Lincoln Navigator vs Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

With the new 2025 Navigator, Lincoln keeps the fundamentals in place, including its capable architecture and drivetrain. On this foundation, the company layers fresh styling, a new interior, and updated technology. The highlights include the Lincoln Digital Experience with a 48-inch panoramic display and the latest version of the BlueCruise hands-free driving system. However, one of our favorite things about the 2025 Navigator are its immersive wellness programs that transform the SUV into what Lincoln rightly calls a “spa on wheels.”

Verdict: At its heart, the 2025 Lincoln Navigator is a truck-based, full-size luxury SUV that shares plenty with the more affordable Ford Expedition. In exchange for the premium you’ll pay, the Navigator has exclusive design, materials, and features, and the luxurious Black Label trim is almost decadent inside. We think it might be worth its high price tag.

Unless buyers want a luxury model, the herd of midsize two-row crossovers is thinning as buyers gravitate to three-rows. Like the Mazda CX-70 and the Honda Passport, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is a two-row version of a more popular three-row crossover, but its lowered roof and unique tail make it feel like a distinctive, standalone model akin to the Nissan Murano or the Chevrolet Blazer. Last refreshed for the 2024 model year, the Atlas Cross Sport is essentially unchanged for 2026, ahead of the arrival of a redesigned model for 2027. For this review, we grabbed a lower-level front-wheel drive (FWD) SE with Technology model to experience the value equation of this Volkswagen at a palatable price.

Verdict: The Atlas Cross Sport is a great value and well made, even if it's not enjoyable to drive.