2024 Lincoln Navigator L 4x4 Black Label

The 2024 Navigator is, like all Navigators before it, huge and luxurious. The driver can enjoy a 30-way heated and ventilated massaging seat while taking advantage of Lincoln’s BlueCruise 1.0 hands-free highway driving assistance. Passengers—the Nav has seating for up to eight—enjoy acres of room, even in the third row, which benefits from Lincoln’s compact independent rear suspension. The Navigator shares its platform with the Ford Expedition, but it clearly occupies a different strata of luxury, with interior themes bearing names like “Central Park” and “Invitation.” Navigators come in short- and long-wheelbase versions, with the latter offering extravagant cargo room even with the third row up. Both models are powered by a 440-hp twin-turbocharged V-6 that’s basically the engine from the Ford Raptor. The turbo-six pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission to huck the Navigator to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and deliver 8700 pounds of maximum towing capacity. The Navigator doesn’t exhibit the chassis finesse of the Cadillac Escalade or even the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, but it is a fine chariot for dispatching major mileage in serene comfort. The 2024 Navigator has only one engine-and-transmission combination, but with 440 horsepower, one is all it needs. We found the Navigator to be responsive and genuinely speedy, and the 10-speed automatic shuffles through gears adeptly enough to avoid perturbing dozing passengers. At our test track, the Navigator made it to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. However, straight-line performance is where the Navi’s performance potential begins and ends. Steering feel is numb and its sheer bulk and soft suspension prevent it from being a vehicle that encourages enthusiastic driving. The Navigator’s ride is pleasant enough for a large luxury SUV, but rivals such as the BMW X7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-class offer a more refined and sporting on-road character. Meanwhile, the other big body-on-frame domestics pack more power: the Jeep Grand Wagoneer offers 510 horsepower and the Cadillac Escalade is available with as much as 682 horsepower in V-series guise. When wearing optional 22-inch wheels, the Navigator was sometimes jittery, and sharp impacts were followed by bouncing rebounds—the worst of both worlds.