Compare the2024 Subaru AscentVS 2023 Lincoln Navigator

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Ascent have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Lincoln Navigator doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Ascent has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Navigator doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Ascent. But it costs extra on the Navigator.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Ascent uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Navigator uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Ascent and the Navigator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Ascent	Navigator
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	32%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	361 lbs.
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	147 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	210	326
Neck Injury Risk	33%	35%
Leg Forces (l/r)	35/30 lbs.	271/178 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, results indicate that the Subaru Ascent is safer than the Lincoln Navigator:

	Ascent	Navigator
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	73 lbs.	108 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	27 G’s
Hip Force	346 lbs.	434 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Ascent is 2.3% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Navigator.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ascent its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Navigator has not been tested, yet.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 3 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Ascent lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Navigator doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Ascent
	AWD	2.4 turbo flat-4	20 city/26 hwy
		Limited/Touring/Onyx 2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy
Navigator
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	17 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Ascent uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Navigator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Ascent has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Navigator. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Ascent has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Navigator doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ascent stops much shorter than the Navigator:

	Ascent	Navigator
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	162 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Ascent Touring handles at .80 G’s, while the Navigator Black Label 4WD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Navigator Black Label 4WD (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Ascent’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Navigator’s (38 feet vs. 40 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Ascent may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1250 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator.

The Ascent is 1 foot, 1.2 inches shorter than the Navigator, making the Ascent easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Ascent’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Navigator doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Ascent Limited is quieter than the Navigator Black Label 4WD:

	Ascent	Navigator
At idle	40 dB	42 dB
Full-Throttle	70 dB	72 dB
70 MPH Cruising	64 dB	67 dB

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the Ascent is 3.3 inches lower than the Navigator (17.7” vs. 21”). The Ascent’s rear step up height is 4.9 inches lower than the Navigator’s (18.1” vs. 23”).

Ergonomics

The Ascent’s power window and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Navigator’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Ascent to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Navigator doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Ascent with a number “5” insurance rate while the Navigator is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Ascent is less expensive to operate than the Navigator because it costs $63 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Ascent than the Navigator, including $177 less for a muffler, $6 less for fuel injection, $652 less for a timing belt/chain and $1020 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Ascent, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Lincoln Navigator isn't recommended.

The Subaru Ascent outsold the Lincoln Navigator by almost five to one during 2022.

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