Compare the2027 Lincoln Navigator L VS 2026 GMC Yukon XL

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Navigator L have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Yukon XL doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Navigator L 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 Yukon XL 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.

Both the Navigator L and the Yukon XL have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rear cross-path warning and available all-wheel drive.

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

	Navigator L	Yukon XL
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	23/39 lbs.	152/161 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	47%
Neck Stress	155 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	271/178 lbs.	333/811 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 Lincoln Navigator L is safer than the GMC Yukon XL:

	Navigator L	Yukon XL
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	25
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	108 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	134	239
Hip Force	569 lbs.	764 lbs.

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

The Navigator L comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Yukon XL’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Navigator L 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Yukon XL. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Yukon XL ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Navigator L has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon XL.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lincoln 3 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The Navigator L’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 85 more horsepower (440 vs. 355) and 127 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 383) than the Yukon XL’s standard 5.3 V8. The Navigator L’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 20 more horsepower (440 vs. 420) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 460) than the Yukon XL Denali’s standard 6.2 V8.

On the EPA test cycle the Navigator L gets better mileage than the Yukon XL:

			MPG
Navigator L
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	15 city/22 hwy
Yukon XL
	RWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	15 city/19 hwy
	AWD	5.3 OHV V8	14 city/19 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

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

	Navigator L	Yukon XL
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

The Navigator L’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 Yukon XL AT4’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Navigator L has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the Yukon XL AT4.

The Navigator L has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Navigator L flat and controlled during cornering. The Yukon XL’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

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 Yukon XL doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Navigator L has a 1.89 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon XL Denali Ultimate Air Ride (9.2 vs. 7.31 inches), allowing the Navigator L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Navigator L’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Yukon XL AT4 (9.2 vs. 7.8 inches).

The Navigator L is 3.3 inches shorter than the Yukon XL, making the Navigator L easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 Yukon XL doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Navigator L has .4 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more rear hip room, .4 inches more rear shoulder room, 6.8 inches more third row legroom, 2 inches more third row hip room and 1.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Yukon XL.

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

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

Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Yukon XL is limited to 8200 pounds. The Navigator L 4x4 offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Navigator L’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 Yukon XL’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Navigator L has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Navigator L also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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

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

The Navigator L has standard massaging front seats. Massaging front seats are only available on the Yukon XL Ultimate. The Navigator L Reserve/Black Label also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Yukon XL.

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

Both the Lincoln Navigator L and the GMC Yukon XL 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 Yukon XL does not.

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