2022 Lincoln Navigator Reviews, Pricing & Specs

In the ‘fixing what wasn’t broken’ department, Lincoln has made subtle styling changes to the 2022 Navigator. New headlights and taillights debut, the wheel designs are different (in Canada, a 22-inch design is standard), and the company updated the Lincoln Embrace nighttime welcome illumination sequence as you approach the vehicle. The automaker also restyled the SUV’s front end.

We’re cool with the changes, except for the front end. It’s now got an Audi-esque grille reminiscent of a 2006 Audi A4, but with the requisite Lincoln star and chrome detailing. Somehow, the result is less elegance and presence than the Navigator had before, which we’re certain was not the goal.

In any case, this amounts to a rare misstep, and the remainder of the Navigator’s changes for 2022 render the new “single-frame” grille a footnote to what is otherwise a successful update to the SUV.

Inside, the Navigator continues to dazzle occupants with quality materials and mid-century modern design, now featuring Lincoln’s Constellation instrumentation and infotainment display theme. Think of what the sky looks like about 30 minutes after the sun dips below the horizon. The stars are twinkling overhead, and there is a thin line of blazing colour remaining low and distant. That’s what Constellation looks like on all of the Navigator’s displays, including the head-up display (HUD) and rear-seat entertainment screens.

Another upgrade, which we’ll delve into further below, is a new Sync 4 infotainment system with a substantially larger 13.2-inch touchscreen display. Between it, the digital instrumentation, and the widescreen HUD, there is enough display acreage to keep the Navigator in the hunt in the silly screen competition measuring number and size.

For 2022, the Navigator continues in standard and long-wheelbase styles with Reserve being the sole trim levels sold in Canada. MSRP starts at $107,500 (not including the $2,395 destination charge).

We evaluated a U.S.-spec Navigator Black Label in its new Central Park theme for this review. Painted Manhattan Green (a colour not sold in Canada), the test vehicle had a matching green interior (also not available) with second-row heated, ventilated, and massaging captain’s chairs separated by a large console (fortunately, in Canada, these are standard apart from the massaging function, which is optional).

As was true last year, the 2022 Navigator has a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and in Canada, standard four-wheel drive (4WD; rear-wheel drive (RWD) is not offered in our market).

Though it’s not a V8 engine, the twin-turbo V6 supplies a robust 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque and, from the driver’s seat, emits a pleasing note under acceleration. Towing capacity for the powertrain ranges between maximums of 3,674 and 3,765 kilograms (8,100 and 8,300 pounds) with the maximum tow package, depending on wheelbase and drivetrain selections, and the SUV’s available Trailer Reverse Guidance technology is easier to set up and use in 2022.

These figures compare favourably to the Navigator’s arch-rival, the Cadillac Escalade. The Caddy’s 6.2-litre V8 musters 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, and it features max towing between 3,583 and 3,629 kg (7,900 lbs and 8,000 lbs), depending on specification. For best results, though, you need the Escalade’s optional 3.0-litre turbo-diesel six-cylinder engine, good for 277 hp and 460 lb-ft.

Lincoln also updates the Navigator’s adaptive-damping suspension with something called Road Preview. This feature can identify bumps, cracks, and potholes ahead, and it automatically prepares the suspension for appropriate damping forces before the SUV travels over them.

For the most part, we tested the Navigator on smooth streets, boulevards, roads, and highways. Nevertheless, and despite our test vehicle’s heavy 22-inch wheels, the SUV shrugged off the few stretches of imperfect pavement we did encounter.

Another update for 2022 is a new electronic brake booster. Typically, when a car company adds one to a vehicle, the brake pedal feel and response improves. We noted that the ’21 model's brakes felt a bit too soft last year, but we have no reason to complain about the new Navigator’s brakes.

Our route took us through some fresh snow, which the Navigator’s twin-turbo effortlessly climbed past, unfazed by the SUV’s more than 2,700 kg (nearly three tons) of curb weight.

While most of our driving during the day involved side roads, we did get a chance to drive in snow and some mud. However, these conditions posed no problems due to four-wheel drive, roughly 24.5 centimetres of ground clearance, and an appropriate driving mode and traction setting. Also, on a two-lane mountain road, the Navigator’s adaptive suspension quelled unwanted ride motions while the 22-inch wheels and tires supplied plenty of grip.

As far as fuel consumption is concerned, the Navigator 4WD should use 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, per Natural Resources Canada. During our drive, the SUV averaged 12.6 L/100 km.

As was true before, the 2022 Navigator’s heated, ventilated, and available massaging and 30-way power-adjustable front seats are exceptionally comfortable. The trick is to take the time to adjust them, tweak things as is necessary, and then use the memory function to save your settings. We did that, and during our drive, we were perfectly comfortable at all times.

On the comfort front, the big news pertains to the second-row seat. Lincoln had us ride in the available, newly massaging, heated, and ventilated rear captain’s chairs to test out the updated and upgraded Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system. More on that below, but suffice it to say the 30-minute trip was not just comfortable, it was also long enough to get us hooked on Amazon Prime's “Reacher.”

Third-row passengers continue to enjoy roomy accommodations on a supportive seat. Lincoln has offered a legitimately habitable third-row seat since 2005 when the Navigator switched to an independent rear suspension design. Cadillac finally did the same in 2021, but we still think the Navigator’s rearmost seat is the more comfortable of the two.

As you would expect in a huge SUV, storage space is generous. So is cargo space, and if you have big broods and loads to haul simultaneously, we recommend the 2022 Lincoln Navigator L for its long-wheelbase configuration.

By the numbers, the Navigator carries 546 litres of cargo behind its third-row seat (972 litres for Navigator L). Fold it down, and there are 1,627 litres of cargo volume (2,077 litres in Navigator L). The maximum volume with the second-row seats collapsed is 2,925 litres (3,403 litres in Navigator L).

Compared to its primary competitors, the model year 2021 Navigator’s 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen looked slightly small. Plus, it ran an older operating system that could not keep up with the latest and greatest from BMW, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz.

Now, for 2022, a new Sync 4 infotainment system arrives just in time, accompanied by a sizable 13.2-inch touchscreen display. Mounted in landscape orientation above the Navigator’s centre air vents, the new screen is easy to reach and reference. In addition, it offers two data panels to view the navigation map and music details simultaneously.

Below the air vents and transmission buttons, Lincoln continues to provide knobs for volume and stereo tuning and physical controls for the climate functions. While there is plenty of chrome detailing and gloss-black trim inside the Navigator, the buttons feature a matte finish and clear markings, making them glare-resistant and easy to read and use.

Anyone familiar with how a modern smartphone works can use Sync 4, and not just because it supports Bluetooth, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Like the 30-way Perfect Position seats, the trick is to spend the time to go through all of the menus and set everything up to your personal preferences. Of course, you won’t need to interact with the screen much if you do that. And while Lincoln says there are about 80 individual vehicle settings, you can save them all to a user profile, so rest assured this time spent won’t be for naught.

Sync 4’s voice recognition system is quite good. Based on our testing, it is not perfect but is better than what the Navigator had last year. During the evaluation, it did not successfully find a restaurant simply by providing the name of the establishment and the street on which it is located. Also, when telling Sync 4 we wanted to listen to alternative rock, it did not switch SiriusXM to an alt-rock station.

Otherwise, it quickly and accurately responded to our standard list of test prompts. Perhaps Lincoln will use Sync 4’s over-the-air update capability to fine-tune the voice recognition system further.

Switching to the upgraded Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system, this option is now fortified with Amazon Fire TV. It provides quick access to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ programming via the individual touchscreens mounted to the front seatbacks or remote controls. So again, if you use these content platforms in your home, you’ll have no trouble accessing them in the Navigator.

After selecting Amazon Prime’s “Reacher” series during testing of the tech, a note popped up about nudity, violence, and language. Lincoln says parents can lock certain types of content out, but there isn’t a way to tell what rear-seat passengers are viewing from the driver’s or front passenger’s seat.

Lastly, the test vehicle also had an optional new 28-speaker Revel 3D high-end audio system, which was truly sensational.

Several new driver assistance systems debut on the 2022 Lincoln Navigator. They include Intersection Assist, Active Park Assist 2.0, and ActiveGlide. A surround-view camera system is also newly standard for the SUV.

Intersection Assist can automatically brake when drivers attempt unsafe movements given traffic conditions. However, we did not experience this safety feature while driving the Navigator.

Active Park Assist 2.0 allows the Navigator to take complete control of the SUV for parking in parallel and perpendicular parking spaces. At the same time, the driver remains seated behind the steering wheel, ready to take over if necessary. We’ve tested this technology on other Ford Motor Company products, and it works well.

ActiveGlide is Lincoln’s new semi-autonomous, hands-free driving technology—think of it as Ford’s BlueCruise for Lincoln. In other words, on an approved highway, under the right conditions, you can set the adaptive cruise control, and ActiveGlide will take full control of the vehicle. The only catch? You need to pay attention the entire time.

ActiveGlide is approved for use on more than 200,000 kilometres of North American roads. Typically, these are limited-access, divided highways. That’s where we sampled the technology, driving west in afternoon sunlight at highway speed.

On a couple of tighter curves, ActiveGlide disengaged. Otherwise, it performed flawlessly within its operational limits, which may or may not identify threats. That’s where you, the human driver, come in.

For example, while the Navigator passed a car in an adjacent lane, the other vehicle wandered over the lane marker and got close to the Lincoln. The SUV did not react, but we did, nudging the Navigator left just as the other motorist realized they’d drifted from their lane.

Though ActiveGlide performed well on straight, dry, sunny stretches of highway under light traffic conditions, the driver never fully trusts the technology. And this is also true of Super Cruise, a similar system from General Motors. This lack of complete trust in the tech’s infallibility, plus the need to monitor for dumb stuff other drivers do on the road, can increase stress, which is the opposite of the intended effect.

Ultimately, systems like ActiveGlide represent the necessary baby steps on the path to fully autonomous driving. But, as you'd expect, these steps are not an excuse to stop treating driving as the serious responsibility and privilege that it is.

Lincoln pitches the 2022 Navigator as the ultimate road-tripping machine. Based on our time driving and riding in it, that’s a fair description of this full-size SUV.

However, there isn’t anything cost-effective about buying a large luxury SUV that burns 13 L/100 km in combined driving. If you require the towing capacity, you could instead get the Ford Expedition on which the Navigator is based. It even comes in a luxurious Platinum trim level. If you need the cargo capacity, a minivan is equally spacious, and a loaded Kia Carnival comes with a set of rear seats that look like they belong in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

But let’s get real here. You’re not cross-shopping a Lincoln Navigator with a minivan. And you’re not buying the Ford because, well, it’s a Ford and looks and feels like one on the inside. So, how does the 2022 Navigator stack up against its competition?

The Navigator Reserve starts at roughly $17,000 more expensive than a base Cadillac Escalade. But the Lincoln comes in a single, well-equipped trim in Canada, and it comes with ownership perks including valet service when the time comes to take the Navigator in for maintenance.

The Navigator is bigger than both a BMW X7 and a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 and is priced between the two German SUVs, with the BMW being the less affordable of the trio. Then there is the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, a new model for 2022 that starts roughly $5,000 lower than a Navigator 4WD.

Within this small but appropriately competitive set, the Lincoln Navigator’s well-equipped packaging makes a strong case for cost-effectiveness as a new vehicle. Beyond this, the Lincoln represents more than just value depending on how you spec it. For now, and as Lincoln readies several electrified models set to arrive in the years to come, the 2022 Navigator sets the standard for what Lincoln calls “quiet luxury.”

Note: Images show a US model.