Motor Trend - USA (2020-02)

Stepping inside, it’s the Lincoln’s cabin
we didn’t want to leave. Before you even
start the car, you’re greeted by soft leather,
convincingly Bentley-esque knurled
metallic control knobs, and impossibly
comfortable 30-way adjustable massaging
front seats. They sit a little high for my
tastes, but once adjusted properly, the
comfort is supreme.
Basic seating controls are mounted
on the door panel, Mercedes-style, and
tapping any of said door controls results in
a pop-up infotainment screen menu that
allows you to fine-tune for lumbar support
and massage functions.

You select a gear in the Aviator by

pressing one of four PRND buttons, like

striking keys on a vehicular Steinway.

The fully digital gauge cluster is clean and

uncrowded. The head-up display is wider,

brighter, more informative, and displayed

higher on the windshield (read: closer

to your line of sight) than the HUD in

the Cadillac.

There’s plenty of legroom in the

second row, but at 6-foot-1 my head

was brushing the ceiling, due in part to

the vertical real estate occupied by the

Aviator’s panoramic glass sunroof. The

seats themselves are a bit narrow, and

the second row’s floor-mounted center

console is constructed from cheap-

looking plastic. A handsome touchscreen

positioned on the rear of the front-row

center console provides second-row

inputs for the climate control, heated

and ventilated second-row seats, and

audio system.

Speaking of, this Lincoln’s audio setup

deserves some serious praise. Devel-

oped by Revel, a subbrand of Harman, it

consists of 28 speakers positioned around

the Aviator’s interior, including four in

the headliner. I detected zero weak spots

or distortion at any frequency or volume

level, and the speakers overhead establish

a clear soundstage. And don’t forget, the

Cadillac XT 6

Lincoln Aviator

COMPARISON

58 MOTORTREND.COM FEBRUARY 2020