2023 Lincoln Aviator

The midsize luxury SUV class is one of the hottest this side of pickup trucks, and most major manufacturers try or have tried to offer something that will pull in the money. Lincoln is a brand that focuses exclusively on mid to high-end SUVs, and the Aviator is its mid-range offering that sits below the massive Navigator. This SUV might not be as agile as the BMX 5 or as pretty as a Volvo XC90, but it's pretty quick, massively comfortable, spacious, and practical. Lincoln has come a long way in terms of build quality and tech features, and the Aviator can proudly keep its head up amongst the best Europe has to offer. The Lincoln Aviator's competitors include the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, and Genesis GV80. This Proudly American SUV features a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, and if you're seriously hungry for power, there's a 494-hp hybrid model too. In this Lincoln Aviator review, we see if this big American has what it takes to steal sales away from the European market leaders.

The price of the Lincoln Aviator begins at an MSRP of $53,340 for the Standard derivative, increasing to $58,505 for the Reserve. Upgrading to the plug-in hybrid Grand Touring requires a hefty $69,190. After this, the cost of the Lincoln Aviator rises even further. The all-wheel-drive Black Label retails for $80,725, while the plug-in hybrid Black Label Grand Touring retails for $89,280. These prices exclude Lincoln's US destination fee of $1,395.

The 2023 Aviator might have caught up to the Europeans in terms of sheer opulence, build quality, and tech, but it still feels like a classic American SUV when you get behind the wheel. That twin-turbocharged motor is excellent for launching the Aviator down a straight line, but as soon as things start getting twisty, this SUV loses the plot. To be fair, the Aviator's soft-sprung suspension and relaxed chassis feel at home in the city and soak up bumps, but pick up speed, and this vehicle's weight and lack of feedback become apparent; it's not something you want to carve canyons with and makes the BMW X5 feel like a Porsche 911. Braking is also soft, and the transmission can feel spongy at times. Stick this thing in drive and stick to the highway. The hybrid is not as smooth as you'd wish either and the transitions between electric and gas power are too noticeable, disturbing the tranquil cabin environment a little.

The new Lincoln Aviator SUV has closed the gap between American and European luxury SUVs by a significant margin. This SUV has the looks, the power, and the tech to convince even the most die-hard Euro fans to make the move, but it still has shortcomings. The exterior is stylish, the interior is opulent, and offers tons of standard tech and lots of cargo space, but visibility and headroom can be an issue for some. Under the hood, the twin-turbo power plant provides more than enough power but it chuffs down gas too greedily. On the road, this SUV has been tuned for comfort, unlike some of its more athletic competitors. We won't hold this against the Aviator: it does the whole comfy land-yacht thing very well. If you're after plush comfort, then look no further than this car, but it's not an automatic choice against superb high-value rivals such as the Genesis GV80.

The Standard model is already handsomely equipped, but considering the price gap between it and the Reserve isn't that large, we'd opt for the latter. The Black Label simply costs too much money. You get all of the nice features at Reserve level, so we wouldn't go any higher than that. We're also not entirely sure whether it's worth investing in the plug-in hybrid. The 21-mile all-electric range falls short of the average daily commute, and it costs a heck of a lot more than the standard twin-turbo V6 model.