Compare the2024 Volvo XC90VS 2024 Lincoln Navigator

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
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 Volvo XC90 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 XC90’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Navigator doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC90 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Lincoln Navigator doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and Navigator have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Navigator’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Lincoln doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Navigator. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Navigator’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Navigator doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the XC90 and Navigator have rear cross-traffic warning, but the XC90 has Braking Intervention (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Navigator’s Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the XC90 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 XC90 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC90 is safer than the Lincoln Navigator:

	XC90	Navigator
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	165
Neck Injury Risk	27%	32%
Neck Stress	252 lbs.	361 lbs.
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	147 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	217	326
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	35%
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	74 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo XC90 is safer than the Lincoln Navigator:

	XC90	Navigator
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	47 G’s
Hip Force	383 lbs.	569 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 XC90 is .2% to 4.9% 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 XC90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Navigator has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Navigator’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Navigator.

Reliability

The battery on the XC90 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC90’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Navigator’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The XC90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 15 more horsepower (455 vs. 440) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 510) than the Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the Lincoln Navigator:

	XC90	Navigator
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	6.8 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11.2 sec	11.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.2 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 T8 Extended Range running on electricity gets better mileage than the Navigator (59 city/57 hwy MPGe vs. 16 city/22 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Navigator:

			MPG
XC90
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
Navigator
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/22 hwy

The XC90 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 33 miles. The Navigator can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the XC90’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Navigator doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC90 T8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Navigator:

	XC90 T8	Navigator
Front Rotors	14.4 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.4 inches	13.2 inches

The XC90 stops much shorter than the Navigator:

	XC90	Navigator
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	162 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The XC90’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Navigator’s optional 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC90 Ultimate has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XC90’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Navigator doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The XC90 B6 Core handles at .84 G’s, while the Navigator Black Label pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XC90 B6 Core executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Navigator Black Label (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 w/Air Suspension has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Navigator (9.9 vs. 9.6 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1250 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator.

The XC90 is 1 foot, 3 inches shorter than the Navigator, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC90 is 6.4 inches shorter in height than the Navigator, making the XC90 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the XC90’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 while under full throttle, the interior of the XC90 B6 Core is quieter than the Navigator Black Label (71 vs. 72 dB).

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the XC90 is 5.2 inches lower than the Navigator (15.8” vs. 21”). The XC90’s rear step up height is 7 inches lower than the Navigator’s (16” vs. 23”).

Ergonomics

The XC90’s power window, power lock, power mirror 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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Navigator doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC90 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Navigator doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the XC90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Navigator doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the XC90 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Navigator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XC90 is less expensive to operate than the Navigator because it costs $82 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the XC90 than the Navigator, including $398 less for a timing belt/chain and $206 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The Navigator has never been chosen.

The Volvo XC90 outsold the Lincoln Navigator by over two to one during 2023.