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- Family-Friendly Car Seat Setup: The Navigator continues to be one of the best luxury SUVs for families, offering an excellent car seat setup with plenty of anchors and easy third-row access.
- Split Tailgate: The new split tailgate and versatile cargo shelf make loading gear, tailgating, and everyday family life much more convenient.
- Spacious Third Row: The Navigator L provides a roomy third row with adult-friendly seating and generous cargo space, even with all seats in use.
- Luxury Interior: The redesigned cabin feels incredibly upscale with premium materials, massive displays, and luxury features like massaging seats and customizable technology.
The Exterior
The Lincoln Navigator was redesigned in 2025, and there's no denying it made a statement. With a starting price that can climb well over $125,000, Lincoln is clearly aiming to compete with other luxury full-size SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade.
As someone who drives a Ford Expedition Max (which shares a platform with the Navigator), I was especially excited to see what Lincoln changed this year. I've always appreciated the Navigator's family-friendly functionality, but in the past, I felt like its styling didn't quite match the competition.
After spending time with the redesigned model, here's everything families should know before buying one.
A Much More Modern Exterior
The first thing you'll notice is the updated styling.
Lincoln gave the Navigator a much more aggressive and modern look with redesigned front and rear fascias, new lighting, and cleaner lines throughout. I especially love the darker gray paint paired with the black and chrome accents—it gives the SUV a sophisticated, sporty feel.
The front end is definitely the star of the show. While I'm not completely sold on the rear styling, it's still a huge improvement over the previous generation.
The model I reviewed was the Navigator L, which gives you an extended wheelbase and significantly more cargo space behind the third row.
First Row
The Interior Feels Like a Luxury Lounge
Stepping inside is honestly an experience.
The materials feel premium, the design is incredibly clean, and Lincoln has gone all-in on a minimalist aesthetic. There are very few physical buttons, beautiful two-tone trim, and an enormous display stretching across the dashboard.
It certainly feels futuristic—but that's where I have mixed feelings.
The Technology Might Be Too Much
There's no question the technology is impressive.
Lincoln replaced the traditional gauge cluster and head-up display with an ultra-wide customizable screen, paired with an additional touchscreen below. You can customize widgets, stream YouTube while parked, and even activate a "Rejuvenate" mode that reclines your seat, starts a guided meditation, turns on the massaging seats, and adjusts the climate control.
While all of that is undeniably cool, I couldn't help but feel like the technology sometimes gets in the way of usability.
Simple adjustments—like moving the steering wheel, mirrors, pedals, or even directing your air vents—now require navigating through menus on the touchscreen. Instead of reaching for a physical control, you're clicking through multiple screens for tasks that used to take seconds.
For me, that's adding complexity where it isn't needed.
In a vehicle that already costs well over $100,000, I'd rather see Lincoln focus on premium materials and thoughtful design instead of adding technology simply because they can.
Second Row
Family-Friendly Features I Loved
At the end of the day, this is still a full-size SUV designed for families, and there are a lot of things the Navigator gets right.
Excellent Car Seat Hardware
The Navigator continues to be one of my favorite luxury SUVs for car seat installation.
It includes:
- Lower anchors on both second-row outboard seats
- Two sets of lower anchors in the third row
- Top tether anchors in all five rear seating positions
- Power car-seat-friendly tilt for accessing the third row with a car seat installed
From a child passenger safety standpoint, it's still one of the strongest options in the luxury SUV segment.
My Biggest Complaint About the Second Row
This was probably my biggest disappointment.
The rear entertainment screens mounted to the front seats are extremely bulky and take up valuable space.
Not only do they reduce knee room, but they also interfere with rear-facing car seat installation and leave the screens sitting very close to your child's face.
Personally, I'd rather skip the built-in screens entirely and let parents decide if they want to hand their kids a tablet.
Another surprising omission? There are no rear window sunshades.
At this price point, that's something I absolutely expected to see.
Third Row
Third Row Comfort
The third row is exactly what you'd hope for in a full-size SUV.
Adults can comfortably sit back there, and passengers get:
- Heated third-row seats
- Reclining seatbacks
- Ceiling-mounted air vents
- Cup holders
- Plenty of space
If you'll regularly use all three rows, the Navigator delivers.
Trunk
One of My Favorite New Features: The Split Tailgate
The updated split tailgate is easily one of the best additions for the redesign.
Families know how quickly cargo can tumble out when opening a packed trunk. The lower tailgate solves that problem while also creating a convenient place to sit.
Lincoln also added a clever multi-purpose cargo shelf that can be configured several ways:
- Upper storage shelf
- Tailgate table
- Bench seat with a padded backrest
This is the kind of innovation that actually makes life easier for families, and I loved how versatile it is.
Safety
The Lincoln Navigator prioritizes safety with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360 2.0 suite of driver-assist technologies. Key features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a 360-degree camera system for tight spaces, and Lincoln BlueCruise for hands-free highway driving
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