A Real Mom Review: 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label

The 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label represents the most refined version yet of Lincoln’s long-running full-size luxury SUV. Finished here in Sunrise Copper Metallic, this flagship model offers the kind of comfort, technology, and quiet confidence that make long-distance family travel feel effortless rather than exhausting.

Underneath the polished exterior, the Navigator continues with Ford’s 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6. It produces 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, enough to move its considerable mass with authority or tow up to 8,700 pounds when properly equipped. Fuel economy remains modest—15 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway—but power delivery is smooth, and the 10-speed automatic transmission works quietly in the background.

Inside, the Black Label trim delivers what Lincoln has come to call “sanctuary.” There’s seating for seven, with the driver enjoying a 30-way adjustable seat that can heat, cool, and massage, while the front passenger makes do with 28 adjustments. The materials feel properly upscale, and the layout continues to favor understated luxury over excess. A split-gate liftgate and power-folding third row add genuine utility, and the cargo area easily accommodates luggage for a family trip.

Up front, Lincoln’s new Digital Experience stretches across a 48-inch panoramic display, integrating infotainment, navigation, and vehicle controls into a single curved interface. The system supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it’s the built-in software that stands out. Apps like Spotify, YouTube, Zoom, and even Ford Arcade are native to the vehicle, while the new “Rejuvenate Mode” layers ambient light, sound, scent, and seat massage to deliver a full sensory reset during rest stops. Audio comes from a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D sound system that remains among the best in the segment.

BlueCruise, Lincoln’s hands-free driving system, continues to evolve. On a long drive from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., it proved particularly valuable in congested I-95 traffic. It manages lane positioning and speed through long highway stretches while still requiring occasional driver attention. Once accustomed to its rhythm, the feature reduces fatigue without numbing the experience entirely.

Beyond the drive itself, the Navigator easily fits into the rhythm of family life. The road trip included stops at The Wharf, the Lincoln Memorial, and the International Spy Museum, with the SUV handling downtown parking and highway cruising with equal composure. In every setting, it maintained the quiet, effortless demeanor that defines Lincoln’s modern identity.

At an as-tested price of around $128,000, the Navigator Black Label isn’t inexpensive, but it’s also not pretending to be. It’s built for families who want space, comfort, and technology in equal measure—and who view a long highway drive not as a chore, but as part of the experience.

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Hey, I'm Jana, and today we’re taking a family road trip in the 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label—and my family is helping me give this tour. We’ve spent the past four days driving from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., by way of Richmond (where the traffic was wild). We’ve basically lived in and out of this car—and here at the Viceroy. In this quick tour, I’ll take you inside and out to show you what makes this SUV perfect for families.

So, let’s do it.

First of all, check this out: we have a split gate—a liftgate up top and a tailgate below—and we’ve used it constantly. At one stop, the restaurant was packed, so we just opened the tailgate, set up our food, and ate right here. There’s even a little built-in table.

With the third row up, we still fit all of our luggage for the weekend: multiple suitcases, carry-ons, a cooler, a duffel, and our White House souvenir bag—all of it behind the third row. That means you can haul all your people and all their things. This Navigator seats seven comfortably, with captain’s chairs in the second row and room for three in the back.

Under the hood is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6—powerful and smooth. But beyond the performance, I love the design of the 2025 model. There’s a full-width light bar across the front, a glossy Black Label grille, and 24-inch ebony wheels that look incredible. Automatic running boards make it easy to step in and out, especially for kids—mine’s out of a car seat but still appreciates the help.

The Copper Metallic paint looks stunning, but for families, function matters as much as style. Let’s head inside.

The front seats are ridiculously comfortable—30-way power-adjustable for the driver, 28-way for the passenger. Both are heated, ventilated, and massaging. There’s even a relaxation mode that uses light, sound, scent, and massage to help you unwind. Lincoln calls it a sensory experience, and it really is—there’s a built-in scent system that gently diffuses fragrance through the cabin. I have allergies and a sensitive nose, but this didn’t bother me at all.

The massage seats actually feel like a spa chair, not just a faint vibration. You can choose between Circle, Relax, Recovery, Rolling, and Pulse modes, and the strength is adjustable. The second-row seats are also heated and ventilated, and even the third row is heated.

One of my favorite features is Rejuvenate Mode, which combines the lighting, sound, scent, and massage functions for a mini spa session while you sit. For parents constantly on the go, it’s five minutes of peace without ever leaving the car.

The rear-seat entertainment system has screens built into the seatbacks where you can plug in a Fire Stick or other device. There’s also an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, and Lincoln includes wired headphones, which I actually appreciate—no more Bluetooth pairing battles.

Up front, instead of a head-up display, you get a wide integrated digital screen that spans most of the dash. It’s bright, customizable, and easy to read. Below it is another display that controls your seats, apps, widgets, drive modes, and even the cabin scent settings. Google is built in, so you can control everything by voice command. Cameras can be accessed instantly with a dedicated button, and the 360-degree view makes maneuvering this big SUV much easier.

The 28-speaker Revel Ultima audio system sounds like a concert hall. Between that, the digital displays, and the luxury finishes, the cabin feels truly first-class.

There’s wireless charging, USB-C and USB ports, and a deep storage area beneath the center console. The scent cartridges—Ozonic Azure, Mystic Forest, and Violet Kashmir—store neatly in a compartment below. You can adjust the intensity of the fragrance, and there’s customizable ambient lighting throughout the cabin.

After four days on the road, we’ve averaged 17.3 MPG, right in line with Lincoln’s estimate of 15 city and 22 highway. The MSRP on this one is $128,000, and it’s packed with features.

Now, about the drive. Coming from my daily driver—a Hyundai Palisade—the Navigator feels much larger, but it’s surprisingly easy to handle. The turning radius is tight for its size, and backing into parking spaces is simple with the camera system. It doesn’t have air suspension, but the adaptive suspension uses sensors to monitor the road and adjust damping in real time.

Between that suspension and these plush, massaging leather seats, it’s an incredibly comfortable ride. D.C.’s narrow streets and chaotic parking situations were stressful, but the cameras and sensors made it manageable.

The steering wheel is an unusual shape—more squared-off than round—but it feels good in your hands. I averaged about 17.7 MPG on the highway (a bit below the 22 mpg claim), but the power from the V6 was more than enough for merging, passing, and climbing hills. The Navigator also tows a considerable amount, though we didn’t test that on this trip.

For families, the second row is outstanding—comfortable, with its own console, and perfect for kids. The third row is adult-sized and genuinely comfortable, not an afterthought, and the cargo area remains generous even when fully packed.

So, what do you think? Would you buy this over the Ford Expedition for the added luxury, or cross-shop it against a Chevy Suburban or similar SUV? The Navigator has Google built-in, BlueCruise hands-free driving, and an interior that’s simply on another level.

That’s all I’ve got for today—thanks for watching!

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