Lincoln Aviator 2022 Review

The 2022 Lincoln Aviator is a midsize three-row luxury SUV that slots between the full-size Navigator and the two-row Nautilus. The seven-seat Aviator made its return in 2020 after an absence of several years, with an all-new design, powertrains, in-car tech and advanced driver aids. It quickly became one of our favorite vehicles in the segment. It has a look and feel you won't find anywhere else in the class. The cabin is comfortable and extremely well appointed, with lots of premium touches that make it stand out in a competitive class. We also like the powerful turbocharged engine and the available plug-in hybrid powertrain.

There are no significant changes for 2022 outside of a few more standard features on the Reserve and Grand Touring models and some option package tweaks. Without any major updates to the Aviator, the Audi Q7 remains our pick in this class, but we think the Aviator is better than many rivals, including the Land Rover Discovery, Lexus RX 350L and Cadillac XT6. Check out our Expert Rating below to get our test team's full analysis of the Aviator's performance, comfort and more.

Which Aviator does MatoCar recommend?

The 2022 Lincoln Aviator is available in five trim levels: Standard, Reserve, Black Label, Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label. The Standard, Reserve and Black Label models all use a 3.0-liter V6 engine (400 horsepower, 415 lb-ft of torque). Stepping up to the Grand Touring uses a 3.0-liter V6 hybrid engine (494 hp, 630 lb-ft). Rear-wheel drive is standard with the gas model, but all-wheel drive is available and is standard on hybrid Aviators.

Standard A generous starting package that includes:

• LED headlights
• Roof rails
• Power liftgate
• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Keyless ignition and push-button start
• 35/30/35-split second-row bench seat
• 50/50-split power-folding third-row seat
• Digital instrument cluster
• Power-adjustable front seats with heating
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility
• Onboard Wi-Fi hotspot

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)
• Lane keeping assist (steers the Aviator back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)

Reserve Better equipped than the base version thanks to:

• Adaptive suspension (improves ride comfort and handling; requires 22-inch wheels or AWD)
• 20-inch wheels
• Power-adjustable steering wheel
• Premium leather upholstery
• Second-row captain's chairs (bench seat is optional)
• 14-speaker sound system
• Quad-zone automatic climate control
• Ambient interior lighting
• Panoramic sunroof
• Head-up display
• Phone as a key capability
• Hands-free liftgate
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• 360-degree surround-view camera (gives you a top-down view of the Aviator and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

There are a variety of optional packages for the Reserve, though Lincoln bundles most of them together under the Reserve I and Reserve II group packages. They include:

• Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.5 Plus
• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
• Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)
• Evasive steering assist (enhances the forward collision mitigation system with steering-based collision avoidance)
• Elements Package Plus
• Heated and ventilated front and second-row seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated windshield wipers
• Luxury package
• Upgraded 30-way power-adjustable front seats
• 28-speaker premium audio system
• Rear door sunshades
• Dynamic Handling package
• Adaptive air-ride suspension (can raise or lower the ride height of the vehicle)

Black Label A well-equipped model that adds optional features and packages as standard such as:

• 22-inch wheels
• All-wheel drive
• Turn-adaptive headlights
• Soft-close doors
• Convenience package
• Elements package
• Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.5 Plus package
• Luxury package
• Access to Lincoln's Black Label services that include premium maintenance, pickup and delivery for service, points program that can be redeemed for exclusive offers and deals

Grand Touring The first of the powerful hybrid models. It's equipped like the Reserve but has:

• Turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 hybrid engine (494 hp, 630 lb-ft)
• Standard all-wheel drive

Black Label Grand Touring The top dog in the Aviator lineup. Fully loaded, it applies the Black Label's features to the Grand Touring and comes with nearly every feature as standard.