Driven: 2023 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label
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When it comes to SUVs, they don’t get much bigger than the Lincoln Navigator L. And in Black Label trim, this voluminous ride is one of the most luxurious vehicles on the road, too. We spent a week living with the 6-figure Lincoln, getting to know its many comforts and what it’s like to feel like a limo driver and an executive riding in the back.
If there's a single word to describe the Navigator, it's substantial. From its tall front grille with dozens of shiny chrome emblems and a big light-up Lincoln star logo to its 22" machined aluminum wheels, the Navigator Black Label exudes class and sophistication. These monumental wheels look even better in motion. As they spin, they produce the illusion of gliding across the ground. Measuring a garage-busting 222" long, the long-wheelbase Navigator has space for seven or eight passengers with extra room for luggage behind the third row.
Under its elevated hood, the big, body-on-frame vehicle has a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that helps motivate this roughly 6000-pound SUV from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds. That power plant cranks out 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft. of torque. It's a variant of the same engine found in the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ford GT, so it only makes sense that it's got great power and torque. Power goes to either the rear or all four wheels via a smooth, fast-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission. Lincoln offers the Navigator and Navigator L in RWD and AWD configurations. All models can tow at least 8,000 pounds, with the RWD Navigator offering the highest capacity at 8,700 pounds.
Thanks to its fully independent front and rear suspensions, the Navigator offers a supremely soft and compliant ride, cushioning its cabin from bumps and vibrations. The adaptive suspension system has a feature called Road Preview, which uses the front camera to look ahead and prepare the dampers before the wheels hit a bump or a pothole. With this system in place, feeling a jolt from big bumps is rare. One thing to note is that the suspension is quite soft. Even in its sportiest mode, the ride can feel a bit floaty at highway speeds.
There's lots of modern technology aboard, including a 12-inch configurable digital instrument cluster, selectable drive modes, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping, speed sign recognition, and various modern safety systems. Lincoln BlueCruise (aka ActiveGlide) provides hands-free driving on many U.S. highways and interstates, with the Navigator taking over steering, throttle, and braking application as long as you keep your eyes up and on the road. We've experienced this system in other Ford and Lincoln vehicles, and it's worked quite well. Still, our Navigator was quite fussy and kept switching off after short distances because it thought our eyes weren't on the road. Perhaps it was an issue with eyeglass reflections or driver position, or maybe it was an older version of the software than we've encountered before. Hopefully, this will be improved with an over-the-air update or in 2024 models.
Lincoln offers Navigator Black Label models in four different interior themes, each combining high-end materials and designer-selected color schemes into a serene and sophisticated environment. Our test vehicle came with the Invitation theme, which combines open-pore Khaya wood, Onyx black leather, and brandy-colored stitching. Other themes include Central Park, with dark walnut, Urban Green seats, and a Manhattan green exterior; Yacht Club, with whitewashed teak and Coastal Blue leather; and Chalet, a light-and-airy theme with two-tone Espresso and Alpine leather seats and sliverwood details. The laser-etched geometric patterns in our Invitation model have an artful look and pair well with the pattern on the seats.
This is the first time we've sat in a vehicle with 30-way adjustable power seats, and they're worth every dollar. These front-row seats are incredibly comfortable, well padded, and let you dial in a precise seating position that's exactly right for your body. Even the left and right thigh supports adjust individually. The seat controls are mounted on the doors, making them easier to see and use and allowing for a wider seat cushion than vehicles that mount them on the base.
The driver and front passenger seats also get heat, ventilation, and massage functions. Massages can be activated with the push of a button and fine-tuned on the touchscreen. There are five settings to target different areas, each offering three intensity settings. Like most car massage systems, this one uses air bladders, so it's not the kind of deep tissue massage you might get from a massage chair with rollers, but it's also much less likely to have maintenance issues than a mechanical massager. File this under first-world problems.
We can't say enough good things about the 28-speaker Revel Ultima Audio setup. This sound system kicks out tremendous volume with precision and without distortion. It offers an enveloping soundstage for all passengers, and its speakers have beautiful metal grilles, another highlight of the luxurious cabin.
When you approach the Navigator Black Label at night with the key fob on hand, the door handles light up, its power running boards deploy, front and rear running lights activate, and Lincoln logo puddle lights illuminate the ground at your feet. It's a fancy and welcoming way to find your vehicle in the dark.
While some people might buy a Navigator to drive themselves and their families around town and to kids' soccer games, it's much more likely to be used as a high-end limousine or executive car. With that in mind, the second-row seats are every bit as important as the front-row. The cushy captain's chairs in the seven-passenger configuration provide a calming environment with plenty of headroom, legroom, and elbow room. Like the front seats, they have heat, cooling, and massage functions. A small touchscreen in the center armrest provides easy access to seat, audio, and independent climate controls. Power window shades can be activated by switches on the back of the center console. You'll also find cupholders, USB ports, and 110V power outlets back here. We spent several hours sitting back here getting work done on a laptop, and it made a wonderful office on wheels. Lincoln does offer Navigator models with a bench second row or a passthrough between the seats, trading a bit of comfort for practicality, which seems like an unlikely requirement for something as luxurious as this vehicle.
Thanks to a tilt-and-slide mechanism on the second-row seats, it's not too hard to get in and out of the third row. Three passengers can fit into the back seat, and if you're not stuck in the middle, the seats are pretty comfortable in terms of width, padding, and headrests. These seats also can recline just a little bit, improving comfort but slightly decreasing cargo space. It is possible for adults to sit back here, but taller passengers might find the headroom and kneeroom limiting. There are cupholders and USB ports back here, too, as well as storage bins on the sides for kids to stow iPads or other gadgets.
The Navigator L provides incredible cargo space, with plenty of room for passengers' luggage even with all seats occupied. Behind the 60/40-folding third row, you'll find 34.3 to 36 cubic feet of space (depending on whether the seats are reclined or upright.) Drop those seats, and that increases to 79.6 cubic feet. Put all the seats down, and that jumps to a cavernous 120.2 cubic feet. Remember that if you go for the captain's chairs and center console, it's not an entirely flat cargo area. Still, it's enormous, and you'll likely never need to put the second row down. Both the second and third rows offer pushbutton motorized folding, which makes it easy to drop the seats when loading cargo from the back.
There's no question the Lincoln Navigator L is a lavish and elegant ride - especially for the first two rows of passengers. It's an impressive and powerful SUV that's enjoyable if you're in the driver's seat. But if you can afford to be a second-row passenger and have someone else shuttle you around, you'll get the most pleasure out of its relaxing and luxurious environment. Buyers can find the 2023 Navigator L AWD starting at $112,300. Our well-optioned test vehicle had a sticker price of $120,995.
