2021 Lincoln Navigator vs 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator had a distinct presence, shedding its past resemblance to the Ford Expedition. While it shared some structural elements with the Expedition, the Navigator stood out with its unique design and luxurious feel. The exterior featured simple rectilinear shapes, a body-color grille, and tasteful chrome accents, making it a head-turner. The Pristine White model with black wheels and an illuminated Lincoln logo was particularly striking during winter tests. Inside, the Navigator impressed with seven color palettes, high-quality materials, and a modern, minimalist design. The Slate Gray interior of the test model showcased Lincoln's attention to finer details, with layered wood trim, a floating center console, and a digital instrument panel.

In contrast, the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received styling updates, including a new grille, LED headlights, and a sleeker look. The Equinox maintained its car-based crossover identity, avoiding the rugged styling of some competitors. The dashboard design was creative, with a touchscreen and large air vents at the center, and materials and fit and finish were decent for its price range. The new RS model added black exterior trim, darkened wheels, and a black interior with red stitching, giving it a bit more personality. However, the black interior felt too subdued for some tastes.

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator was powered by a twin-turbo V6 engine, producing an impressive 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. This engine, borrowed from the Ford Raptor, made the Navigator feel sprightly despite its size. Paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, the Navigator offered both rear-wheel drive (RWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) options. The 4WD system was smooth and responsive, and the Navigator's towing capacity was substantial, with 8,300 pounds for 4WD models and 8,700 pounds for RWD models. Fuel economy was less impressive, averaging in the teens, but the Navigator's overall refinement and power made it a standout in its class.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox, on the other hand, featured a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive (FWD) as standard and all-wheel drive (AWD) as an option. While the Equinox had more torque than many rivals, it lagged in horsepower. The engine performed well in city driving, but at higher speeds, it felt coarse and unresponsive. The automatic transmission's shifts were also a bit rough. The Equinox wasn't designed for sporty handling, but it offered decent comfort on poorly maintained roads.

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator offered ample interior space, with seating for up to eight passengers. The boxy shape provided generous cargo space, with 19 cubic feet behind the third row, 57 cubic feet behind the second row, and 103 cubic feet in total. The long-wheelbase Navigator L offered even more storage. The rear glass opened separately from the tailgate, a convenient feature for loading and unloading. The front seats were highly adjustable and comfortable, with numerous settings and massage programs. However, parking the Navigator was challenging due to its size.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox had seating for five across two rows. It offered decent headroom and legroom, but some competitors provided more legroom for front seat occupants. The tall seating position and sloping hood provided good forward visibility, but the rear pillars and small rear window created some blind spots. The climate control buttons and knobs were prominently placed, making them easy to use. The Equinox offered 29.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 63.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, which was near the bottom of the segment. A power liftgate was available, but the Equinox lacked some of the storage features found in competitors.

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator featured a 10-inch touchscreen, which felt small compared to newer models. The infotainment system was intuitive, with a unique Lincoln interface, but it lacked wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 20-speaker Revel Ultima stereo was good but not exceptional. The Navigator offered onboard 4G WiFi, wireless device charging, and a smartwatch app. Rear entertainment included Roku media streaming and various connections. The Navigator's technology was functional but not cutting-edge.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Higher trim levels offered an 8-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch instrument-cluster screen. Navigation and a Bose 7-speaker audio system were available. The infotainment system was responsive and easy to use, with large, smartphone-like menu icons. The addition of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a significant advantage. However, the center-console slot for phones was too small.

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator received five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in every test except for rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not rated the Navigator in its current generation. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and auto high beams. Adaptive cruise control was optional, but the Navigator's self-steering capabilities were not as advanced as some competitors.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash tests but received a "Marginal" rating in the updated side crash test. It received the highest "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle situations and an "Advanced" rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios. The NHTSA gave the Equinox a five-star overall safety rating. Standard driver-assist features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, and more. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and a surround-view camera system.