The Lincoln Navigator is undeniably one of the big players in the luxury SUV segment. With its top-tier Black Label model, the Navigator has found a way to stand out from the competition.

In fact, MotorTrend recently compared four of the top full-size luxury SUVs, including the Lincoln Navigator Black Label. So how does it measure up to rivals?

The 2021 Lincoln Navigator

The star of the Lincoln SUV lineup, the Navigator is a class act. It offers three rows of spacious seating and, like the Cadillac Escalade, comes in a standard length or extended-length body. The interior is upscale with top-notch materials like real leather, metal accents, and wood trim. 

Under the hood sits a potent 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 450 hp. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that’s as smooth as you’d expect. The powertrain is not as refined as some of its rivals like the Escalade, but it can tow up to 8,700 pounds, Car and Driver reported.

The Navigator also packs plenty of impressive standard features. They include leather upholstery in the first two rows, automatic tri-zone climate control, heated second-row seats, and heated, ventilated front seats. You can swap out the second-row captain’s chairs for bench seating at no extra charge.

Infotainment features include a 10-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Navigation, six USB ports, 14 speakers, satellite radio, and wireless device charging also come standard.

As you’d expect for a luxury vehicle, the Lincoln Navigator also boasts an abundance of driver-assist features. They include blind-spot monitoring, a rearview camera, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic warning, automatic emergency braking, and front and rear parking sensors. Some of the assists come as part of the Co-Pilot360 technology suite.

Lincoln Navigator Black Label

Lincoln Navigator Black Label models include seemingly everything you could want in a luxury SUV, including four-wheel drive. You can even get an optional entertainment system for the back with 10-inch touchscreens. There’s also an optional monochromatic appearance package available only on Black Label trims.

One Black Label Special Edition gives you a black roof, roof spoiler, side-mirror covers, and 22-inch blacked-out wheels. But you’re not stuck with black as the body color, MotorTrend explains. You can also get the Special Edition in white, silver, gold, burgundy, or two shades of blue.

Old-school luxury

MotorTrend reviewers recently compared four top three-row luxury SUVs: the 2020 BMW X7, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 2020 Lincoln Navigator Black Label, and 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class. All four are American-made. The winner, they explained, would be the best overall no matter where you sit in the vehicle.

They awarded the 2020 Lincoln Navigator Black Label top honors even while admitting they had dissed the previous generation. The team found the Navigator to be the most luxurious of the four SUVs and a “shout out to vintage American cars.” Instead of offering a sporty façade like the other three SUVs, the Navigator reminds you of an era when luxury cars didn’t try to be sporty and sporty cars didn’t try to be luxurious.

The MotorTrend team also said the Navigator offers an “old-school kind of flavor to it, in a fun way.” They described their 2020 Lincoln Navigator Black Label test vehicle as a spacious, luxurious experience reminiscent of a different era of automotive design. They said riding in the SUV was a joy.

Overall, MT’s reviewers thought the Lincoln Navigator Black Label was next-level compared to the other three SUVs. They thought it offered a solid balance of comfort, driving experience, luxury, and value. And they considered the Lincoln Navigator the best three-row SUV on the market today.