Compare the2027 Lincoln Navigator L VS 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Navigator L 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 Cadillac Escalade ESV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Navigator L 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 Escalade ESV 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.

Both the Navigator L and the Escalade ESV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors 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 L is safer than the Cadillac Escalade ESV:

	Navigator L	Escalade ESV
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars

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 L is safer than the Cadillac Escalade ESV:

	Navigator L	Escalade ESV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	30
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.6 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	81
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	134	213
Hip Force	569 lbs.	634 lbs.

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

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Navigator L has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade ESV.

The Navigator L’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 20 more horsepower (440 vs. 420) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 460) than the Escalade ESV’s 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Navigator L is faster than the Cadillac Escalade ESV:

	Navigator L	Escalade ESV
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	14.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.4 MPH	95.2 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Navigator L gets better mileage than the Escalade ESV:

			MPG
Navigator L
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	15 city/22 hwy
Escalade ESV
	RWD	6.2 OHV V8	15 city/19 hwy
	AWD	6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

For better stopping power the Navigator L’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade ESV:

	Navigator L	Escalade ESV
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

The Navigator L’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 Escalade ESV doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Navigator L Black Label handles at .75 G’s, while the Escalade ESV Premium Luxury 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Navigator L Black Label executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.6 seconds quicker than the Escalade ESV Premium Luxury 4WD (26.4 seconds @ .25 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

The Navigator L is 5.1 inches shorter than the Escalade ESV, making the Navigator L easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Navigator L has .2 inches more front hip room, .2 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more rear hip room, .9 inches more rear shoulder room, 6.7 inches more third row legroom, 1.9 inches more third row hip room and 1.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Escalade ESV.

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

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Navigator L when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the tailgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac Escalade ESV is limited to 8000 pounds. The Navigator L 4x4 offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Navigator L’s exterior PIN entry system. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Navigator L has standard heated front, second and third row seats (third row heated seats optional on Black Label), which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Cadillac doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Escalade ESV.

The Navigator L’s standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

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