Compare the2023 Lincoln NavigatorVS 2023 Dodge Durango

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Navigator are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Durango doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lincoln Navigator has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Durango doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The middle row seatbelts optional on the Navigator Reserve/Black Label inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The Durango doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

The Navigator has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Durango doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Navigator has standard Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Durango doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Navigator 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Durango doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Navigator’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango and is not available with SXT.

The Navigator has a standard 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Navigator’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Navigator and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lincoln Navigator is safer than the Dodge Durango:

	Navigator	Durango
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	32%	34%
Leg Forces (l/r)	23/39 lbs.	339/364 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	155 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	74 lbs.	86 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lincoln Navigator is safer than the Dodge Durango:

	Navigator	Durango
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	46
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	108 lbs.	111 lbs.
Hip Force	180 lbs.	236 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	34 G’s
Hip Force	434 lbs.	446 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	134	194
Hip Force	569 lbs.	714 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Navigator comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Durango’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Navigator 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Durango. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Durango ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Navigator has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

The Navigator has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Durango doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Navigator’s reliability 15 points higher than the Durango.

Engine

The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 147 more horsepower (440 vs. 293) and 250 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 260) than the Durango’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 145 more horsepower (440 vs. 295) and 250 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 260) than the Durango’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6. The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 80 more horsepower (440 vs. 360) and 120 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 390) than the Durango’s optional 5.7 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Navigator is faster than the Dodge Durango:

	Navigator	Durango V6	Durango V8
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	8 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	16.1 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.8 MPH	86.9 MPH	93.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Navigator gets better mileage than the Durango:

			MPG
Navigator
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	17 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/22 hwy
Durango
	RWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

The Navigator has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Durango doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Navigator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Durango.

Brakes and Stopping

The Navigator stops shorter than the Durango:

	Navigator	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Navigator has larger standard tires than the Durango (275/55R20 vs. 265/60R18).

The Navigator Standard’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Durango SXT’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Navigator Standard has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Durango SXT. The Navigator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Durango.

The Lincoln Navigator’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Dodge Durango only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Navigator has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Navigator flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Navigator’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Durango doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Navigator’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Durango (122.5 inches vs. 119.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Navigator is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

The Navigator Black Label 4WD handles at .76 G’s, while the Durango GT pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Navigator Black Label 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Durango GT 4x4 (27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Navigator’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Durango’s (40 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Navigator has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Durango (9.6 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Navigator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Navigator uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Durango doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Navigator uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Durango doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Navigator Black Label 4WD is quieter than the Durango GT 4x4 (72 vs. 76 dB).

Passenger Space

The Navigator offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Durango can only carry 7.

The Navigator has 30.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango (172 vs. 141.4).

The Navigator has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 3.6 inches more front legroom, 4.9 inches more front hip room, 6.7 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom, 6.1 inches more rear hip room, 7.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.6 inches more third row legroom, 9 inches more third row hip room and 13.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Navigator’s middle and third row seats recline. The Durango’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Navigator’s cargo area provides more volume than the Durango.

	Navigator	Durango
Behind Third Seat	19.3 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.5 cubic feet	43.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	103.3 cubic feet	85.1 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Navigator easier. The Navigator’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Durango’s liftover is 31.4 inches.

The Navigator’s cargo area is larger than the Durango’s in almost every dimension:

	Navigator	Durango
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	24”/48”/86.8”	20”/50”/83”
Max Width	51.5”	49”
Min Width	51”	42.5”
Height	37”	36”

The Navigator has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Durango doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Navigator’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Durango doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Navigator’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Durango’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Navigator’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Durango (except SXT), the Navigator Reserve/Black Label has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, foot pedal distance, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Navigator’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Durango, and is not available on all models.

The Navigator Reserve/Black Label has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Navigator’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Navigator’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Durango’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Navigator’s exterior PIN entry system. The Durango doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Navigator’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Durango’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Navigator has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Durango doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and second seat rows keep the Navigator’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Durango doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Navigator has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Durango.

The Navigator offers optional massaging front and second row seats, which keep the driver and middle row passengers. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Durango.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lincoln Navigator has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Durango doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Navigator’s Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Durango doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Navigator is less expensive to operate than the Durango because typical repairs cost much less on the Navigator than the Durango, including $24 less for a water pump, $44 less for a muffler, $67 less for front brake pads, $296 less for a starter, $138 less for a fuel pump, $137 less for front struts and $8 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Navigator as the 2018 North American Truck of the Year. The Durango has never been chosen.

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