2021 Lincoln Navigator vs 2022 Lincoln Navigator

Past Lincoln Navigators had an uncanny resemblance to dressed-up Ford Expeditions, sharing many structural similarities, including side glass and the overall rear seat shape. However, the 2021 Lincoln Navigator was a different entity altogether; its aesthetic transcended its roots. The Navigator was designed elegantly with a sense of understatement that is challenging to achieve with a three-ton behemoth riding on 22-inch wheels.

Simple rectilinear forms defined the vehicle's grille, windows, LED headlights, and taillights, enhanced by splashes of chrome on door trims, fender logos, and the grille itself. The Pristine White model with a white-painted grille, black wheels, and an illuminated Lincoln logo turned plenty of heads during its test across the snowy terrains of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Inside the 2021 Navigator, the elegance was even more pronounced, flaunting seven color palettes, including Slate Gray, which exhibited refined attention to detail. The wood trim behind the 10-inch touchscreen, the push-button gear selector blending into the center stack, the floating center console with its chromed switches, and the minimalist digital instrument panel all oozed a muted and modern aesthetic. Material quality was excellent, the panel gaps tight, and the Black Label trims even more luxurious with additional textures and softer leather.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator brought a series of subtle yet noticeable styling updates. New headlights and taillights debuted alongside fresh wheel designs, with a 20-inch set becoming standard. The Lincoln Embrace nighttime welcome illumination sequence was updated, and the SUV’s front end received a restyle. However, the new Audi-esque grille, reminiscent of a 2006 Audi A4 but beset with Lincoln's star and chrome detailing, failed to capture the same level of elegance and presence as its predecessor.

The remainder of the Navigator’s design updates for 2022, however, were highly successful. The interior continued to dazzle with premium materials and a mid-century modern design theme accentuated by the Lincoln Constellation display theme. Like a twilight sky blending stars and blazing hues, the new displays, including the head-up display (HUD) and rear-seat entertainment screens, conveyed a celestial charm.

Another notable upgrade was the inclusion of a new Sync 4 infotainment system paired with a more extensive 13.2-inch touchscreen. The dashboard incorporated sufficient display acreage to maintain competitiveness in the ever-growing screen size battle in the SUV segment.

Equipped with a Ford Raptor-derived twin-turbo V6 engine, the 2021 Navigator shone brightly in performance. Despite its 3.5-liter displacement, the engine generated an impressive 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, available in either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD), the Navigator delivered surprising agility and responsiveness considering its size. Its towing capacity was remarkable as well, offering 8,300 pounds with 4WD and 8,700 pounds with RWD.

While fuel economy was less than stellar, averaging in the teens, the EPA-rated 17-mpg combined (16 city, 20 highway) was expected for a vehicle of its heft. Standard adaptive dampers couldn't quite meet the suppleness found in Cadillac Escalade’s magnetic shocks and air springs, but the Navigator excelled on the highway, where its low-end thrust and quiet cabin truly stood out.

Mirroring its predecessor's robustness, the 2022 Navigator retained the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. While there was a slight decrease in horsepower, towing capacity remained exceptional at 8,100-8,700 pounds, depending on configuration.

New for 2022 was the adaptive-damping suspension with Road Preview technology, enabling the Navigator to detect and prepare for road imperfections. Combined with the vehicle's 22-inch wheels, it handled smooth and rough patches with ease, maintaining a composed ride. The addition of a new electronic brake booster enhanced braking feel and response, addressing a previous complaint about the soft initial brake application in the 2021 model.

Fuel economy saw a marginal improvement with an EPA-estimated 18 mpg in combined driving. During testing on varied terrain from Scottsdale to snow-covered Payson, the Navigator averaged 18.6 mpg.

The 2021 Navigator offered immense interior space, akin to a small bedroom. It comfortably accommodated six adults, though the third row's middle seat was ideally suited for children. The second row featured standard manually-reclining captain’s chairs, with an option for a bench to seat up to eight passengers. The boxy design maximized cargo space, offering 19 cubic feet behind the third row, 57 cubic feet behind the second, and up to 103 cubic feet in total. Opting for the long-wheelbase Navigator L extended these numbers to 34, 73, and 120 cubic feet, respectively.

Front seats were incredibly luxurious, offering 30-way adjustments, including separate left and right thigh extensions, torso bolsters, upper backrest tilt, multi-directional lumbar support, and two massage programs. High driving positions and large windows facilitated excellent visibility, though parking remained cumbersome due to its size.

The 2022 Navigator continued with the exceptional front seat design, featuring 30-way power adjustments coupled with heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Significant updates to the second-row seats included the addition of heating, ventilation, and massage options, enhancing rear passenger comfort substantially.

The third row remained spacious and comfortable, a feature Lincoln mastered since switching to an independent rear suspension in 2005. For families needing maximum cargo and passenger space, the Navigator L’s long-wheelbase configuration was an excellent choice.

Cargo capacity slightly increased, with the Navigator offering 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row (34.3 cubic feet for Navigator L), 57.5 cubic feet with the third row folded (73.3 in Navigator L), and up to 103.3 cubic feet with the second row down (120.2 cubic feet in Navigator L).

The 2021 Navigator's technology suite included a 10-inch touchscreen equipped with a slightly dated system compared to competitors. It lacked features like full-screen maps, wireless Apple CarPlay, and high-resolution cameras. However, the intuitive software interface was user-friendly, and voice recognition worked well. The 20-speaker Revel Ultima stereo system was decent, though not remarkable.

Technological conveniences included standard 4G WiFi, wireless device charging, a smartwatch app, and a smartphone-ignition key. The rear entertainment system supported Roku streaming and various input options, delivering an overall satisfactory experience.

The 2022 Navigator introduced a new Sync 4 infotainment system with a sizeable 13.2-inch touchscreen. This setup improved functionality significantly, featuring dual data panels for simultaneous navigation and media viewing. Below the touchscreen, Lincoln retained physical controls for volume, tuning, and climate settings with an easy-to-use matte finish.

Sync 4 supported both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, enhancing connectivity. Its voice recognition system showed marked improvement though it wasn’t flawless. Additionally, the Navigator now boasted an upgraded Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system with Amazon Fire TV, providing seamless access to popular streaming services.

A new 28-speaker Revel 3D audio system also debuted, delivering an unparalleled auditory experience.

The 2021 Navigator achieved high marks in safety, earning five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though it received four stars for 4WD and three stars for RWD in rollover resistance tests. It didn’t undergo crash testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and auto high beams. Adaptive cruise control was available but lacked advanced lane-steering capabilities.

Several new safety and driver assistance systems were introduced in the 2022 Navigator, including Intersection Assist, Road Edge Detection, Active Park Assist 2.0, and ActiveGlide. A surround-view camera system also became standard.

ActiveGlide, akin to Ford’s BlueCruise, provided semi-autonomous hands-free driving on approved highways. While ActiveGlide performed well under ideal conditions, its reliability on tighter curves or unpredictable driver behavior posed limitations, requiring active driver vigilance.