2022 Lincoln Navigator vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its styling from the 2019 refresh, which successfully modernized its exterior. This refresh harmonized the Edge's look with Ford's current design language, making it a cleaner-looking alternative to the more aggressively styled Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Edge Titanium models featured additional chrome accents, while the ST trim boasted a blacked-out grille, 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The ST-Line offered the same exterior styling as the ST but without the performance enhancements and higher price tag. However, the interior of the Edge began to show its age, with a design that seemed less fresh and awkwardly modified to fit new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models included leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

In 2022, Lincoln made subtle styling changes to the Navigator, including new headlights, taillights, and wheel designs, with a 20-inch design becoming standard. The front end was restyled, featuring an Audi-esque grille with the Lincoln star and chrome detailing, which some felt reduced the vehicle's elegance. Despite this, the rest of the updates were successful, maintaining the Navigator's luxurious appeal. Inside, the Navigator dazzled with quality materials and a mid-century modern design, featuring Lincoln’s Constellation instrumentation and infotainment display theme. The new Sync 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen, digital instrumentation, and widescreen HUD kept the Navigator competitive in the display size race. The Navigator continued to offer standard and long-wheelbase styles with Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, starting at $78,405, with the Black Label model tested priced at $106,530.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine delivering 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST could tow up to 4,525 pounds, while the base FWD four-cylinder model could tow 3,958 pounds. Despite some criticism, the Edge ST was considered a refined vehicle, though the turbo-four engine in non-ST models was noted to be somewhat sluggish.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator continued with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). This engine produced 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, with a towing capacity ranging from 8,100 to 8,700 pounds, depending on the configuration. The Navigator's adaptive-damping suspension, updated with Road Preview, and a new electronic brake booster improved ride quality and braking response. The Navigator handled various driving conditions well, including snow and mud, thanks to its 4WD, 9.7 inches of ground clearance, and appropriate driving modes. The Navigator 4WD was expected to return 18 mpg in combined driving, with the test vehicle averaging 18.6 mpg.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded. Higher trim levels featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The center console, despite the rotary shift knob designed to free up space, was still narrow, with a storage nook below that was difficult to reach and easy to forget.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator's interior featured exceptionally comfortable 30-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions. The second-row captain’s chairs also offered heating, ventilation, and massage, along with an updated Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system. The third-row seats provided roomy and supportive accommodations. The Navigator offered generous storage and cargo space, with the long-wheelbase Navigator L providing even more. The standard Navigator had 19.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 103.3 cubic feet with the second row collapsed. The Navigator L increased these figures to 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment system with a 12-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models included a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge also had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. Sync 4 was praised for its simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator upgraded to a new Sync 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen display, offering two data panels for simultaneous viewing of navigation and music details. The Navigator retained physical controls for volume, stereo tuning, and climate functions, with clear markings and a matte finish for ease of use. Sync 4 supported Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and allowed for extensive personalization through user profiles. The voice recognition system was improved but not perfect. The Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system now included Amazon Fire TV, providing access to popular streaming services. The test vehicle also featured a new 28-speaker Revel 3D audio system, delivering exceptional sound quality.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” scoring top ratings in all crash tests and front crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle situations. It received lower ratings for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention, LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use, and headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Edge a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, dynamic brake support, and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control and Evasive Steering Assist were standard on all but the base SE trim.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator introduced several new driver assistance systems, including Intersection Assist, Road Edge Detection, Active Park Assist 2.0, and ActiveGlide. A surround-view camera system became standard. Intersection Assist could automatically brake for unsafe movements, and Road Edge Detection could steer the SUV away from unpaved surfaces. Active Park Assist 2.0 allowed for fully automated parking, and ActiveGlide provided semi-autonomous, hands-free driving on approved highways. ActiveGlide performed well but required the driver to remain attentive.