Compare the2026 Lincoln Navigator LVS 2026 Volvo XC90

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

Safety

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Both the Navigator L and the XC90 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, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Lincoln Navigator L weighs 971 to 1582 pounds more than the Volvo XC90. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Navigator L 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC90. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the XC90 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 69 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Navigator L’s warranty.

Reliability

The Navigator L 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 XC90 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 52 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Lincoln higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 21 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Lincoln higher than Volvo.

Engine

The Navigator L’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 193 more horsepower (440 vs. 247) and 244 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 266) than the XC90 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Navigator L’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 145 more horsepower (440 vs. 295) and 200 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 310) than the XC90 B6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

	Navigator L	XC90
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.4 MPH	92.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Navigator L and the XC90 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Navigator Ls have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC90 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Navigator L uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The XC90 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Navigator L has 9 gallons more fuel capacity than the XC90 (27.8 vs. 18.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Navigator L, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the XC90.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Navigator L	XC90
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.2 inches	12.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Navigator L Black Label’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XC90 (285/40R24 vs. 275/45R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Navigator L has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the XC90. The Navigator L Black Label’s optional 24-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the XC90.

The Lincoln Navigator L’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volvo XC90 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the Navigator L uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC90, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Navigator L’s wheelbase is 14 inches longer than on the XC90 (131.5 inches vs. 117.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Navigator L is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the XC90.

The Navigator L Black Label executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the XC90 B6 Ultra (26.4 seconds @ .25 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Navigator L has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC90 (8.9 vs. 8.8 inches), allowing the Navigator L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Navigator L uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XC90 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Navigator L offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the XC90 can only carry 7.

The Navigator L has 68.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC90 (172.1 vs. 103.8).

The Navigator L has 2.6 inches more front legroom, 5.9 inches more front hip room, 7.6 inches more front shoulder room, 5 inches more rear legroom, 5.2 inches more rear hip room, 8.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.1 inches more third row headroom, 11.6 inches more third row legroom, 6.5 inches more third row hip room and 17.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the XC90.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Navigator L’s middle and third row seats recline. The XC90’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 XC90 doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

Cargo Capacity

The Navigator L’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC90.

	Navigator L	XC90
Behind Third Seat	37.4 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	75.4 cubic feet	35.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	121.6 cubic feet	85.7 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Navigator L’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The XC90 doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

Towing

The Navigator L’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XC90’s (6600 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Volvo XC90 is only 5000 pounds. The Navigator L offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Navigator L is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XC90. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Navigator L’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call 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 on Black Label), which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Volvo doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the XC90.

The Navigator L 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 XC90 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Navigator L has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the XC90.

Both the Navigator L and the XC90 offer available massaging front seats. The Navigator L 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 XC90.

The Navigator L’s standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The XC90 doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

The Navigator L is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the XC90, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Navigator L offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the XC90.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Navigator L equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The XC90, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Lincoln Navigator L empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

Both the Lincoln Navigator L and the Volvo XC90 have a standard Qi wireless phone charging system in the front seat. To easily keep personal devices charged in the second row seat, without cables tangling and wearing out, the Navigator L Black Label also has a standard wireless charging system in the second row seat. The XC90 does not.

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Navigator as the 2018 North American Truck of the Year. The XC90 was last chosen in 2016.

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