Compare the2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 2024 Lincoln Navigator

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Lincoln Navigator doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Grand Cherokee L has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Navigator doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Navigator doesn’t offer a night vision system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Grand Cherokee L uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Navigator uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Grand Cherokee L and the Navigator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Grand Cherokee L is safer than the Lincoln Navigator:

	Grand Cherokee L	Navigator
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	129	165
Neck Injury Risk	21%	32%
Neck Stress	152 lbs.	361 lbs.
Neck Compression	84 lbs.	147 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	326
Neck Injury Risk	28%	35%
Neck Stress	125 lbs.	155 lbs.
Neck Compression	41 lbs.	74 lbs.

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 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is safer than the Lincoln Navigator:

	Grand Cherokee L	Navigator
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	375 lbs.	434 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	47 G’s
Hip Force	432 lbs.	569 lbs.

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

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee L for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Lincoln doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Navigator. (Lincoln offers free mainteance on some Navigator models.)

There are over 5 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee L’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Grand Cherokee L is under the seat, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee L’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Navigator’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 24 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Jeep higher than Lincoln.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln With 61 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Lincoln.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee L gets better mileage than the Navigator:

			MPG
Grand Cherokee L
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
Navigator
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/22 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Grand Cherokee L V8’s fuel efficiency. The Navigator doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Navigator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Grand Cherokee L stops shorter than the Navigator:

	Grand Cherokee L	Navigator
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	150 feet	162 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Grand Cherokee L has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Navigator doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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

Suspension and Handling

The Grand Cherokee L offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee L’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Navigator doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 handles at .82 G’s, while the Navigator Black Label pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Navigator Black Label (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Navigator (10.9 vs. 9.6 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1350 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator.

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

Unibody construction lowers the Grand Cherokee L’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Navigator doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 is quieter than the Navigator Black Label (39 vs. 42 dB).

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the Grand Cherokee L is .8 inches lower than the Navigator (20.2” vs. 21”). The Grand Cherokee L’s rear step up height is 2.8 inches lower than the Navigator’s (20.2” vs. 23”).

Ergonomics

The Grand Cherokee L’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Navigator does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Grand Cherokee L to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Navigator doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Navigator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Lincoln Navigator by over six to one during 2024.

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