In Its Cousin's Shadow: The 2026 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label
In two years, the Lincoln Navigator turns 30. Not many people remember now, but Lincoln actually beat Cadillac to the luxury large SUV market with the 1998 Navigator by a full model year (the Escalade debuted as a 1999 model). And they did very well---44,000 first-year Navigators found homes.
But a head start doesn't guarantee you'll win the race over the long run. So far, the Navigator has sold 15,516 units this year, while the Escalade is at nearly double that---29,653.
Neither automaker should be breaking out the party hats and horns over that one. The 'Slade may be at almost two times the sales of the Nav, but that just makes the Cadillac the 101st best selling car in America (not a typo---one hundred and first).
Sure, there's a lot of competition for six-figure SUVs these days---it's a field of nine, with Range Rover, the BMW X7, the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, the Infiniti QX80, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Lexus LX and the just-unveiled Audi Q9 all throwing elbows with the Escalade and Navigator in the hunt for high-income ZIP code garage space. And of those, the Nav outsells the Infiniti, the Benz G-Class and the Lexus, with sales yet to begin for the Audi.
Lincoln's biggest problem with the Navigator might be its cousin---the Ford Expedition. I reviewed a loaded Ford Expedition Max Premium earlier this month, and while the stylists have worked hard to make the Lincoln different from the Ford, the similarities are apparent.
Under the hood, it's the same 440-horsepower 3-liter Ecoboost V6. It's an optional engine in the Expedition, but if you get the Platinum Ultimate Package, you get this engine, albiet with 30 more lb-ft of torque (510 in the Lincoln, 480 in the Ford). Same with the 10-speed automatic transmission. Same EPA fuel economy estimate, too---15 mpg city/22 mpg highway.
The Nav offers the same 37.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row of seats, but a bit less than the Ford behind the second and first rows (likely due to different seats).
And the accommodations for people---well, they're really, really nice in the Lincoln, but the Ford's no slouch, either---especially in Platinum Ultimate trim:
And then there's the cockpit:
Apart from materials, the shapes of the vents and the placement of the center touchscreen, the biggest difference between the two is Lincoln's full-width screen...and the jury is still very much out on whether that's a selling point or not.
The base price of the 2026 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label is $121,995 ($124,590 including destination). That money buys a long list of standard equipment (see the window sticker at the end of the review).
Ours had $13,595 in extra-cost options. $9,000 of that is in the Black Label Special Edition Package (a black painted roof and 24-inch high-gloss ebony wheels. The rear seat entertainment system added $2,195, the (admittedly gorgeous Sunrise Copper Metallic paint) was $2,000, and a four-year SiriusXM with 360L subscription bundled with a connectivity and security package was $400.
Total as-tested price: $138,185.
And that price is not out of line in this class of vehicles. So why doesn't the Navigator give the Escalade more of a run for its money in retail sales? Tale as old as time: GM puts more effort and likely more money into differentiating the Cadillac Escalade from the Chevrolet Suburban. Ford has, for decades, held Lincoln back (and let's face it, killed Mercury) by not creating enough distance between it and Ford. Even the overly-loaded Expedition Max Platinum I reviewed earlier this month is 30 grand and change less expensive than this Navigator Black Label. A well-equipped but still very nice Expedition Max would come in more than 50 grand below this Navigator.
I'm not saying the Lincoln should cost less. But it needs to offer $30k to $50k more...something.
2026 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label at a glance:
Price: $121,995 base/$138,185 as tested
Engine: 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6
Horsepower: 440
Torque: 510
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 6,051
0-60 Acceleration (Car and Driver data): 5.1 seconds
EPA Fuel Economy Estimate: 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway
Fuel tank capacity: 27 gallons
EPA Range Estimate: N/A
Class competitors: Range Rover, Cadillac Escalade, BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, Infiniti QX80, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Lexus LX, Audi Q9
