American luxury hits California roads in a big way with the 2025 Lincoln Navigator and 2025 Cadillac Escalade. These two giants of the premium SUV world are built for buyers who want it all — plush comfort, cutting-edge tech, massive space, and serious towing muscle for their active lives. However, they offer different approaches to luxury transportation.
Exterior Design and Features
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade turns heads with its fresh look inspired by newer Cadillac models such as the Celestiq and Lyriq. Vertical lights and a lit-up grille on higher trims make it impossible to miss at night. It's also sporting the biggest wheels ever put on an Escalade, with 24-inch options now available. Three new paint choices join the lineup: Aegean Stone, Deep Sea Metallic, and Latte Metallic.
Lincoln's 2025 Navigator takes a more subtle path with its redesigned body. The split grille with light-up bar and satin chrome mesh gives it a classy vibe. Taking cues from the new Nautilus, it sports full-width taillights and tasteful satin aluminum touches. One clever feature is the all-new Split Gate, which combines a regular liftgate with a bottom section that lowers like a tailgate. As for wheels, sizes range from 18 to 24 inches.
Size-wise, the Navigator is 210 inches long with a 122.5-inch wheelbase on the standard model. The longer L version reaches nearly 222 inches in length with a 131.5-inch wheelbase. In comparison, the standard Escalade measures 211.9 inches with a 121-inch wheelbase, while its larger ESV variant expands to 227 inches with a 134-inch wheelbase. Height-wise, the Navigator's 78-inch height slightly outdoes the Escalade's 76.7 inches.
Interior Comfort and Features
Cadillac equips the Escalade with glossy wood featuring metal inlays, as well as top-grade semi-aniline leather seats with quilted patterns and chevron stitching on higher trims. Color choices include Whisper Beige with Gideon accents, Jet Black, or Renaissance Red with Jet Black accents.
Lincoln's Navigator cabin also uses genuine wood accents. For seating, the first two rows feature genuine leather, while the third row gets Soft Touch synthetic leather. The Navigator's amazing seats are a major point in its favor — Black Label models offer 30-way Perfect Position adjustments compared to Escalade's 16-way seats. Additionally, while both SUVs offer massage functions, only the Navigator includes a digital scent system with three different aromas.
Where the Navigator really wins is third-row space, giving rear passengers up to 43.5 inches of legroom compared to the Escalade's tighter 34.9 inches. Up front, the Escalade offers slightly more legroom — 44.51 vs. 43.5 inches — and noticeably more headroom — 42.3 vs. 38.3 inches. Both can fit up to eight people, depending on which seating setup you choose.
Performance and Engine Specifications
Lincoln's Navigator packs a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 making 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. This setup hustles from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds — pretty impressive for something this size. Cadillac uses a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that pumps out 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. It trails behind the Navigator with a 0-to-60 time of 5.9 seconds. For speed enthusiasts, Cadillac offers the Escalade-V, which is equipped with a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 outputting 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. This monster hits 60 in just 4.4 seconds and can still tow 7,200 pounds.
The Navigator can also haul up to 8,700 pounds with its Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package — beating the Escalade's max of 8,100 pounds with its Max Trailering Package. That extra 600 pounds matters when you're pulling a big boat or camper. Both SUVs use 10-speed automatic transmissions that shift smoothly, helping to maximize fuel economy.
At the pump, the Navigator's turbo V-6 proves more efficient. With four-wheel drive (4WD), it manages 15 mpg city, 22 highway, and 17 combined in comparison to the Escalade's 14 mpg city/18 mpg highway/16 mpg combined. While every Navigator comes standard with 4WD, you'll have to pay extra for all-wheel drive on the Escalade over its standard rear-wheel (RWD) setup.
Technology and Safety Features
Cadillac's massive 55-inch curved display stretches pillar-to-pillar across the dash. It looks stunning and houses wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 5G Wi-Fi, and more. Lincoln counters with a 48-inch Horizon display spanning the dashboard that incorporates Google Assistant alongside Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Music lovers have tough choices here. The Navigator comes with a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D Audio system that fills the cabin with amazing sound. Not to be outdone, Cadillac offers an AKG system with up to 40 speakers in top trims. Both deliver concert-quality audio that audiophiles will appreciate.
For hands-free driving, Lincoln's BlueCruise technology handles lane changes on compatible highways, while Cadillac's Super Cruise works flawlessly on divided highways. Safety features abound in both, including adaptive cruise, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts, and automatic braking. The Escalade adds night vision and a head-up display, while the Navigator offers a unique Rejuvenate mode that combines massage, calming music, and pleasant scents for a relaxing break while in Park mode.
Pricing and Value
The Navigator starts at $99,995 for the Reserve and goes up to $116,995 for the top-tier Black Label. All models come with Lincoln's solid warranty coverage: four years/50,000 miles basic, six years/70,000 miles powertrain, plus up to four years of free maintenance.
Cadillac's pricing ladder starts lower but climbs higher. The base Luxury RWD Escalade begins at $88,100, mid-range Premium Luxury models start at $97,300, while the loaded Premium Luxury Platinum costs $116,900. If you want the high-performance V-Series, you're looking at $162,500. Both brands offer similar warranty periods, but the Navigator Black Label includes four years of complimentary maintenance that adds real value for owners.
Which Luxury SUV Reigns Supreme?
Your perfect luxury SUV depends on what matters most to you. The Navigator's amazing third-row seats alone make it the top pick for families, while its towing muscle handles boats and campers with ease. Special touches, such as the scent system, make every drive feel special. Cadillac's Escalade wins over tech lovers with its jaw-dropping 55-inch curved display. Plus, Super Cruise remains the gold standard for hands-free driving.
Want to check out the 2025 Lincoln Navigator in person? Head to Jim Burke Lincoln in Bakersfield to take one for a spin or contact us for more information.