2025 Lincoln Aviator First Drive: Still a beautiful example of American luxury
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — The Lincoln Aviator was a real tentpole, flag-in-the-ground moment for Lincoln five years ago. Built on a completely new rear-drive-based platform that was actually tweaked for Lincoln’s use, it drove like a top-tier luxury SUV and looked the part. Although it could’ve been pitched as a value proposition, it was also a fully competitive answer to three-row luxury SUVs like the Acura MDX, Volvo XC90 or Audi Q7 based on merit alone.
Lincoln has since sat on its laurels, not altering much beyond axing the lovely but slow-selling plug-in hybrid Grand Touring version. Changes have finally arrived, however, as the 2025 Lincoln Aviator is given a revamped interior, minor styling revisions and some tweaks to the driving experience.
The new dash houses the 2025 Aviator’s biggest quality-of-life improvement with a new 13.2-inch touchscreen running the “Lincoln Digital Experience” interface. This Android Automotive infotainment system lets you run Google Maps as the native navigation system, use the Google Assistant for voice control and download tons of different apps via the Google Play Store. You can ignore all that and use the wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto screen mirroring if you prefer, but you might not want to.
Lincoln integrates the Google Maps view into the new 12.4-inch digital instrument panel beautifully, leaving you with a much better experience than if you just ran it through CarPlay. Logging into your music streaming app of choice in the infotainment is super easy, and controlling it via the Google Assistant makes music selection a seamless process. All of this goes down without any stuttering or awkward lag, which is impressive considering the smartphone-like animations and transitions.
This upgrade to the Lincoln Digital Experience is extra-important for the Aviator, as it was previously rocking the Sync 3 infotainment system. Though functional, it was dated compared to even the Sync 4 interface that’s been found in various Fords for years now. The Aviator was one of the last holdouts and on the whole is better for it. Depending on your point of view, though, there may be a downside to this upgrade. The new screen and center stack eliminate most of the physical climate controls, relocating them to a permanently docked row at the bottom of the touchscreen. Lincoln at least retained the volume knob, but it’s possible some will find this change frustrating.
The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that comes as the only engine option for the Aviator shouldn’t cause any sort of consternation. It’s the same engine as before, still making 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. What is different for 2025 is the 10-speed automatic transmission that’s been recalibrated for smoothness. Lincoln isn’t lying here, either. The 10-speed wasn’t exactly a sore point previously, but the perceptible driver could certainly notice some less-than-silky shifts. You won’t notice them at all for 2025, as the Aviator slinks through each gear with nary an interruption nor noticeable “change.” It’s just the way it should be for such a classy, peaceful luxury vehicle.
Lincoln didn’t mess with the Aviator’s stellar ride, as the available air suspension and standard adaptive dampers do a bang-up job of keeping things comfy. It was one of the better-riding three-row crossovers before, and it still is for 2025. That said, this also means it remains unexciting on a winding road. The BMW X7 and MDX are far more engaging to drive when the road starts meandering, so don’t think of the Aviator as a dual-threat for ride and handling capabilities.
On the plus side, all efforts are seemingly devoted to the Aviator keeping its occupants happy and relaxed. Its V6 rarely intrudes upon the cabin’s serenity and only makes its presence known when you mat it to enjoy the 400 horses it has on offer. The big wheels and tires (our test car had the optional 22s) are mighty quiet in all situations, and don’t seem to bother the ride. An available 28-speaker Revel audio system creates quite the concert inside when you want it to. Plus, long highway stints can be low-effort affairs thanks to Blue Cruise joining the party. It’s standard for four years but will require a subscription thereafter. Functionally, it’s the same as any other Ford or Lincoln with the latest software that allows for hands-free lane changes and in-lane repositioning to keep you away from vehicles in adjacent lanes – both features work as advertised, though its overall competence in lane-following and feature set still lag behind GM’s Super Cruise.
All these updates in the tech sphere make it easy to miss the refreshed front fascia that makes the “Lincoln Embrace” its standout feature. A lovely welcome animation plays on both the front and rear lights when you unlock the car, and it does the same every time you lock it. This highlights the new headlights themselves that now stretch across to interrupt the larger grille. And while our test car wasn’t finished in it, I can highly recommend opting for the Cenote Green (below, top row) shade of paint Lincoln showed off upon initially revealing this 2025 Aviator.
Black Label themes continue into 2025, and there’s even a new one (above, bottom row) called “Invitation” for those who might not be into some of the rather out-there colors we typically see in Black Label models. This one’s a simple black with laser-etched Khaya wood trim as a slight contrast. Per usual with Black Labels, the ultra-rich materials and color scheme apply to every row of the vehicle. Second-row passengers will enjoy a slight tech upgrade in the form of a screen to control their climate and audio controls. Besides that, the Aviator carries over unchanged for third-row riders, which is to say space is adequate but nothing like the expanse you might enjoy in the larger Navigator or extra-spacious crossover competitors like the Lexus TX or Volvo XC90.
None of the appearance tweaks come close to the impact of the new tech suite in the 2025 Aviator, though. An infotainment system that can rival the very best that Audi, BMW and Mercedes offer today makes this SUV even easier to recommend. It’s a shame the plug-in is no longer an option, especially given today’s increasingly hybrid-friendly market, but this V6 fits the car and its mission quite nicely.
The biggest qualm could easily be the jacked-up price, as the base model goes up by $5,155 to $59,890. There’s a lot more standard equipment on offer than before, but even the Black Label is up by $7,770 to $88,390, and that version’s always been a fully loaded offering. That leaves it with other great options like the Genesis GV80 and Volvo XC90 in the low-to-mid-tier trims. That means there’s not the same value proposition to be made any more, but there’s also nothing to take away from what a great SUV the Aviator was and continues to be as a beautiful example of American luxury.
