The Aviator sits directly below its flagship sibling, the Navigator, in terms of size. It is a luxury three-row, seven-seater SUV from Ford’s luxury subsidiary Lincoln. Prices for the Aviator start at $53,340 for the entry-level Standard trim. The Black Label is the top trim in the Aviator’s lineup with the grand touring variant fetching a $90,280 sticker price before options. But, the Aviator is primed with state-of-the-art technology and opulent nuances that inspire a luxury experience for car buyers no matter which trims you choose.
The build quality of the Aviator is also impressive – there are no fabric materials or visible cheap plastic panels on the vehicle. Ford is going out of its way to ensure that the Lincoln brand is mentioned in the same breath as its better-known European counterparts. In the SUV segment, the Aviator sits in the same size category as the BMW X5, the Mercedes GLE, and the Audi Q7. But, does the Aviator compete with its European rivals in terms of luxury? Here are 10 reasons why it does.
10 Impeccable Ride Quality
Ride quality is the signature hallmark of a luxury vehicle. Automakers compete to engineer the smoothest and most mechanically-uninterrupted ride experience for their vehicles. There are two main features that characterize ride quality; the suspension and the drive train. As standard, all new 2023 Lincoln Aviators have a short-long arm (SLA), double ball joint front suspension, and independent rear suspension.
Suspension stabilizing bars front and back also feature in the setup, and gas-pressurized, hydraulic, monotube shock absorbers on all four wheels. This suspension setup allows the Aviator to glide effortlessly along the uneven tarmac, filtering the bumps from the cabin. If you wish to increase the ride quality a notch higher, adaptive suspension and dual-chamber air springs are available as options.
Standout Features:
- Independent rear suspension: Standard
- Gas-pressurized, hydraulic, monotube shock absorbers on all four wheels: Standard
- Active air suspension: Optional
9 Active Cruise Control And Driver-Assist Features
These days, luxury vehicles are equipped with such advanced driver-assist features that they can pretty much drive themselves. The same goes for the Aviator. The entry-level Aviator has lane-keep assist technology, active traction control, post-collision braking, an electric-powered steering wheel, Lincoln’s AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, and a blind spot monitoring system.
Top trim Aviators will additionally include an evasive steering assist feature as well as a 4-Wheel Disc Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). Cross-traffic alert with braking, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control which includes lane-centering assist, stop-and-go, and speed sign recognition come as standard in the Black Label Trim. These technologies help the driver’s concentration and make driving an Aviator much less cumbersome and much more effortless, adding to the SUV’s premium experience.
Standout Features:
- Roll stability control: Standard
- Lane-keep assist technology: Standard
- 4-Wheel Disc Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS): Available in top trims.
8 Best-In-Class Entertainment
For all your onboard internet needs, the Aviator is kitted with a Lincoln Connect 4G LTE Embedded Modem. This, together with four USB ports and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, come standard across the range. The audio experience in the entry-level trim is by way of Lincoln’s premium audio system with 10 Speakers including a Subwoofer.
The top trims are kitted with the Revel Ultima 3D audio system with 28 speakers. Voice-activated navigation and satellite radio are available on all the trims. The central 10.1-inch touchscreen offers Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa support.
Standout feature:
- Revel Ultima 3D audio system with 28 speakers: Available in top trims.
7 Interior Comfort
Of course, if you are looking to purchase a luxury vehicle, interior comfort is undoubtedly also a factor in choice-making and this is one area where the Aviator excels. The interior quality of the Aviator is its standout characteristic and the fit and finish levels on the Aviator easily rival that of the European competition. You can choose from several high-end finishes including piano black, wood, and metal for the interior trim.
With the option to configure the Aviator as a six or seven-seater, the SUV is airy and spacious with natural light flooding in from the windows and from the panoramic sunroof that comes as standard in the top trim and as an option in the entry-level trims. Lincoln’s Soft Touch seats covered with a faux-leather material are available in the Standard trim and premium Savannah leather seats for the Black Label trim.
Heated front seats come standard across the trim levels, while the top trim seats are additionally ventilated. Second-row heated seats come standard in the top trims and as an option in the entry-level trims. To add to all these conveniences, all 2023 Aviators have a 10-way driver and eight-way passenger power seat adjustability with lumbar support. The memory seat function is reserved for the driver. The Luxury Package available on Black Label trim comes with Lincoln's famed 30-way adjustable perfect position seats.
Standout features:
- Heated front seats: Standard
- 10-way driver and 8-way passenger power seat adjustability with lumbar support: Standard
- Perfect Position Seats With Luxury Package
6 Exterior Design
Luxury car buyers not only want their vehicles to feel comfortable and luxurious, but they also want them to look the part. Lincoln has nailed it in the aesthetics department. All its SUVs have a majestic presence about them but in a subtle way. The Aviator uses LEDs for the headlamps, tail lights, indicators, and their signature daytime running lights. The optional Illumination Package adds adaptive pixel LED headlights.
Chrome is usually the preserve of the top trims in a vehicle’s lineup, but not for the Aviator. All the Aviators are trimmed with chrome on the grill, the window sills, and the side skirts under the doors. The Aviator is fitted with acoustic laminated glass that keeps the exterior sounds to a minimum. For the wheels, you get a choice of 19 inches, 20 inches, 21 inches, and 22 inches. The 22-inch wheels have a black aluminum color option.
Standout features:
- Adaptive LED headlights: Standard
- Acoustic-laminated glass: Standard
- Illumination Package: Optional
5 Choice Of Five Trims
Five trims are available in the Aviator.
- The entry-level Standard trim: The price for the Standard trim start at $53,340. It has a 3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, Lincoln's Co-Pilot 360 1.5 Plus driver-assist technology, and an available Premium Package that will include a panoramic sunroof and 20-inch machined aluminum wheels.
- The Reserve trim: The MSRP starts at $59,005. The Reserve trim adds an optional Element Package that helps in purifying the cabin air. It also has the optional Lincoln Class IV Trailer-Tow Package that features trailer-sway control and blind-spot monitoring for the trailer. The Standard and the Reserve models are rear-wheel drive.
- Grand Touring trim: The MSRP starts at $70,190. This trim is all-wheel drive and has a hybrid powertrain. You can essentially drive this model using pure battery power in the city or when taking short trips.
- Black Label : the MSRP starts at $80,725. The Black label trim gets the Luxury Package with front heated, ventilated and massage seats. It also has active lumbar and thigh support. A 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D sound system optimizes the premium audio experience of the Aviator Black Label.
- Black Label Grand Touring : The MSRP starts at $90,280. This model includes the active air suspension package for the smoothest driving experience. It also has adaptive LED headlamps that can tilt and dim to reduce the blinding effect of headlights.
4 A Capable Powertrain And Transmission
The Aviator Standard and Reserve are powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine with auto start-stop technology. This engine is mated to a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. The total output from this powertrain is about 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. You can choose between all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive for these three trims.
The Grand Touring and the Black Label Grand Touring are powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 hybrid engine. It’s mated to a 10-speed SelectShift modular hybrid transmission. This hybrid powertrain produces 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque, which are some very strong numbers and some of the best in the mid-size SUV segment. 100 horsepower comes courtesy of the electric motor. All-wheel drive is standard in these trims.
The twin-turbocharged V-6 and the hybrid powertrain are both available as options in the Black Label trim. While the standard gas engine is thirsty with an EPA-estimated 21 combined mpg for the rear-wheel drive model, the hybrid powertrain can offer an impressive 56 MPGe, with a pure electric driving range of up to 18 miles from the 13.6 kWh battery.
3 Safety and Post-Crash Assist Features
Safety features include a set of technologies that are supposed to help the driver avert accidents. They have become crucial to modern cars and luxury vehicles are normally kitted with best-in-class of such technologies. The Aviator Standard has pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. It also has forward collision warning systems, dynamic brake support, and pedestrian detection. Additional knee airbags are available for the driver and passenger. An SOS post-crash alert system is fitted in all Aviators.
2 Luxury Conveniences
One can argue that these features are not necessarily important in vehicles, but they definitely add to the Aviator’s luxury experience.
- Active noise control: Acoustic-laminated first-row glass available across all Aviators
- Air particulate filter: Standard in all Aviators.
- Rain-sensing windshield wipers: Available across all trims.
- Soft-close doors: Available in top trims.
- Active park-assist: Available in the top trims.
- Optional Captain’s chairs for the second row: Available as an option in all trims.
- Leather trim on the door panels: Faux-leather trim for the entry-level models and Savannah leather for the top trims.
- Power lift-gate: Standard in all Aviators
- Ambient lighting: A choice of seven mood colors available in all trims
- 25 Symphonic Chimes Foe 25 features in the Aviator
1 The Lincoln Brand
The Lincoln brand is marketed as Ford’s luxury subsidiary, but the company operates autonomously. Founded in 1917, Ford Motor Company bought Lincoln in 1922 and since then, Lincoln has produced some iconic cars over the years. Examples include the 1939 Lincoln Continental and the 1956 Continental Mark II. Bipasha Bhatia’s American Dream: The 10 Finest Lincoln Car Models, Ranked article gives a good mix of some new and some classic iconic Lincolns.
The luxury brand also has a proud history of being the U.S. Presidential vehicle of choice. From 1939 to 1993, Lincolns were included as official state limousines for Presidents of the United States. They were also the first motor company commissioned to produce the first armored vehicles for presidential use. Such a history, coupled with the iconic status of some of its classic models, has helped the Lincoln brand to be a desirable option for America’s elite.