Finest
WORDS CHRISTIAN SEABAUGH
PHOTOGRAPHY RENZ DIMAANDALThe oldest vehicle this time around
was the oldest during the last go-round,
too. But that’s not to say things haven’t
changed. The new Lincoln Navigator,
updated for 2019, is among the most
convincing American luxury vehicles
of the past three decades. Its styling is
retro yet modern, elegant, and unmistak-
ably Lincoln. Little has changed with the
Lincoln Navigator since it made its debut
aside from minor trim and option differ-
ences. It’s the same story for the 2021
model, but for a $990 price bump.
The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class is the
third generation of the S-Class of SUVs.
Updated last year, the big Benz can be had
in a dizzying array of specs, from a hybrid-
ized six-cylinder GLS 450 to the high-per-
formance AMG GLS 63 and über-luxe
Maybach GLS 600 (page 12). We opted to
split the difference with the hybridizedV-8-powered 2020 Mercedes-Benz
GLS 580 4Matic.
A pop culture icon in its own right, the
Cadillac Escalade is largely responsible
for the success of this segment today.
Like the flagship it is, the new Escalade
features GM’s latest and greatest
technologies. Inside there are massive
OLED driver displays, and under the
skin the Escalade now features a unique
MagneRide/air suspension combinationdesigned to make it ride and drive better
than ever. Our Escalade ESV 4WD tester
came to us from L.A.’s Black & White Car
Rental service, as Cadillac was unable to
provide an Escalade from its press fleet.
The BMW X7 didn’t even exist the last
time MotorTrend did this comparison
test. Sick of watching from the sidelines,
BMW introduced the X7 in late 2019 for
the 2020 model year to complement the
company’s 7 Series flagship sedan. Our X7
xDrive40i (which just so happens to be
a member of the MotorTrend long-term
fleet) sports all the necessities to compete
in this segment: three rows of seats, a
beautifully furnished cabin, and the latest
in-car technologies.
For those of you who read the headline
and have doubts as to the manufacturing
provenance of our two German-branded
entrants, know the Mercedes GLS is
manufactured in Vance, Alabama, and theIn a lot of ways, these four American-built
luxury three-row SUVs are modernized
takes on midcentury Lincoln Continentals,
Cadillac Eldorados, and Mercedes 300s.WHAT GOES AROUND
COMES AROUND,
WITH THESE LUXE
AMERICAN-MADE
THREE-ROW SUVSCadillac Escalade’s 38-inch curved screenCOMPARISON TEST
APRIL 2021 MOTORTREND.COM 45