2020 Lincoln Aviator Review: a Heckuva Nice Surprise

"This time we’ve got it!” - That's what Ford's top brass must be telling themselves inside HQ walls. The hope – nay, optimistic hope - is that the Aviator 2.0 will be more successful than the first Aviator, which appeared in 2003 only to leave the lineup a few years later, quietly, by the back exit.

The new Lincoln Aviator shares two elements with its predecessor: the name of course, which already carries a certain weight in the automotive universe, but also the fact that it shares its skeleton with the most recent Ford Explorer, just like it did the first time around.

Fortunately, Ford's luxury brand has finally created a proper distinction here between Ford's more generic template and what Lincoln’s should be; in other words, a Lincoln should be more than just a Ford in a tux. The distinction has gradually grown more vivid in recent years, and that's just fine.

Of course, there are still a few signs betraying the familial links between the newest Aviator and Explorer, but overall my takeaway is that the luxury brand's strategists did a great job of keeping the Lincoln away from its “more-accessible” cousin.

A super-stretched silhouette
At first glance, one image that keeps popping up mentally is the Range Rover Velar, another crossover with a design that bestows a feeling of length via its lowered, sloped roof. The Lincoln Aviator gets some added charm from its 22-inch wheels, especially when the air suspension is lowered somewhat to improve fuel efficiency or simply to facilitate access to the vehicle. On the other hand, the increased ground clearance is most welcome when a snow bank has to be surmounted.  

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