Compare the2025 Ford Expedition MaxVS 2024 Lincoln Navigator L

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Ford Expedition Max 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 L doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Ford Expedition Max achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Lincoln Navigator L has not been tested.

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

Both the Expedition Max and the Navigator L have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Expedition Max is safer than the Lincoln Navigator L:

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

There are almost 6 times as many Ford dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition Max’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 45 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Lincoln.

The Expedition Max Platinum Ultimate’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Navigator L’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Expedition Max Platinum Ultimate has standard 24-inch wheels. The Navigator L’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The Expedition Max has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Navigator L; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For greater off-road capability the Expedition Max has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Navigator L (9.7 vs. 9.6 inches), allowing the Expedition Max to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Ford Expedition Max may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 500 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator L.

The Expedition Max has .4 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more third row legroom than the Navigator L.

The Expedition Max’s cargo area provides more volume than the Navigator L.

Maximum trailer towing in the Lincoln Navigator L is limited to 8100 pounds. The Expedition Max 4x4 offers up to a 9000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Expedition Max’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 L’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Expedition Max is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Navigator L doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Expedition Max owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Expedition Max will cost $3555 to $7150 less than the Navigator L over a five-year period.

The Expedition Max will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Expedition Max will retain 50.7% to 55.64% of its original price after five years, while the Navigator L only retains 46.6% to 49.92%.

The Ford Expedition outsold the Lincoln Navigator by over two to one during 2024.