Text by Tom Appel
2025 Lincoln Navigator Reserve 4X4
Specs
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | B+ |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | B- |
| Value | B |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide’s impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. “Big” rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, “Tall” rating based on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 440-horsepower, 3.5-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged V6 |
| Transmission | 10-Speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | 4WD |
Class: Premium Large SUV
Country of Manufacture: U.S.
Color: Gray Mist Metallic Tri-Coat
Seating Capacity: 7
Miles driven: 111
Real-world fuel economy: 15.2 mpg
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 15/22/17 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Regular Gas
Base price: $99,995 (not including $1995 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($750), power massaging 2nd-row seats ($2050), heavy-duty tow package ($570)
Price as tested: $105,360
Audio-System Quality
Poor Fair Good Very-Good Excellent
Pros and Cons
The great: Class-leading refinement, outstanding passenger comfort
The good: Impressive power, good handling, runs on regular-grade gas
The not so good: Big price increase for 2025
Review
It might seem odd that there would be an “entry-level” version of Lincoln’s flagship SUV, and for 2025, the concept of an “affordable” Navigator is fully quashed.
Newly updated with fresh styling and a bold, new, cabin-wide LCD display, the biggest Lincoln is as upscale as ever, and for 2025, without a base model. We’ll talk trim levels in a moment…
Competition
Essentially a luxury interpretation of Ford’s popular and well-regarded Expedition, the Navigator is as large as SUVs come, and competes for customers directly with the Cadillac Escalade, and more-or-less directly with the GMC Yukon Denali and Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
Engines
There is just one powertrain offered for 2025. Navigator is powered by as 440-horsepower versions of Ford’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. All Navigators come standard with 4WD, and will run just fine on regular-grade gasoline.
Big and Huge
And while there are no choices as to what comes under the hood, Navigator can be had in two sizes: big, and huge. The standard-length Navigator stretches 210 inches and rides on a 123-inch wheelbase. The L edition of the big Lincoln is truly big, stretching 222 inches overall, and riding on a 133-inch wheelbase. As for the trim levels…
Prices and Trim Levels
Gone for 2025 is the Premiere trim level, which started last year at just $83,265. We say just, because the Reserve, previously the midlevel Navigator, is now the least expensive trim level, with a starting price of $102,190. What this means for luxury-minded tightwads is that the price of entry for a Navigator has risen nearly $20,000 in a single model year. For the record, the least-expensive Escalade now rings the clock at only-slightly less pricey $92,295.
With the Premiere gone, Lincoln has inserted a new Jet trim level into the middle of its three-trim-level lineup. Have a look:
- Reserve ($102,190)
- Reserve L ($105,180)
- Jet ($105,690)
- Jet L ($108,680)
- Black Label ($119,190)
- Black Label L ($122,190)
New Jet Trim Level
Note that while Lincoln treats the Jet as a unique trim level, the model appears on the window sticker as an option group on the Reserve. You can read our review of the Lincoln Corsair in Jet trim here.
Test Car
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a standard-length 2025 Navigator in Gray Mist Metallic. Including a few options and the destination charge, our test car came to $105,360.
Size, Room, and Comfort
As much as possible—it’s impossible to completely deny the physics—the Navigator feels smaller from behind the wheel than it is…unless you’re trying to park it in a public garage. Inside, however this mighty Lincoln flagship feels huge, which is sort of the point of owning one.
Though all the big SUVs offered for sale in the U.S.—except the Lexus LX—are about the same size, the Ford models feel the roomiest to us. We appreciate the large door openings, relatively easy step-in, airy cabin, and decent outward visibility.
Though our test vehicle was not an L version, 2nd-row space remains vast, and 3rd space is adult friend, providing that adult is nimble enough to crawl back there.
Controls and Connectivity
Though updated for 2025, we found the control layout familiar, and generally Ford easy to use, and that’s high praise.
Most impressive, however, is the massive, pillar-to-pillar, LCD screen which is positioned below the windshield. The sprawling, easy-to-read monitor can be configured to present whatever information you would like to see at a glance, and is independent of the console screen (see below). This editor chose to have an analog clock, current music choice, a map, and trip information on display. And, despite the screen location, it is not easily washed out, ever by direct sunlight.
Cabin Appointments
The cabin itself is a classy, understated affair. Lined with top-notch materials and built to a high standard, the Navigator interior is among the classiest in the premium large SUV segment. Also, the Revel-brand audio system found on our test vehicle is among the best in-vehicle sound systems we’ve ever experienced.
Quietness
Underway the Navigator earns kudos for sound—what you hear, and what you don’t. Very little wind and road noise makes its way into the cabin, and easy 1st-to-3rd-row conversation is possible, even at highway speeds. As for what you do hear, the aforementioned Revel audio system will delight owners who put a value on high-end sound reproduction.
Ride and Handling
The suspension deftly filters out road imperfections, though is biased slightly to a firmer ride experience. We found the ride appropriate for the character of this vehicle, but some shoppers may be looking for something cushier. We appreciated the sophisticated feel of the chassis setup, and suspect drivers moving up from smaller vehicles will as well. Definitely take time for a test drive, though.
Though the Navigator defies being hustled, it handles better than anything this large should. We appreciate the steering feel—there is some—and the quick throttle response.
Power and Performance
The turbocharged V6 produces plenty of passing and merging power, and launches the big Lincoln from a stop with authority. It also sounds great when pushed. The 10-speed automatic seems to always be in the right gear, and shifts with the refined polish of a European luxury sedan.
Cargo Space
As for cargo space, there’s a lot of it, especially with the 3rd-row seatings folded flat. While the load floor is a little high off the ground, it is flat, making sliding boxes for-and-aft easy.
Value
While we regret seeing the base price of a Navigator rise as much as it has, we also know that the majority of shoppers in this class pass on the base model for something as well equipped as our test car.
Shoppers in this segment owe it to themselves to test drive everything available, but barring that be sure to spend time with the Navigator and Escalade. Yes, these vehicles are terribly expensive, but they are also very luxurious, and, if you need the space and power, Quite practical.
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2025 Lincoln Navigator Reserve
Pictures
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