The 2025 Lincoln Aviator Needs To Try Harder

It’s arduous to imagine the Lincoln Aviator is already 5 years outdated. Credit score the SUV’s good-looking styling and posh inside, which actually turned heads again within the day. Having nearly 500 horsepower didn’t damage, both, however a lot has modified on the planet since then. You realize what hasn’t modified a lot? The Lincoln Aviator.

Whereas the Aviator receives a minor mid-cycle refresh for 2025, these updates aren’t almost sufficient. Furthermore, a few of the adjustments really feel like a step backward. And there’s nonetheless no high-output hybrid powertrain in sight after it was dropped in 2023. All in all, the up to date Aviator does little to distinguish itself from its Ford Explorer vibes and asks quite a lot of consumers with its $91,575 as-tested value. And that’s not even the Aviator’s priciest spec.

Let’s do a fast assessment of what’s modified for 2025, beginning with the Aviator’s face. The grille is bigger, and by a hefty margin. It’s nonetheless rectangular, but it surely dips additional down, assembly a redesigned decrease fascia. Vertically oriented nook vents exchange the straightforward horizontal vents and working lights of the outgoing mannequin, and up high, the headlights are smaller. 

These adjustments produce a design much less proportional and satisfying than it as soon as was. Frankly, the 2025 Aviator is a set of break up headlights away from wanting like a BMW X7. That is an unlucky consequence of sharing its chassis with the Ford Explorer, which additionally obtained the same facelift for 2025. Sadly, there’s an excessive amount of similarity between them for me to not see the Explorer’s gaping mouth when wanting on the Lincoln.

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Professionals: Nonetheless Largely Fairly, BlueCruise—Lastly

This isn’t the one time I’ll toss a penalty flag for the Aviator’s too-close reference to the Explorer. Happily, the Lincoln stays as elegant in profile as ever, and the outside tweaks—whereas a step backward in my view—aren’t a deal breaker. There’s nonetheless loads of curb attraction right here.

Adjustments to the inside are centered round a brand new 13.2-inch touchscreen. If that sounds acquainted… yup you guessed it. The brand new Explorer has the identical display screen with the identical Google Assistant tech and the identical format for its plethora of options. Admittedly I’m not an enormous fan of Ford’s present infotainment methods, I discover them a bit too sophisticated for easy duties like adjusting temperature controls. Add additional elements like massaging seats to the combination and interacting with the display screen turns into much more distracting. Nevertheless, it’s a system you will get used to with out a lot problem, so once more, not a deal breaker.

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As with so many touchscreens, this Lincoln’s is mounted tablet-style on the sprint. It’s a dated design pattern that should disappear. A redesigned sprint that mixes the motive force and middle shows right into a single display screen is sorely wanted right here. On the very least, an built-in in-dash infotainment display screen would distinguish the near-six-figure Lincoln from a $40,000 Explorer Lively. The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class has it. The BMW X5 has it. Audi has it. Genesis. The record goes on.

I’m not saying the Aviator’s inside is low-rent. The wooden trim appears to be like good, and although I don’t actually perceive the bizarre sq. patterns scattered across the inside, they’re a neat contact. The leather-based is delicate, the seats elegant, and I’m at all times a sucker for a giant ol’ power-operated moonroof. However the abundance of black trim appears to be like and feels low cost. The chrome trim finally ends up feeling cheesy because of this. And chances are you’ll as properly simply fold the third-row seat and depart it there. Except you’re commonly trucking round small children, no one will wish to sit within the again.

Christopher Smith / Motor1

Christopher Smith / Motor1

Cons: Too Noisy, Dated Inside, Feels Like A Ford Explorer In A Go well with

Not less than the Lincoln is supremely comfy. The energetic suspension with Air Glide is blissful over tough roads, delivering a experience that’s decidedly delicate however not overly remoted. Truthfully, I by no means seen it doing something dramatic in any of the drive modes, and I think about {that a} plus on this context. The Aviator isn’t a scorching rod Lincoln and no one goes to deal with it as such. Even when drivers dip into the 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6—nonetheless the one engine possibility—a pleasing rush of acceleration is all you’ll get. 

You’ll get cheap gas economic system, too. EPA scores record the Aviator at 17 metropolis, 25 freeway, and 20 mixed. At 75 miles per hour on the freeway, I bounced between 23 and 25 mpg, however working a bit slower on rural roads obtained me to 27. Are you able to do higher within the 400-horsepower vary? Sure, however not by a lot. And also you gained’t be taking 150-mile hands-free journeys with BlueCruise in these opponents. Ford’s superior Degree 2 system is arguably one of the best within the enterprise, and it’s normal tools on the Black Label.

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However even cruising on quiet highways the place a luxurious automobile ought to shine, there are irritating examples of cost-cutting. The wind and highway noise is extreme, and the growl from the V-6 is loud below even modest throttle. I get the impression this powertrain is a direct swap from Ford with barely any refinement for the posh model. After which there are little issues like non-adjustable second-row seatbelts, chopping uncomfortably throughout the necks of kids and quick adults. Actually, Lincoln?

A couple of weeks previous to my lengthy weekend with the Lincoln, I spent a day driving the 2025 Explorer. I actually wished to embrace the Aviator; even with the refreshed face, I believe it is among the many sharpest-looking mid-size SUVs available on the market. However as a substitute, I discovered it was actually only a Ford Explorer sporting an costly swimsuit. Sharing platforms definitely isn’t new within the automotive world, all automakers do it to a point. However this feels just like the outdated days of badge engineering—minimal effort in hopes of most revenue.

For what it’s value, I nonetheless suppose the Aviator appears to be like good. It simply wants persona to match.

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