. Standard features on the base SE trim included leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, an eight-speaker Meridian premium sound system, a WiFi hotspot, and the dual-screen infotainment system.

Higher trims like the HSE Silver added quad-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 19-speaker Meridian sound system. The HST trim offered a similar feature set but with a more powerful powertrain. The HSE Dynamic featured a supercharged V8 engine, a limited-slip differential, and a two-speed transfer case. The Autobiography trim provided 22-way power-adjustable front seats and power soft-close doors. The SVR performance model included a more powerful V8 engine, sport seats, and a stiffer suspension, with the SVR Carbon Edition adding carbon fiber accents and 22-inch alloy wheels.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, surpassing the Ford Expedition's most powerful version by 50 horsepower and 30 lb-ft of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the rear wheels, with an optional upgrade to four-wheel drive. Lincoln Drive Modes tailored the powertrain to various driving conditions, 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 rear-wheel drive and 8,300 pounds with four-wheel drive, aided by Pro Trailer Backup Assist.

Acceleration from the twin-turbo V6 was strong, with a subtle yet aggressive engine note. However, it lacked the resonant sound of a V8 engine. Fuel economy was a concern, averaging 16.4 mpg on the testing loop, with an EPA rating of 18 mpg in combined driving. The Navigator's 22-inch wheels and adaptive damping suspension struggled with impact harshness on imperfect pavement, especially in Excite mode. Despite its size, the Navigator's body motion control was excellent, lending it 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 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered various powertrain options. The base P360 mild-hybrid powertrain, found in the SE and SE Silver Edition, combined a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt electrical system, producing 355 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque. The HST model featured a more potent P400 powertrain, rated at 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The HSE Silver Edition also offered plug-in hybrid and diesel powertrains. The P400e plug-in hybrid combined a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with electric assist for 398 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 produced 254 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque.

The HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trims featured a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine with 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. The SVR and SVR Carbon Edition received a more powerful version of this engine, making 575 hp and 516 lb-ft. All Range Rover Sport models had an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive. The Range Rover Sport's height-adjustable air suspension and Terrain Response system allowed for impressive off-road capabilities and cornering abilities on paved surfaces. Towing capacity was 7,716 pounds for most variants, except the SVR, which could tow 6,613 pounds.

Entering the 2020 Lincoln Navigator required climbing up into the SUV, akin to ascending a short flight of stairs, though available power running boards helped. Once inside, passengers found ample room to stretch out in comfort. The test vehicle's 30-way Perfect Position front seats, part of the Luxury Package, were exceptionally comfortable but required time to find the ideal settings. 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 with audio controls. Triple-zone climate control ensured comfort across all three rows, and the test vehicle had heated rear seat cushions.

The Navigator's third-row seat provided excellent 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 upcoming 2021 Cadillac Escalade aimed to match the Navigator in passenger comfort and cargo space.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport provided a maximum of 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 31.7 cubic feet with the second row in use. An optional third row increased seating capacity from five to seven, though it offered only 10.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. While these cargo figures were suitable for road trips or extra bags, more spacious options were available. Both the first and second rows provided ample headroom and legroom, combining space with luxurious appointments. The optional third row was tight and best suited for children.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator's Sync 3 infotainment system was its least impressive technology, taking time to load content. However, Ford's upcoming Sync 4 platform promised improvements. The current system included 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. Sync 3's 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: Stereo, Audience, and On Stage, with Stereo being the preferred choice. Additional technologies included a surround-view camera system and a head-up display. The test vehicle lacked the optional Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system, which featured dual 10-inch displays, wireless headphones, Slingbox access, Roku media streaming, and Apple and Android compatibility.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport's interior was dominated by the dual-screen center console. The lower screen controlled climate settings and vehicle settings, while the upper screen housed the infotainment system. The system was not always intuitive, and earlier versions had bugs. The lower screen's dials controlled multiple functions, including fan speed, temperature, heated/ventilated seats, and off-road settings. The upper touchscreen had reasonably sized icons for menu navigation and switching between the native system and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. A real volume button was located at the base of the lower screen.

Overall, the infotainment system had a learning curve, and while not the worst on the market, there were better options available.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360 collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). This included 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 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's nearly three-ton curb weight contributed to its safety in collisions. It received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though 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 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came with standard driver assistance features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and front-and-rear parking sensors. However, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were optional. Other available features included a surround-view parking camera, traffic sign recognition, driver drowsiness monitoring, and parallel and perpendicular park assist. A head-up display was also available.