The 2026 Lincoln Aviator is traditionally the middle child of the lineup. Not as expensive, large, or extravagant as the flagship Navigator, but arguably a step up from the entry level Corsair and often slightly odd, outlying, Nautilus.
But now the Corsair is dead, the Nautilus is the “little” one, and there’s potentially more focus on the “middle child.” To make matters worse, everyone else in the family has recently gotten a pretty significant makeover, while Lincoln has left the Aviator out so far.
So is the 2026 model still good value? Or is it a bit of a relic at this point after getting a bit ignored by Lincoln? After a week of testing, here’s what I think.
There’s an elephant in the room with the 2026 Lincoln Aviator
While the Aviator is still a solid luxury SUV, there’s something about it you can’t really ignore. Its siblings (well, the surviving ones) have all received a major upgrade over the past few years. That upgrade incorporates things like “digital scents,” a deeply relaxing “Lincoln Rejuvenate” mode, and most importantly: a very nice full-dash display.
None of these upgrades are vital for a vehicle to function, and aside from the display you won’t even be missing out that much. But there will be a sense you’ll have splashed out for less than you would have received if you waited a few months. Especially as central touch screens in general may be seen as archaic in the near future.
I don’t work for Lincoln, so I can’t say for certain when or even if the Aviator will get a refresh that brings it up to date with the rest of the lineup. But logically, it will be happening this year and rolled out with the 2027 models. So if you can cling on until fall, you may get a more modern vehicle for a similar price.
The quality of the Lincoln Aviator’s interior is very high
Go back 15 to 20 years, and you’ll find yourself in a bad era for luxury cars. The interior of something like a Lincoln was a showcase of corner cutting. Instead of actual chrome fittings you’d get plastic with a foil coating. Instead of leather and wood, you’d get an excessive amount of cheap feeling plastic.
This is no longer the case. In recent years, Lincolns have had stunning interiors. The Aviator is no exception. Expect plenty of leather and metal, with any plastic that is involved being of high quality. In terms of differences between the Lincoln and other “luxury” models, there isn’t a ton of wood. This does, in a way, give it a more modern feel. But a bit of walnut, oak, or ash is a solid indicator you’re in a “luxury” car, and I do wonder if its absence may affect people’s perceptions on a sub-conscious level.
Other interior features include heated and ventilated seats, a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D Audio System, and a massage function. Though the 28-speaker system was a pricy extra on the trim I tested, coming as part of an $8,000 optional package that adds things like an illuminated star and auto-air refresh. It’s only included as standard with the “Black Label” trim, and lesser trims default to a 14 or 10-speaker system.
The massage seats are some of the best in the business. Is it the same as giving someone $200 to punch you in the spine at a spa? Obviously not. But both front seats have a heavily adjustable massage system and it is pretty relaxing. Contrast that with something like the Cadillac Lyriq, which may as well have just not bothered, or the Genesis GV80 which has a brilliant massage seat, but only for the driver outside of the top trims.
The audio system is also superb. Couple it with parent company Ford’s Android Auto/Apple Car Play-friendly infotainment system and you can blast out your Spotify playlist within seconds of starting the vehicle. My ears started to hurt with the volume hovering around a third of maximum, so if you do like cranking it until your orifices start bleeding you probably have that capability in an Aviator.
If you don’t want to rely on your phone from infotainment, you’re better off in an Aviator than most. It features the relatively recent “Lincoln Digital Experience” which adds a lot of capability to the in-built interface. You are missing out on some of the “Digital Experience” as it was designed to work with the 47-inch panoramic display. And, if that hasn’t made clear enough, the 2026 Aviator hasn’t got one of those.
The 2026 Lincoln Aviator has received one major upgrade
There is one major difference between the 2026 Lincoln Aviator and the 2025 model. BlueCruise 1.5. Ford’s BlueCruise is one of the best Level 2 self-driving systems around, but it did lack one major capability. Drivers had to tell it when to overtake on a highway, which they didn’t have to do with GM’s SuperCruise. The 1.5 update fixed that, and now the Aviator can overtake on its own if the car in front of it is going a little too slow and an opportunity is available. The shift to 1.5 required new hardware, which is why you’ll only see on newer models.
I find that the Lincoln Aviator’s overtakes are a little smoother and more considered than you find with SuperCruise. During testing, the Aviator was also very keen to move to a slower lane if someone was tailgating it quite hard. This is a big plus for me, as I hate the idea of holding up traffic and I have encountered self driving systems that will just hang around in the “fast lane” even when it’s quite inconsiderate to do so.
The best part is, this isn’t an “optional extra” and it doesn’t require a subscription. At least not initially. All new Lincolns get four years of BlueCruise included.
Fuel economy may be a sticking point for the Aviator, its powertrain is another area that could arguably use an upgrade. As mentioned, it’s essentially a Ford Explorer and that means a somewhat thirsty V6 is pulling it along. While it does have a lot of punch, and the sound is pretty nice, you will get less than 20 mpg in the city and around 26 mpg on the highway with it. On the one hand, gas is cheap and people will burn this country to the ground before it hits $5 a gallon.
So this may not be a red line for everyone. On the other hand, direct rivals like the Volvo XC90 have hybrid systems that essentially offer double the Aviator’s fuel economy — which could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year.
But how does the Aviator drive, Dave?
Underneath the nice leather and shiny paint job, a Lincoln Aviator is essentially a Ford Explorer. Same platform, same powertrain, same cramped third row. And they essentially drive the same too. The Explorer is basically the iPhone of the SUV world. It doesn’t really change much year to year. So if you’ve driven an Aviator or an Explorer in the past few years, you won’t be in for any surprises when you get behind the wheel of a 2026 Aviator.
Ford often bigs up the performance aspect of the Explorer, having thrown the phrase “Fastest SUV under $60,000” around a few times. That level of performance carries over to the Aviator. If you get your foot down, it moves. A 0-60 time of 5.6 seconds isn’t bad at all for a mid-size ICE SUV. The 400-horsepower 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 under the hood certainly does its job well.
The handling is also pretty solid. It isn’t quite as firm, or “sporty,” as the Explorer, but does feel significantly smoother. Overall, the vehicle seems almost agile compared to some other SUVs of a similar size. The particular model I tested had air suspension fitted (another optional extra) which made the ride particularly smooth. The pothole-strewn roads of Upstate New York are a great test for this kind of thing, and the (upgraded) Aviator is up there with the best of them.
Practicality could be what makes the Aviator stand out
Practicality is a bit of a weird one with luxury SUVs. On the one hand, you would think people are buying them for the luxury feel, the driving experience, and as a kind of status symbol. And Lincoln does tick these boxes. But an SUV is inherently a practical vehicle, and it’s easy to argue that a luxury SUV should still be able to roll its sleeves up when a job needs doing.
This is where the Aviator stands out. Like its less affluent brother, the Explorer, it is immensely practical. You get 16.5 cubic feet of space with all of the seats up, and that expands to a shade under 40 cubic feet with the third row down. Drop the second row as well, and you get just under 76 cubic feet of space. This means you can shift everything from a heavy weekly grocery shop, to small items of furniture. Just be careful you don’t scuff the leather trim.
A boat is also a status symbol, and with a 5,000 pound towing capacity the Aviator lets you pull a pretty large one. It has the same V6 you’ll find in the Ranger Raptor, which is more performance-focused than anything else but can still haul a hefty amount.
You should see the infotainment difference as an upgrade you can’t have
So, should you buy a 2026 Aviator when a noticeably improved model is just around the corner? It depends on how much you like the look of the new infotainment system. Vehicles come with a lot of optional extras these days, but these extras aren’t always an option.Sometimes a vehicle with a particular feature you want requires a special order, so they’ll have to build that vehicle just for you and ship it out. A car on the lot doesn’t have that, and you could drive it home today, or you could wait six months for the one you want to arrive.
Sometimes upgrades aren’t worth the money too. If your local dealership has a great deal on 2026 Lincolns, how much more are you prepared to pay for a 2027? Especially if the infotainment upgrade and “Digital Scent” are the only real changes. $2,000? $3,000? $5,000?
The 2026 Lincoln Aviator is not a bad vehicle. It’s a very good luxury SUV, available at “lower end of luxury” price point, and a reasonable price point overall by modern standards. But it has reached the stage where things are a little stale. It has essentially been the same vehicle for a few years now, and if you don’t use cruise control much anyway a 2024 or 2025 model at a far cheaper price may seem like the sensible choice. So you will want that little bit extra on the table before you pull the trigger on a 2026 Lincoln Aviator.
Exact specs and trim of vehicle reviewed:
- 2026 Lincoln Aviator AWD Reserve II (MSRP $69,230) with the $7,995 “Equipment Group 201A” package including: Luxury Package (Perf Pos 30-Way Act Mot Seats, Revel Ultima 3D Audio-28Spk) Illumination Package (Illuminated Lincoln Star, Adaptive Pixel LED Headlamps), Heated/Ventilated 2nd Row Seats, Auto Air Refresh, Head-Up Display.
- Individual options included: Dynamic Handling Package ($2,500.00)
- Includes: Air Glide Suspension with Dynamic Lower Entry, Full Rear Console ($480.00), 18″ Mini Spare Wheel (Steel) ($400.00), 22″ BMA w/ Mag Pntd Pkts Wheel, 50 State Emissions (No Charge), BlueCruise Equip: 4 Year Incl (free).
Total Cost: $80,605 excluding charges and delivery | Lincoln Aviator entry-level MSRP (Premiere RWD trim): $56,910
