• Auto123 reviews the 2024 Lincoln Navigator.
It’s not often that one gets the chance to experience a living legend. In the realm of sports, music or indeed, cars, the chance to rub shoulders with legends of any capacity is rare.
The Lincoln Navigator, it has to be said, is a legend. It was one of the first luxury SUVs, in fact it was the first American example of the breed, beating the Cadillac Escalade to market by a year.
The Navigator has earned its place in pop culture and is one of the most recognized names in the luxury sphere.
2024 Lincoln Navigator - What’s new?
Ahead of the 2025 comprehensive redesign, the 2024 didn’t see much in the way of additions to the package, except for one big one: the addition of Blue Cruise semi-autonomous driving tech.
Design of the 2024 Lincoln Navigator – 7.0/10
The Navigator doesn’t quite have the styling oomph of the Escalade; the grille isn’t quite as formidable and the Caddy gets slightly sharper edges around the windows and bumpers that give it a more purposeful stance. Thumbs up to the Navigator’s wheel design, however, especially if fitted with the 22-inch items our tester had as part of the Monochromatic package. Also, the full-length rear light bar is distinctive and distinctively Lincoln.
That Monochromatic package does have a strange name and at $5,000 it isn’t inexpensive, but it effectively blends the wing mirrors and parts of the front fascia more cleanly with the rest of the body. It’s a Victorian-era schooner to the Escalade’s cigarette boat, and depending on what you’re after, that’s just fine.
Inside
The interior of our tester stands in stark contrast to the Pristine White exterior with jet black leather seating surfaces, reddish-brown wood inserts and chrome trimwork around the vents and centre console.
What brightness can be found comes mainly from the speaker grilles, which come finished in exquisite silver. They are part of the optional 28-speaker Revel Ultima audio system (a 14-speaker Revel system is standard).
The seats, another high point, are adjustable a million ways from Sunday (30 ways, to be precise, and requiring their own infotainment menu to adjust). You can tell just from looking at the jet airliner-like cushions and side bolsters that they are some serious business. The leather used, meanwhile, is of a nice grain but I did find that there was a little too much pulling and creasing around the corners of the seats.
It’s good they have so much adjustability because it took a surprising amount of time for to find the ideal setting. And after all that work, we couldn’t say we were five times more comfortable than in something less adjustable from Volvo or Lexus.
The second-row seats aren’t quite as robust in terms of adjustability, but they get an optional massage feature and a fully loaded centre console with digital display for media control as well as heating and cooling. You can of course delete that and opt for a centre seat there, or nothing at all.
The third row is never going to get much adult-sized traffic in a vehicle like this, but it remains roomy enough with power-adjusting seatbacks, cupholders and two USB ports. Since our tester had the second-row centre console, the only way to get to the third row was from behind the second-row seatbacks, which tilt and slide with press of a button, or a tug of a lever mounted on the seat shoulder.
While loading the third row doesn’t offer many options, loading the cargo area offers two: you can lift the entire tailgate, or just the rear window. It allows for much higher loads – so long as you remember to open the glass before the main gate once you arrive, lest those folding scooters you piled atop the whole shebang come clattering down upon arrival.
Technology in the 2024 Lincoln Navigator – 8.0/10
The dash is anchored by two displays: a 12-inch screen plus HUD for the driver, and a 13.2-inch navigation display where you’ll find wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as SYNC 4 infotainment, which remains one of the better native interfaces in the business with hot buttons for all the important stuff and an intuitive interface.
It all looks tame and somewhat old school. The graphics, fonts used and colours are tame and look a little too much like what you’d find in the Navigator’s Ford Expedition cousin. On the upside, while you can control climate through the display, there are also traditional hard buttons if you prefer.
Speaking of buttons, there are more of them just above the climate controls, used to control the transmission. That’s right, this is an all-push-button setup and while it does take some getting used to, you eventually got the hang of it and it does de-clutters the interior.
The quality of the tech is best exemplified in the audio department as that Revel system is a godsend for audiophiles. Even a low-res subscription to Spotify sounds the business in this luxury truck, which is no small feat. The folks at Revel work with the designers and engineers to ensure their speakers sit within the various body and door panels to provide the best sound possible. And it works.
Blue Cruise is pretty good as well. The handsfree system allows for completely hands-free and feet-free driving for any given length of time on designated roads, typically divided highways with no level crossings.
Blue Cruise currently has about 210,000 km of Canadian and American roads in its database. When the system is active, the Navigator will hold the lane, tackle curves on its own and maintain distance. It is an early version of Blue Cruise, however, so it can’t change lanes like other Ford family vehicles can. It’s good but it can be a little too sensitive on curve control.
Powertrain of the 2024 Lincoln Navigator – 8.5/10
Power comes from a single engine choice: a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 good for 440 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, all handled by a 10-speed automatic transmission. In a vehicle that weighs close to 5,800 lb, the engine and transmission come together to athletically spirit the big Navigator forward with surprising gumption.
And since we’re not dealing with a big-capacity V8, our mixed highway-city driving concluded at just over 15.0L/100 km in fuel consumption, which for a limo like this is perfectly adequate.
Driving the 2024 Lincoln Navigator – 7.5/10
The body-on-frame Navigator doesn’t have an air suspension, but it does get adaptive dampers that give a sense of the road below and adjust accordingly.
The system works well over small bumps, but as road undulations get a little more severe, or the surface a little more cracked, the truck-based body-on-frame chassis starts to bely its roots. There are a few more shudders through the body as the surface gets more severe, to the point where I had to remind myself I wasn’t driving an Expedition (which as it happens I had done the week prior).
There are also a number of drive modes to sift through, including one called Excite, which is basically a performance mode. Which is a little funny considering this Particular SUV’s modus operandi, but it does add a little weight and responsiveness to the steering. Which is good, because because the steering wheel is a big ‘un and the rack not the most responsive in other drive modes.
We spent most of our time in Normal or Conserve as those fit the attitude of the truck better.
2024 Lincoln Navigator pricing in Canada
- - 2024 Navigator Reserve: $109,154
- - 2024 Navigator Reserve L: $112,826
Some of your questions about the 2024 Lincoln Navigator
Is there a single body style?
There is also a long-wheelbase Reserve L version but that affects only the cargo space, which increases from up to 2,925 litres with second and third rows folded to up to 3,403. Passenger volume in both the standard- and long-wheelbase versions remains the same.
Can I tow with my Navigator?
You sure can! Up to 3,765 kg with the short wheelbase version, and 3,674 with the long wheelbase. You can also opt for a heavy-duty tow package that adds Pro-Trailer Backup Assist, trailer brake controller, a class IV hitch with 4- and 7-pin connectors, front tow hooks and more.
The final word
With the Navigator, it’s all about the on-board experience. Lincoln has nailed important aspects such as the quality of the materials used, how good the noise reduction is, the spaciousness and most of the tech. You do feel like you’re in a quality vehicle when in the Navigator, and those ride bugaboos are maybe just an air suspension system away from disappearing.
You do pay for all of this. Our tester with the fancy audio, 30-way seats, trick centre console and so on gets the cost up to nearly $130,000 before delivery, and that’s in heady territory occupied mainly by the Germans.
An argument can be made that the qualities the Navigator presents do the price tag justice, but the fact that it doesn’t drive all that differently from the Expedition (a vehicle that gets some pretty swank trims of its own) and the outlook gives reason for pause.
At the end of the day, though, this Navigator lives up to its legend status, to the brand equity it’s earned over the years and for many, that makes it all worthwhile.
Competitors of the 2024 Lincoln Navigator
- - Audi Q7
- - BMW X7
- - Cadillac Escalade
- - Infiniti QX80
- - Jeep Wagoneer
- - Mercedes-Benz GLS 580
