Lincoln Aviator vs Lincoln Corsair

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator was a standout in terms of styling, avoiding the temptation to emulate its rivals. It carried over the sharp design language of the Navigator, featuring crisp lines and heavy use of chrome, which actually enhanced its modern look. Inside, the Aviator differentiated itself from its Ford counterpart with a cabin defined by comfort and warmth, featuring soft-touch materials and a 10.1-inch touchscreen that dominated the dash. The piano button shifter and soothing chimes added to the air of class and luxury.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair, introduced as a replacement for the MKC, rode on the new C2 platform shared with the Ford Escape. It featured a refined design with slab sides, blacked-out rear pillars, and straight belt- and rooflines, making it appear larger than it was. Inside, the Corsair shared the flowing dash and floating center touchscreen with other Lincoln SUVs but had more hard-touch materials. The black leather and dark wood seemed geared towards older buyers, while lighter palettes with tan leather were available for younger buyers.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came equipped with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine in its Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. This power was routed through a 10-speed automatic transmission, with rear-wheel drive (RWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). The Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label trims featured a plug-in hybrid configuration, increasing output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, with a 21-mile electric-only range. The Aviator's drive mode selector included unique names like "Excite" and "Conserve," reflecting its smooth yet quick power delivery and highway suitability.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair offered a base 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. The optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine produced 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, exclusively paired with AWD. The Corsair's drive modes, such as "Conserve" and "Excite," provided a brisk acceleration and confident cornering, despite some body roll. The Grand Touring trim added a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a combined 266 hp, 28 miles of pure EV driving, and 78 MPGe in electric mode.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered 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, especially with captain's chairs, provided a comfortable space with a digital control panel for seat, climate, and audio controls. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair featured a spacious cabin with reclining and sliding rear seats, providing impressive legroom for a compact SUV. It offered 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 57.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The pronounced lip when stepping in or out of the Corsair was a notable downside, but the comfortable seating made it a fine vehicle for road trips.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the intuitive Sync 3 infotainment system, featuring a landscape layout that made for a natural user experience. It included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with large icons that utilized the entire screen. The Aviator also had a fully digital instrument panel and an optional head-up display (HUD) with crisp graphics.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running SYNC 3, with a logical menu layout and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Reserve trim added optional wireless device charging, a 14-speaker Revel premium audio system, and a HUD with easy-to-read graphics.

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 reverse automatic braking, self-parking functionality, and adaptive cruise control. The Aviator earned top marks from the NHTSA and IIHS, including a Top Safety Pick accolade.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. The CoPilot360 Plus suite added adaptive LED headlights, surround-view parking cameras, front parking sensors, speed-limit sign recognition, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, and automatic parking assist. The Corsair earned a Top Safety Pick Plus from the IIHS.