First Drive: The 2025 Lincoln Navigator Doesn’t Fulfill Its Luxury Promise

Compromised comfort, controls, ride, and handling are at odds with the six-figure price

Jeff S. Bartlett, Consumer Reports Managing Editor, Autos.

By Jeff S. Bartlett
Managing Editor, Autos

Updated September 3, 2025

A view of the front of the 2025 Lincoln Navigator being driven. — The upscale alternative to the Ford Expedition is incrementally better in many ways, but those gains come at a hefty price.

A vanguard of the 1990s luxury SUV movement, the latest Lincoln Navigator adheres to the formula of adding upscale amenities to a full-sized SUV. It remains a premium alternative to similar mainstream models—in this case, it is a luxury version of the latest Ford Expedition.

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Ford redesigned the Navigator for 2025. Its freshened exterior is edged with refined lines and embellished with brand design cues, like the cross-hair grille that spreads into the headlamp housings, and the front fender garnish that extends into the doors.

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The Navigator is available in three trims: Reserve, Reserve with Jet Appearance, and Black Label. Each trim adds many features, laddering up to a spacious coach brimming with excess.

But with prices starting at $100,000, is the Navigator worth a six-figure price?

To experience the redesigned SUV and find out, Lincoln lent us a standard-length Navigator Black Label from Lincoln.

If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our expert assessment of the Lincoln Navigator is available below. If you haven’t signed up to be a member yet, click below and become a member to read our complete review.

Because of the 2025 Navigator’s high price and low sales volume, Consumer Reports will not purchase one for our test fleet. However, anyone considering one should consult our review of the Ford Expedition we purchased, which shares much of the Navigator’s parts and design.

What we drove: 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label
Powertrain: 440-hp, 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine; 10-speed automatic transmission; four-wheel drive
MSRP: $116,995
Options: Sunrise copper metallic paint with 22-inch wheels ($2,000)
Destination fee: $2,195
Total cost: $121,190
Final assembly point: Louisville, Ky.

A view of the side of the 2025 Lincoln Navigator. — The Navigator has a clean, classic design that bears familial resemblance to other contemporary Lincolns. The 22-inch wheels, shod with all-season tires, are downright hypnotizing, like an old phenakistoscope animation.

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Jeff S. Bartlett

Jeff S. Bartlett is the managing editor for the autos team at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2005. Previously, Jeff served as the online editorial director of Motor Trend for 11 years. Throughout his career, Jeff has driven thousands of cars, many on racetracks around the globe. Follow him on X: @JeffSBartlett