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Consumer Reports Says Lincoln Aviator Should Be Avoided

Sales of the Lincoln Aviator are on the rise as the luxury crossover continues to resonate with customers. In fact, during Q1 2024, the Aviator moved 6,250 units, up 19 percent year-over-year, but contrary to its popularity, Consumer Reports has a warning: stay well away from the Lincoln Aviator if you’re in the market for a luxury crossover.

According to the latest CR luxury SUV shopping guide, the Lincoln Aviator is one of the least impressive luxury vehicles in its segment. While it performed decently in its road test, earning a score of 62 on a 100-point scale, its predicted reliability and predicted owner satisfaction scores make it a sketchy buy. The publication commends the Aviator for its “upgraded driving experience” and its sophisticated cabin, which is an improvement over its mass market cousin, the Ford Explorer. However, it fails to impress in other areas that make it a poor competitor.

For example, it seems to have finicky controls and subpar fuel economy – 19 miles per gallon, to be exact. Its engine can sound “coarse” under heavy acceleration, and its pushbutton gear selector is a bit awkward to use and distracting at worst. The voice command button on the steering wheel is easy to accidentally activate, and its front seat lumbar adjustments must be made through the infotainment system, which makes the process clunky and overcomplicated. Additionally, it’s not projected to be very reliable, and customers may not find the Lincoln Aviator very satisfying in the long run. Instead, the publication recommends buyers pick the Acura MDX over the Lincoln.

However, the future of the Lincoln Aviator seems bright. The inbound refresh for the 2025 model year introduces upgraded tech for the luxury crossover, such as the addition of Ford BlueCruise, and exterior upgrades include standard LED headlights. Improved infotainment software should make things a bit easier for drivers and passengers of the luxury crossover, along with its larger 13.2-inch screen and 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster.

Refreshed 2025 Lincoln Aviator

Additionally, Aviator will likely boast improved reliability beginning with newer examples of the luxury three row. In fact, Ford CEO Jim Farley says that The Blue Oval’s initial quality improved with its 2024 model year lineup, and the automaker is taking steps to keep improving as it aims to tackle quality issues across its entire lineup.

We’ll have more on the Lincoln Aviator soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Lincoln newsLincoln Aviator news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.

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Alexandra is a Colorado-based journalist with a passion for all things involving horsepower, be it automotive or equestrian.

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Comments

  1. Ford’s reliability has always been a problem. This is so unfortunate for the Aviator. The Aviator is by far one of the most beautiful three-row vehicles on the market. Ford/Lincoln plays it safe, TOO SAFE. Ford just needs a big enough lawsuit for them to take the matters seriously. People should not have to be stuck with a poor-quality vehicle or forced to come up with more money just to repair or trade. Ford should be hit hard enough for them to buy back all affected vehicles.

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  2. Meh, Consumer Reports has a mixed history with reviewing cars and trucks. A lot of what they say falls into a matter of opinion, which is fine except they have a high handed ‘certitude’ about their ‘opinions’. For trucks, computers, and smartphones they have shaky real world experience.

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  3. Consumer reports and Motor Trend have always favored foreign brands. Take your BMW or Mercedes in for scheduled service and be prepared to plop down a grand. Breakdowns are programmed for just after warranty expiration.

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  4. Ford just needs to bury Li Colin and get it over with.

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  5. Ford needs to just bury Lincolin and get it over with.

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    1. No, Ford needs to let Lincoln have exciting product instead of the current lineup. Utilize S650 and give us a proper LS, Continental and Mark 9. Period.

      Reply
  6. I don’t really listen to what consumer report says. Most people know they favor certain brands. they also seem to flip flop at times on their opinions of cars. Mostly I watch the reviews of other owners, ie: customer reviews of their cars. these people have the cars and drive them every day for months and years. With the Aviator, after much research, I bought one this past January. From what i could see from other owners, the folks who had issues were the ones who bought the high tech packages. the excessive tech seems to be buggy on those over equipped models. So for me, i opted for the lowest level reserve which still has borderline too much tech. On the items listed in the article, most were such that if you drive the car everyday, you get used to it. A couple good examples of that are the piano key gear selector. its different than my previous car. but a buyer gets used to it fairly fast. its a non-issue. with the voice activation button on the steering wheel, i didn’t like it for the first couple weeks as i inadvertantly activated it. but now that i am cognizant of it being there, I never press it unintentionally and it doesn’t bother me. with regards to reliability, I would much rather take my chances of long term ownership of a Lincoln Aviator or any Lincoln over the vast majority of imports. A coworker of mine has a 2017 Acura thats always having issues. fortunately for him he bought an extended warranty. then my parents used to dabble in foreign cars such as mercedes, jaguar and bmw’s. they all broke down more frequently than the Lincolns and were way more costly to repair when they did break down. whats worse, is they ride hard and not as roomy and luxurious as a Lincoln or older model cadillac. from what i could see of the imports, they all stink. who wants cars that require frequent repairs and inconvenience?

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  7. Well, It’s ONLY $100,000.00 Just the right price for a Movie Vehicle, then they can toss it Over Board with all the choppers they Pushed Overboard After the Vietnam War???? 😂..

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  8. Haters gonna hate and consumer reports is all about hating Lincoln. I don’t know what their problem is, but I have yet to see a fair review on Lincoln from them. I must be pushing the envelope besides the aviator I bought a year ago, which I love I’ve had three MKT‘s two MKX’s and then MKS over the last 15 years never had a problem with any of them, love the way they feel, love how they drive & I love the service I get from Lincoln. This new Aviator is flat out a head turner. Sophisticated and luxurious and also doesn’t look like every other SUV out there it’s distinguishable and I love the attention it gets.

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  9. LOL at complaining about gas mileage. It’s a large Lincoln SUV, I hardly think MPG are a big concern to buyers.

    Reply

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