2025 Lincoln Navigator First Drive: Moving Further Upscale

• The new Lincoln Navigator is even more luxurious than before.
• High-end features include a 28-speaker audio system and Rejuvenate relaxation mode.
• A longer Navigator L with additional cargo space is also available.

How luxurious is the 2025 Lincoln Navigator?

The 2025 Lincoln Navigator looks distinctive and classy. The interior features an enormous 48-inch display in lieu of gauges, artfully blending speed, audio, maps and so forth into an integrated whole while still keeping each legible and clear.

You'll find high-quality leather everywhere, with soft-touch surfaces on the door tops, armrests and the expansive dash. Real wood veneers cover most of what the leather doesn't, and the cabin is tomb-like in its silence at speed. On the top-end Black Label trims, these interior designs are grouped by themes, like the white-dominant Enlighten that includes a matching sueded headliner. That said, I did notice hard plastic on the lower portion of the door panels and center console, and the third-row seating area has no soft spot to rest an elbow.

What's this about a spa?

Even economy cars boast high-end audio, premium materials, quiet cruising and high-definition screens, so luxury brands need to distinguish themselves with unique experiences. The Navigator features Lincoln Rejuvenate, which combines the sound of the 28-speaker Revel Ultima audio system, the huge wraparound screen, the massaging seats, and Digital Scent air freshener into a 5- or 10-minute relaxation program.

When activated, Rejuvenate reclines the driver's seat, plays soft music and nature sounds, and starts the seat massage. The panoramic display shows a gorgeous landscape, such as a waterfall or aurora borealis, and the Digital Scent pumps in pleasant smells. One of the programs features a brief guided meditation from Calm, that app you always hear advertised on podcasts. It seems goofy at first, but my 5-minute experience was genuinely pleasant, and it's certainly better than doomscrolling while you wait for the kids' lacrosse practice to end.

Is it practical?

Since the Navigator is based on the Ford Expedition, there's tons of room inside for up to eight passengers thanks to the second-row bench available on the base Reserve trim. Those front massaging seats are standard and adjust 24 ways for the driver and 22 ways for the passenger. Don't worry, you can save all that and more in the preferences. There's also no shortage of cubbies and crannies for holding things, including a suitably deep center console bin.

The roomy second-row captain's chairs can be upgraded to include seat heating, cooling, massaging, and power slide and recline, along with a touchscreen between the seats to control it all. The roomy third row is also heated, with two USB-C ports per side. For those with kids, the car seat anchors in the second and third rows are clearly labeled and easy to use, and I appreciate the ceiling-mounted vents to keep kids in car seats cool.

Behind the third row is 21.6 cubic feet of cargo space, which Lincoln makes more useful with an adjustable shelf that can also be used as a table or a backrest when you're tailgating. The Navigator's split tailgate is also useful and smart enough to have a one-touch close function. If you need more space for cargo, the Navigator L expands that rear cargo area to 36.1 cubic feet, and if that's not enough, the Navigator can tow up to 8,700 pounds with the available towing package.

How's the tech?

The big screen looks great, but you'll use the 11.1-inch touchscreen above the center console to interact with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's also used for deeper dives into other settings, and that includes adjusting the air vents. While Lincoln has quick-adjust presets for "blow on you" or "blow away from you," I'd still prefer physical controls. Overall the touchscreen is snappy, responsive and bright, albeit a little far away due to the Navigator's sheer size. Same goes for the push-button gear selector underneath.

The steering wheel's squared-off top lets you see the display better, but it makes the wheel feel undersized for such a bulky vehicle. The steering wheel buttons change their operation depending on what you're doing, echoing the function in use on the screen in front of you. That includes adjusting the mirrors and steering wheel. It takes a bit of getting used to, and I'd still prefer physical controls, but I also give credit to Lincoln for finding a better way to do this electronically than hiding everything in the touchscreen, like on a Tesla.

The Navigator's BlueCruise hands-free driving system works well, letting the Navigator drive itself on the highway for a good 30 minutes without requiring any driver intervention. The automatic lane switching smoothly moves the SUV to the next lane with just a tap of the turn signal. I wish the driver attention monitor would cut me a little slack when I'm looking down at the lower screen to change drive modes, however, since that's exactly why I'd want a hands-free driving feature in the first place. Still, it's a big step forward, and hopefully Lincoln's 130,000 premapped miles of roads where BlueCruise can be used will expand closer to GM's 750,000 miles sometime soon.

How does it drive?

Powering the 2025 Navigator is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine putting out 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, and it's pretty quick for such a big machine. There are adjustable drive modes with names like Normal, Excite, Slippery, Conserve and Deep Conditions, but even in Normal mode, the ride quality is smooth and comfortable. Excite reduces body roll significantly, along with making the gas pedal more responsive and adding a bit of V8-like rumble through the speakers. On the other hand, Conserve softens the suspension and makes the gas pedal less sensitive to help save fuel.

All body-on-frame vehicles like the Navigator suffer from a certain amount of vibration in the chassis because the body and frame are separate pieces, but the Navigator's is more noticeable than other SUVs with a similar construction. It isn't terrible and only prominent on rough pavement, but it called attention to itself more than once during my test drive.

Price and competitors

It's easy to be impressed with the fifth-generation Lincoln Navigator. The basic Reserve trim has enough special features that the starting price of $101,990 (including the $1,995 destination charge) doesn't seem unreasonable. Even the fully loaded Navigator Black Label special edition, with its near $130,000 price tag, doesn't feel too expensive since it's basically in line with competitors like the Cadillac Escalade.

On the other hand, those six digits can get you behind the wheel of things like a Mercedes-Benz GLS or a BMW X7. Granted, both are smaller than this big Lincoln and not quite as capable when it comes to towing or hauling passengers. However, both are notably nicer to drive overall and still deliver excellent utility and capability. I guess we'll just have to gather all these big luxury SUVs together and compare them to find out. Stay tuned.