Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs Lincoln Navigator

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer shared its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer, resulting in a similar traditional SUV styling. It featured a tall hood, broad shoulders, trapezoidal wheel arches, and an upright profile. However, the Grand Wagoneer distinguished itself with a standard black roof, model-specific hood, front fascia, and grille. The grille leaned forward slightly with laser-etched knurling, and the wheel center caps had an acrylic glass covering to protect the “Wagoneer” logo. The vehicle's body-on-frame architecture allowed for independent front and rear suspension, with an aluminum hood and doors, and a composite tailgate to save weight.

Inside, the Grand Wagoneer shared styling features with the Wagoneer, such as an integrated infotainment touchscreen, a large rotary shift knob, and a two-spoke steering wheel. However, it offered more convenience features and higher-quality materials, including 24-way power front seats with memory, massage, lumbar support, and four-way power headrests. Heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, and Nappa leather upholstery were standard, with higher-grade Palermo leather available. The interior also featured aluminum and American Walnut wood trim, with seat controls placed high on the doors, and “Grand Wagoneer” spelled out on the passenger’s side of the dashboard.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator, while awaiting its transformation into an electric SUV, continued to impress with its luxurious design and features. The fourth-generation Navigator, last redesigned in 2018 and refreshed in 2022, entered 2023 without significant updates. The test vehicle, a triple-black Navigator Reserve model, featured the Monochromatic Package with black 22-inch wheels and body-color trim. The interior was predominantly black, with real wood trim panels and chrome accents, and ambient lighting from the Reserve I package added contrast and character. The Navigator Reserve’s cabin was upscale, using quality materials, though some chrome plastic on the switchgear fell short of conveying luxury.

The Navigator Reserve model included a Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system with Amazon Fire TV streaming capability, though it went unused by teenagers who preferred their iPhones. The test vehicle’s MSRP reached $104,715, including a $1,695 destination charge. Despite its size, the Navigator felt smaller on mountain roads, thanks to excellent outward visibility and impressive grip from its big wheels and wide tires. However, the steering was relatively slow and lifeless, and the SUV’s nearly three-ton curb weight challenged the brakes. In urban settings, the Navigator’s size proved a liability, making parking and navigating tight spaces difficult.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine, producing 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. It featured cylinder deactivation for improved fuel economy and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Grand Wagoneer could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in six seconds, despite its roughly 6,400-pound weight. It came standard with a Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system, including a two-speed transfer case and electronic limited-slip differential, along with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system offering five drive modes: Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, and Sand/Mud.

The Grand Wagoneer also featured a standard Quadra-Lift air suspension system, which was height-adjustable for off-roading, reducing aerodynamic drag on highways, or easing ingress and egress. With the suspension raised, it offered 10 inches of ground clearance, a 25-degree approach angle, a 24-degree departure angle, and a 22-degree breakover angle. It could ford up to 24 inches of water and was equipped with skid plates. Despite its powerful V8 engine, the Grand Wagoneer was best driven at a stately pace, as higher speeds resulted in a bouncy ride and imprecise steering.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. It was paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and a 4WD drivetrain. The Navigator had an EPA fuel economy rating of 18 mpg in combined driving, though it averaged 15.6 mpg during testing. Drivers could choose between five Lincoln Drive Modes: Conserve, Normal, Excite, Slippery, and Deep Conditions, with Hill Climb available with the optional towing package. The Navigator featured an adaptive damping suspension with Road Preview, using the front camera to identify upcoming bumps and prepare the suspension.

In Normal mode, the Navigator’s ride was less agreeable, with the Reserve trim’s 22-inch wheels and low-profile tires contributing to a truck-like ride over smaller bumps. Excite mode improved the ride by stiffening the suspension and quickening the powertrain’s pulse, though it negatively impacted fuel efficiency. The Navigator felt smaller on mountain roads, with excellent outward visibility and impressive grip from its big wheels and wide tires. However, the steering was slow and lifeless, and the SUV’s nearly three-ton curb weight challenged the brakes.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer offered seating for seven with standard second-row captain’s chairs or eight with an optional third-row bench seat. It provided more third-row headroom and second-row legroom than the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Infiniti QX80, though space up front was more limited. The Grand Wagoneer had 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all three rows in place and 70.9 cubic feet with the third row stowed. Folding all rear seats provided 94.2 cubic feet of cargo space, less than the Escalade, Navigator, and QX80.

The Grand Wagoneer had a maximum towing capacity of 9,850 pounds, less than the 10,000-pound tow rating of the standard Wagoneer due to its extra weight. It featured a standard sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and large first-row and second-row storage bins. Forward visibility was somewhat limited by the hood, though the standard 360-degree camera system helped mitigate this issue.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator excelled in functionality, offering roomy seats in all three rows and an available extended body style with a cavernous cargo area. Power-deploying running boards made it easier to enter and exit the cabin. The test vehicle featured Lincoln’s 30-way Perfect Position power-adjustable front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage, though finding the perfect adjustment proved challenging. The second-row captain’s chairs were roomy with wide armrests, and they provided a pass-through to the third-row seat, where even taller adults could sit comfortably.

Storage space was generous throughout the Navigator, with large trays under the center console and smaller ones for third-row passengers. The Navigator L model offered more cargo space, with 34.3 cubic feet behind the third-row seat, 73.3 cubic feet behind the second row, and 120.2 cubic feet behind the front seats. The Navigator’s interior was clean and luxurious, with covers to hide cupholders and the wireless charging pad.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured a standard infotainment system with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual touchscreens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a McIntosh audio system, and a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot. Second-row passengers had a 10.25-inch center console touchscreen for climate control, and an optional rear-seat entertainment system added two 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer had a larger touchscreen than the standard Wagoneer and a second screen for functions like seat massagers.

The Grand Wagoneer could be equipped with a separate 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, controlling navigation and the optional rear-seat entertainment system. Amazon Alexa connectivity and Fire TV for Auto allowed passengers to stream content, and screen sharing enabled destination searches to be sent to the navigation system. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system featured an Android-based operating system and over-the-air software update capability, though the screen was slow to respond, and the instrument cluster’s graphics were plain.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator featured a 12-inch digital instrumentation display, a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an available widescreen head-up display, and a dual-screen Lincoln Play infotainment system. The Sync 4 infotainment system included wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Lincoln Connect services, a navigation system with enhanced voice recognition, and Alexa Built-in. Pairing an iPhone and using CarPlay was seamless, though the wireless smartphone charger made the phone uncomfortably hot.

The digital assistant excelled in understanding and responding to commands, passing the voice recognition evaluation. The test vehicle had a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D Audio System, providing lush sound throughout the cabin. The Lincoln Way smartphone app and Phone As A Key technology allowed owners to unlock, start, and drive the Navigator using a digital key. Lincoln Play installed two touchscreens for rear-seat passengers, though they went unused by teenagers who preferred their smartphones.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer had not yet been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the time. Standard safety features included a 360-degree camera system, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, intersection collision assist, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included a driver-attention monitor, night vision, traffic-sign recognition, and two levels of driver-assistance systems.

Active Driving Assist, available at launch, combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, though it required drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. Jeep planned to introduce a hands-free version later, which would work on certain stretches of highway and include driver monitoring to prevent misuse.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator was equipped with a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) through the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360 2.0 and available Lincoln Co-Pilot360 2.0 Drive packages. The test vehicle included Evasive Steering Assist, Intersection Assist, and BlueCruise, a hands-free driving assist system for designated Hands-Free Blue Zones.

BlueCruise allowed hands-free driving on approximately 130,000 miles of North American highways, though drivers needed to remain alert and take control when necessary. The system struggled with curves, mixed pavement surfaces, and construction zones, and lacked a lane-change assist function. In testing, BlueCruise occasionally failed, such as when another vehicle suddenly cut in front of the Navigator, causing excessive braking and suspension dive.

The Navigator had not been fully assessed by the NHTSA or IIHS, though it received a 5-star side-impact protection rating and a 4-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA.