New & Used 2026 Lincoln Aviator for Sale near Illinois

Is the 2026 Lincoln Aviator a good car?

The 2026 Lincoln Aviator earns a 7.67/10 expert rating, and the model scores 9/10 across Technology and Safety.

The Aviator is aimed at you if you want a three-row SUV that feels more refined than the Ford Explorer it shares its roots with. It leans hard into comfort and luxury, with a smooth ride, a cossetting interior, and decent towing capacity. The trade-offs are clear: it gives up some sportiness, its handling can feel awkward, and the third row is a weak point.

Good and great deals percentage: 31.7% of listings are priced as good or great deals, which gives you a workable shopping pool if you’re selective.

Is the 2026 Lincoln Aviator reliable?

The 2026 Lincoln Aviator is built around a smooth twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and a 10-speed automatic, and the powertrain is described as strong, smooth, and mostly unobtrusive in daily driving. Its ride tuning is focused on comfort, with adaptive dampers helping keep things forgiving even when the suspension firms up a bit in sportier settings.

Lincoln also gives you a standard Class III trailer tow package, and the Aviator can tow 5,000 pounds, which supports its role as a family hauler with real utility. The available Air Glide suspension adds more control and can raise ground clearance for rougher conditions, which may help if you want a little extra versatility.

For used buyers, the main long-term ownership risk is that this is a luxury SUV with a lot of equipment, so you should expect higher repair exposure than a simpler mainstream model if maintenance is deferred.

What should I look for when buying a used 2026 Lincoln Aviator?

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 95.1% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a vehicle history report and prioritize a pre-purchase inspection, especially on a luxury SUV with a lot of standard technology and driver-assistance hardware. Focus on overall condition, interior wear, and whether the features you care about are working as intended, since the Aviator’s appeal depends heavily on its comfort and equipment.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base Premiere uses synthetic leather upholstery, while the Reserve upgrades to leather upholstery and the Black Label adds curated interior themes with upgraded materials. The base trim leaves you with a more basic cabin than the higher trims.
• Powertrain: Every Aviator uses a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 383 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic. AWD is optional on the Premiere and Reserve, and standard on the Black Label.
• Safety package: Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Drive 2.0 is standard and includes forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection and intersection assist, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-centering steering, high-beam assist, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, a driver-attention monitor, a surround-view camera system, and four years of BlueCruise hands-free highway driving. AWD is not standard on the lower trims.
• Infotainment: You get a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5.8-inch second-row touchscreen. Standard tech also includes a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, remote start, digital key functionality, a satellite radio trial, eight USB ports, a universal garage door opener, and a 10-speaker audio system.
• Fuel efficiency: The Aviator is EPA-rated at 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined.

Which 2026 Lincoln Aviator trim should I buy?

The 2026 Lincoln Aviator is offered in 3 trim levels: Premiere, Reserve, Black Label.

Here's the short version:

• Premiere: This is the entry point, and it gives you the Aviator’s core comfort, power, and standard safety tech at the lowest price. It makes sense if you want the model’s smooth ride and upscale feel without paying for the richer cabin materials and extra convenience features in the higher trims.
• Reserve: This is the best-value trim. It adds real leather upholstery, LED fog lights, ambient lighting, quad-zone automatic climate control, a power tilt/telescoping steering column, a head-up display, a Revel 14-speaker audio system, a wireless phone charger, and larger 21-inch wheels. If you want the sweet spot in the lineup, this is the one to target.
• Black Label: This is the plushest Aviator, with curated cabin themes, upgraded materials, a 30-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated and ventilated rear seats, standard AWD, and 22-inch wheels. It’s the right pick if you want maximum luxury and don’t mind the price premium.

Without a headlight rating, the Aviator does not qualify for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2026 Lincoln Aviator?

This is a moderate, selective-buyer market, so you have room to shop carefully rather than rush.

• Deal availability: 31.7% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 638 listings available.
• Clean inventory: 95.1% of listings are accident-free.

Is the 2026 Lincoln Aviator safe?

The 2026 Lincoln Aviator earns five-star ratings from NHTSA and top “Good” scores in the small front overlap, updated moderate front overlap, and updated side crash tests from the IIHS, along with a “Good” score for its pedestrian front crash prevention system.

It earns a 9/10 safety score from our experts.

Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Drive 2.0 is standard, and it bundles forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection and intersection assist, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-centering steering, high-beam assist, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, a driver-attention monitor, a surround-view camera system, and four years of BlueCruise hands-free highway driving.

The main caveat is that the Aviator cannot qualify for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award because it lacks a headlight rating.

Should I buy a 2026 Lincoln Aviator or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2026 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2026 if:

• 31.7% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 95.1% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• It emphasizes comfort and luxury while keeping the stronger optional V6 and a highly rated safety package.

Consider the 2025 if:

• It pairs distinctive styling with advanced technology and a calm, unhurried cabin.

The bottom line: If you want the most current version of the Aviator’s comfort-first luxury formula, the 2026 is the cleaner choice. If you’re more price-sensitive, the 2025 can still make sense because it delivers much of the same upscale character and tech-forward appeal.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from September 11, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.