2021 Lincoln Aviator vs 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator stood out by not mimicking its competitors' styles. Instead, it adopted the successful design language of the larger Navigator, resulting in a sharp-looking vehicle with crisp lines and chrome accents. The interior was equally impressive, featuring soft-touch materials, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and a piano button shifter. The Aviator's cabin exuded comfort and warmth, with soothing chimes replacing typical alerts, adding to its luxurious feel.

In contrast, the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid maintained a similar appearance to its gas-only counterparts, with subtle differences like "Hybrid" badges and blue Honda logos. The interior featured unique instrumentation for battery status and power distribution, and the paddles on the steering wheel managed regenerative braking. The CR-V Hybrid offered three trims—EX, EX-L, and Touring—all with standard AWD. The Touring trim, which we tested, included features like a premium sound system, navigation, and wireless smartphone charging.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered a robust performance with its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. This power was managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission, available in both RWD and AWD. The Grand Touring trims added a plug-in hybrid configuration, boosting output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, with a 21-mile electric-only range. The Aviator excelled in highway driving but struggled with body roll in corners and tight city maneuvers.

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid featured a two-motor hybrid system combining a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an electric assist motor, generating a total of 212 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. It offered three driving modes—EV Drive, Hybrid Drive, and Engine Drive—automatically selecting the most appropriate one. The CR-V Hybrid provided a smooth and enjoyable driving experience, though it fell short of its EPA rating of 38 mpg, achieving only 33.7 mpg in testing.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator provided 18.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats, expandable to 41.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a total of 77.7 cubic feet with all rear seats down. The second-row captain's chairs and digital control panel added to the comfort and functionality. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about potential issues if the battery died.

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid excelled in interior space, with supportive front seats and remarkable rear seat room. The rear seats offered cross-your-legs levels of space, and the flat floor made it accommodating for three passengers. Cargo space was 33.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat, expandable to 68.7 cubic feet with the seats folded. Despite the battery pack reducing cargo space compared to the gas-only model, the CR-V Hybrid remained highly functional.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Sync 3 infotainment system, which was intuitive and user-friendly. It included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with large icons that made navigation easy. The fully digital instrument panel and optional head-up display added to the tech-savvy experience.

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid's infotainment system, redesigned in 2017, felt outdated despite its large, flush surface. The seven-inch touchscreen lacked a tuning knob and took a long time to start. Voice recognition was subpar, and the navigation map was cluttered. However, the Touring trim's nine-speaker premium audio system sounded good, and the infotainment system supported text messaging, SiriusXM, and Pandora.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 package, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Co-Pilot 360 Plus package added features like reverse automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. The Aviator earned top safety ratings from NHTSA and IIHS, including a Top Safety Pick accolade.

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid included Honda Sensing, with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and Road Departure Mitigation. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was also standard. The CR-V Hybrid earned a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS.