2022 Lincoln Navigator vs 2021 Nissan Murano

A few years ago, the 2021 Nissan Murano had a cutting-edge design that was almost too far ahead of the curve. By 2021, its L-shaped LED headlights and heavily contoured front end were just par for the course in car design. The interior and dash design had always been a bit more conservative, which was fine for a comfort-optimized SUV meant for commutes and road trips. The restrained cabin styling meant all the controls were right where they should be, minimizing any learning curve.

Trims for the 2021 Murano included S, SV, SL, and Platinum. Standard features on the base S included 18-inch alloy wheels, manual front seats, dual-zone climate control, four USB ports, push-button start, remote keyless entry, satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moving up to the SV trim added power-adjustable front seats, adaptive cruise control, remote start, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, black roof rails, heated side mirrors, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The SL trim added 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, ambient cabin lighting, a Bose premium stereo system, and navigation. The range-topping Platinum trim added a dual-panel panoramic moonroof, semi-aniline premium leather with Prima-Tex protection, dark wood interior accents, and ventilated front seats.

In the ‘fixing what wasn’t broken’ department, Lincoln made subtle styling changes to the 2022 Navigator. New headlights and taillights debuted, the wheel designs were different (a 20-inch design was now standard), and the company updated the Lincoln Embrace nighttime welcome illumination sequence as you approached the vehicle. The automaker also restyled the SUV’s front end, which now had an Audi-esque grille reminiscent of a 2006 Audi A4, but with the requisite Lincoln star and chrome detailing. Somehow, the result was less elegant and had less presence than the Navigator had before, which was likely not the goal.

Despite this rare misstep, the remainder of the Navigator’s changes for 2022 rendered the new “single-frame” grille a footnote to what was otherwise a successful update to the SUV. Inside, the Navigator continued to dazzle occupants with quality materials and mid-century modern design, now featuring Lincoln’s Constellation instrumentation and infotainment display theme. This theme mimicked the sky about 30 minutes after sunset, with twinkling stars and a thin line of blazing color low and distant. The new Sync 4 infotainment system with a substantially larger 13.2-inch touchscreen display was another upgrade. Between it, the digital instrumentation, and the widescreen HUD, there was enough display acreage to keep the Navigator competitive in the screen size race.

The 2021 Nissan Murano offered only one engine: a 3.5-liter V6 that produced 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Power was routed through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). This V6 made stout power and delivered terrific low-speed acceleration, making it great off the line and around town. However, the CVT numbed out some of its power at higher speeds, which was fine if you weren’t in a hurry but required a half-second wait if you were trying to overtake someone on the highway.

The Murano had a comfort-first ride but wasn’t as numbed-out as the CVT at higher speeds. It had refined driving characteristics that allowed it to take a corner evenly while also soaking up bumps in the road. These attributes made the Murano an ideal commuter or road trip vehicle. The Murano had a 1,500-pound towing capacity when properly equipped, which was among the lowest max towing figures of any midsize SUV. Even some compact SUVs provided better towing capabilities.

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). The twin-turbo V6 supplied a robust 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque and emitted a pleasing note under acceleration. Towing capacity ranged between 8,100 pounds and 8,700 pounds, depending on wheelbase and drivetrain selections, and the SUV’s Trailer Reverse Guidance technology was easier to set up and use in 2022.

These figures compared favorably to the Navigator’s arch-rival, the Cadillac Escalade. The Caddy’s 6.2-liter V8 mustered 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, towing between 7,300 lbs and 8,200 lbs, depending on specification. For best results, though, you needed the Escalade’s optional 3.0-liter turbo-diesel six-cylinder engine, good for 277 hp and 460 lb-ft. Lincoln also updated the Navigator’s adaptive-damping suspension with Road Preview, which identified bumps, cracks, and potholes ahead and automatically prepared the suspension for appropriate damping forces.

Despite the Black Label test vehicle’s heavy 22-inch wheels, the SUV shrugged off the few stretches of imperfect pavement encountered. Another update for 2022 was a new electronic brake booster, which improved brake pedal feel and response. The Navigator’s twin-turbo effortlessly climbed past the snow line, unfazed by the SUV’s nearly three tons of curb weight. The 4WD Navigator should return 18 mpg in combined driving, per the EPA, and averaged 18.6 mpg during the test drive.

The 2021 Nissan Murano had up to 67 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded. With the rear seats in use, it provided 32.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Other two-row SUVs offered more, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe with up to 72.1 cubic feet and the Honda Passport with up to 100.7 cubic feet. The SL and Platinum trims made up for it with a hands-free power liftgate. The Murano excelled in ease-of-use, with a traditional shifter design and a center console loaded with trays and cubbies. It focused on two rows of seating, providing tons of headroom and legroom in both the front and second rows, with partial reclining functionality for the second-row seats.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator’s heated, ventilated, and massaging 30-way power-adjustable front seats were exceptionally comfortable. The trick was to take the time to adjust them, tweak things as necessary, and use the memory function to save your settings. The big news for 2022 was the second-row seat, with available massaging, heated, and ventilated rear captain’s chairs. Third-row passengers continued to enjoy roomy accommodations on a supportive seat, with Lincoln offering a legitimately habitable third-row seat since 2005. Storage space was generous, and the long-wheelbase Navigator L configuration was recommended for big broods and loads.

By the numbers, the Navigator carried 19.3 cubic feet of cargo behind its third-row seat (34.3 cubic feet for Navigator L). Folding it down provided 57.5 cubic feet of cargo volume (73.3 in Navigator L). The maximum volume with the second-row seats collapsed was 103.3 cubic feet (120.2 cubic feet in Navigator L).

The 2021 Nissan Murano came standard with an easy-to-use 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It had a sensible menu layout backed up by hard buttons and dials flanking the screen on either side. It also came standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making it easier to jump in and out of connected smartphone apps. Available tech features included an 11-speaker Bose premium stereo system and navigation.

Compared to its primary competitors, the 2021 Navigator’s 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen looked slightly small and ran an older operating system. For 2022, a new Sync 4 infotainment system arrived with a sizable 13.2-inch touchscreen display. Mounted in landscape orientation above the center air vents, the new screen was easy to reach and reference, offering two data panels to view the navigation map and music details simultaneously. Lincoln continued to provide knobs for volume and stereo tuning and physical controls for climate functions.

Sync 4 supported both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with about 80 individual vehicle settings that could be saved to a user profile. The voice recognition system was quite good but not perfect, with some issues finding specific locations and music genres. The upgraded Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system now included Amazon Fire TV, providing quick access to streaming services. The test vehicle also had a new 28-speaker Revel 3D high-end audio system, which was truly sensational.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came with a host of standard driver assistance features as part of Nissan Safety Shield 360, highlighted by reverse automatic emergency braking. Other new standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. These features joined previously standard driver assistance features such as forward automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), forward collision warning, and driver drowsiness monitoring. Additional features like a surround-view parking monitor, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and front-and-rear parking sensors were available.

Several new driver assistance systems debuted on the 2022 Lincoln Navigator, including Intersection Assist, Road Edge Detection, Active Park Assist 2.0, and ActiveGlide. A surround-view camera system was also newly standard. Intersection Assist could automatically brake when drivers attempted unsafe movements, while Road Edge Detection could sense where the pavement ended and steer the SUV away. Active Park Assist 2.0 allowed the Navigator to take complete control for parking, and ActiveGlide was Lincoln’s new semi-autonomous, hands-free driving technology. ActiveGlide was approved for use on 130,000 miles of North American roads, performing well on straight, dry, sunny stretches of freeway but requiring the driver to remain attentive.