Compare the2025 Lincoln NavigatorVS 2025 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Enclave 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.

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

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

Both the Navigator and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The Lincoln Navigator weighs 1196 to 1392 pounds more than the Buick Enclave. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The Navigator comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Enclave’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 Buick covers the Enclave. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Enclave ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Navigator’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Enclave’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

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 run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Enclave doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

Engine

The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 112 more horsepower (440 vs. 328) and 184 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 326) than the Enclave’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Navigator has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank (23.6 vs. 19.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Navigator has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank (23.6 vs. 21.7 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Navigator higher (6 out of 10) than the Buick Enclave (5). This means the Navigator produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Enclave every 15,000 miles.

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 Enclave.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Navigator	Enclave
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.2 inches	12.4 inches

The Navigator’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Enclave are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Navigator has larger standard tires than the Enclave (275/50R22 vs. 255/55R20). The Navigator Black Label’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Enclave (285/40R24 vs. 275/45R22).

The Navigator’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Enclave’s standard 55 series tires. The Navigator Black Label’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Enclave’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Navigator has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the Enclave. The Navigator Black Label’s optional 24-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the Enclave.

Suspension and Handling

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 Enclave doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Navigator’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Enclave (122.5 inches vs. 120.9 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Navigator has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8.9 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Navigator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

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

The Navigator has 3.2 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear legroom, 3.2 inches more rear hip room, 3 inches more rear shoulder room, 11.4 inches more third row legroom, 2.9 inches more third row hip room and 6.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Enclave.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Navigator	Enclave
Third Seat Folded	60.8 cubic feet	57.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	107 cubic feet	97.5 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 Enclave’s liftover is 30.7 inches.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Navigator. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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

Towing

The Navigator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (6200 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Buick Enclave is only 5000 pounds. The Navigator offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Navigator with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Navigator can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Enclave can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Navigator is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Enclave. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Enclave, the Navigator has standard driver and 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 Enclave.

The Navigator’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Navigator the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Enclave can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Enclave 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’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 Enclave’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Enclave Avenir’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Navigator’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

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

The Navigator has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Enclave doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both the Navigator and the Enclave offer available massaging front seats. The Navigator Black Label also has standard massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Enclave.

The Lincoln Navigator has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the driver’s visor. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Buick charges extra for Homelink® on the Enclave.

Recommendations

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

The Lincoln Navigator outsold the Buick Enclave by 37% during 2024.

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