2022 Toyota Highlander vs 2022 Lincoln Navigator

The 2022 Toyota Highlander presented a modern and somewhat aggressive front-end design, with flared fender arches and a distinctive third-row window that gave it a compact appearance despite its spacious interior. Inside, the Highlander offered ample cabin space and clever storage solutions, making it family-friendly. The XSE trim stood out with its bold red leather interior, contrasting with a navy blue exterior, and featured unique styling elements, ambient lighting, and a sport-tuned suspension. The Highlander was available in several trims, each adding more features, from the base L with its 18-inch alloy wheels and 8-inch touchscreen to the luxurious Platinum trim with adaptive headlights and a panoramic sunroof.

In contrast, the 2022 Lincoln Navigator underwent subtle styling changes, including new headlights, taillights, and wheel designs, along with an updated front end. While the new grille design was less elegant than before, the Navigator's interior continued to impress with high-quality materials and a mid-century modern design. The Constellation instrumentation and infotainment display theme added a unique touch, and the new Sync 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen brought the Navigator up to date. The Navigator was available in Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, with the Black Label offering luxurious features like heated, ventilated, and massaging second-row captain’s chairs.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission with standard front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. The Highlander offered a smooth driving experience with a sport-tuned suspension in the XSE trim, providing good handling and reduced body roll. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds and had a max payload of 1,685 pounds in the FWD L and LE trims.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator, on the other hand, boasted a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering a robust 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. It came with a 10-speed automatic transmission and offered rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The Navigator excelled in towing capacity, ranging from 8,100 to 8,700 pounds, and featured advanced technologies like Trailer Reverse Guidance. The adaptive-damping suspension with Road Preview and a new electronic brake booster enhanced the driving experience, providing a smooth ride even on imperfect roads. The Navigator's fuel economy was rated at 18 mpg in combined driving.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander offered up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second- and third-row seats folded. With the second-row seats in use, it provided 48.4 cubic feet, and with all seats deployed, 16 cubic feet of cargo space. The interior was designed for convenience, with deep cargo pockets, multiple storage compartments, and second-row captain’s chairs for added comfort. However, the third row was best suited for short trips due to limited space for adults.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator excelled in interior comfort with its 30-way power-adjustable front seats and newly massaging, heated, and ventilated second-row captain’s chairs. The third-row seat offered roomy accommodations, thanks to the independent rear suspension design. The Navigator provided generous storage and cargo space, with 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 103.3 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded. The long-wheelbase Navigator L offered even more cargo capacity.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with hard buttons complementing the touchscreen. The XSE trim featured a wireless charging pad and additional USB ports, while a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system were available options.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator introduced a new Sync 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen, offering a modern interface with dual data panels for navigation and music. The system supported Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and users could save personalized settings to a user profile. The Navigator also featured a 28-speaker Revel 3D audio system and an upgraded Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system with Amazon Fire TV, providing access to popular streaming services.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Higher trims added features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view parking monitor. However, the lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems were noted to be overly active.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator introduced new driver assistance systems, including Intersection Assist, Road Edge Detection, Active Park Assist 2.0, and ActiveGlide. A surround-view camera system was standard. ActiveGlide, Lincoln’s semi-autonomous driving technology, allowed for hands-free driving on approved highways, though drivers needed to remain attentive. The system performed well under specific conditions but required human oversight for unexpected situations.