2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve Review and Test Drive

This week, I’ve got a real beauty for you! Introducing the all-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator, a 3-row luxury SUV that is packed full of technology.

Exterior

I really like the sleek looks of this SUV. It has fantastic LED lights in the front and they run completely across the rear, 22” wheels, front fog lights, a lit Lincoln emblem in the grill and quad exhaust. Interesting touch, the exhaust comes out under the exhaust pipes to keep soot out of the chrome extensions.

Powertrain

Under the big hood is a 3-liter V6 with twin-turbochargers putting out 400-horses and 415-pound feet of torque. It is mated with a 10-speed automatic with shift paddles. There is also an almost 500-horse hybrid version available if you so desire. This one is all-wheel drive, but rear wheel is available.

Interior

Reach inside the door handle and open the electric door (with soft-close option) to reveal a stunning interior. You first see the heated and cooled 30-way power adjustable seats that feature ultra-soft pillowing. It even has separate power thigh supports. I almost wish it had fewer adjustments. Believe it or not, I found it difficult to find that just right position with all those adjustments.

As you sit to begin your luxurious adventure, you hit the start button on top of the dash and you are greeted by two welcoming screens that display beautiful clouds and instead of the usual monotonal and annoying chimes, you hear musical chimes recorded just for Lincoln by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

The gauge cluster is bright and configurable and if you look through the heated steering wheel, you see the best and most informational head-up display I’ve ever seen, including sign recognition and the outside temperature.

Everything operates from a 10.1-inch touchscreen that operates audio, Bluetooth, Navigation, a host of apps, and vehicle settings. You can swipe left or right to access a ton of info and you can turn on the Wi-Fi hotspot.

Under that is your climate controls, and your transmission shift buttons, which I like a lot. All this flows into a pass through center console with cup holders, a couple of covered storage areas, and a center glove box that has a cell phone charger built in.

This is also where you change the drive modes, which are interesting. You can choose from normal, slippery, deep conditions, conserve, and by far my favorite, Excite. This big 4700-pound SUV will really move in that mode. I do wish I could set the drive mode to Excite as a default, you have to move it to that setting after every start.

Utility

Heading to the rear, there are captain’s chairs in the center row with cupholders between them, a 4-zone electronic climate control system, and power outlets. A button on top of the center seats move them forward for access to the power fold third row seats, which will fit two adults nicely, and unlike many SUVs, the seats fold very flat.

Cargo area is really good even with the 3rd row seats up, and there is a nice storage area under the floor. Deeper under that, you’ll find a real spare tire, although the wheel does not match the ones on the ground. The lift gate is power and Lincoln even put a Navigator silhouette to show you where the lift gate button is. It is a small thing, but a nice touch to keep you from hunting for the button if you don’t use the key fob.

Standard Equipment

My tester is the Reserve model, which is second from the bottom in the five-trim level lineup, but make no mistake, it comes super loaded with standard equipment.

The Reserve package free features include a panoramic moon roof, trailer towing package, heated steering wheel, power tilt wheel, and a 360-degree camera.

On the safety front, this one has the Co-Pilot 360 Plus package which is adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, reverse braking assist, and active park assist.

Notable Features

Some cool things about the Aviator is the voice command button is located on the steering wheel about where your left thumb goes when driving, no taking your eyes off the road. You can use your cell phone to unlock and start the car, however if there is a battery failure, you can unlock the SUV with the actual key from a small hole under the outside mirror. It is much more attractive than the keyhole being under the door handle.

Aviator has auto hold and you can turn off the start/stop by pushing a button on the dash. The only irritating thing is you have to turn the start/stop off every time you start the car, I would prefer to be able to default to that at all times.

Verdict

Aviator has an incredibly smooth ride thanks to air suspension, it handles great especially in Excite mode, and overall it is just a joy of an SUV. Lincoln thought of everything.

I could personally do without the electric opening doors, they are a little hard to open from the inside, but otherwise I love everything about this SUV, including the MSRP which is $76,310.

Fuel economy is 17 in the city, 26 on the highway, and 21 combined.

If you are a Lincoln lover and the Navigator is too big, but the new Nautilus is too small, this is the one for you. Congrats to the Lincoln Motor Company, they knocked it out of the park with the new Aviator.