2020 Lincoln Aviator vs 2021 Lincoln Corsair

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator was positioned between the Navigator and the compact MKC, which was replaced by the Lincoln Corsair. Lincoln's return to using real vehicle names was a positive shift, moving away from the old alphabet-soup naming convention. The Aviator featured a unified design language across Lincoln's lineup, with handsome headlights and an upright chrome grille. Its tapering roofline and low, wide beltline gave it an elongated, almost boat-like appearance. Inside, the Aviator's cabin boasted a flowing design, soft-touch materials, and elegant seats with a piano-key design for the shifter buttons. The front seats were incredibly comfortable, with plush leather used throughout, even in less obvious places, indicating a deep commitment to luxury. The Aviator also had unique touches like a massive panoramic moonroof and warning jingles recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, showcasing Lincoln's holistic approach to luxury.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair replaced the outdated MKC, riding on the new C2 platform shared with the Ford Escape. Lincoln succeeded in differentiating the Corsair from its Ford counterpart, unlike General Motors with its Cadillac XT4 and XT5. The Corsair's refined design featured 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, floating center touchscreen, and "Piano Key" shifter buttons with other Lincoln SUVs. However, it had more hard-touch materials and a black leather with dark wood interior that seemed geared towards older buyers. The Corsair's trims included Standard, Reserve, and the new Grand Touring plug-in hybrid, with the Standard trim offering a well-equipped base model and the Reserve adding more premium features.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator came standard with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. The Grand Touring trim combined this engine with a 100-hp electric motor, resulting in a net 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque. Both powertrains used a 10-speed automatic transmission, with the base V6 offering rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), while the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) was AWD only. Both versions could accelerate from 0-60 mph in about 4 seconds. The Grand Touring's hybrid setup provided smooth, confident acceleration and better fuel efficiency, with a combined 23 mpg and a 21-mile electric-only range. The Aviator's steering was light, and its brakes were cushioned, offering a refined driving experience. Fuel economy for the conventional V6 was 18 mpg city, 26 highway, 21 combined for RWD, and 17, 24, 20 for AWD.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair's base engine was a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder, producing 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. An optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine offered 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Both engines used an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the 2.0-liter available in front-wheel drive (FWD) or AWD, and the 2.3-liter exclusively AWD. The Corsair's drive modes included "Conserve" and "Excite," with Excite providing a more dynamic driving experience. The 2.3-liter engine offered strong acceleration and confident cornering, despite some body roll. The suspension absorbed potholes well, though there was noticeable road noise. The new Grand Touring trim featured a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, CVT, and electric motors, producing a combined 266 hp. It offered 28 miles of pure EV driving and 78 MPGe in electric mode, with 33 mpg combined in hybrid mode.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator's three-row seating placed it in competition with the Audi Q7, Infiniti QX60, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Land Rover Discovery, and Cadillac XT6. The optional second-row captain's chairs were fantastic, while the power-closing third row was adequate for adults but better suited for kids on longer trips. With the second and third rows folded, the Aviator offered 77 cubic feet of cargo space, comparable to the Cadillac XT6. The Aviator's seats and door handles had a bespoke design, with 30-way seats featuring a massage function. However, the door-release function was unnecessarily complicated, with a recessed button area that could be confusing for passengers.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair had a spacious cabin with comfortable seats and ample storage space. However, the large lip when stepping in or out of the Corsair was a notable downside, requiring constant alertness to avoid tripping. The reclining and sliding rear seats made the second row very comfortable, with impressive legroom for a compact SUV. The Corsair offered 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 57.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, both average for the segment. A power liftgate was standard, with a hands-free power liftgate available.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator featured the Sync 3 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen in a landscape layout, providing a user-friendly interface for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The fully digital instrument panel and massive head-up display offered a lot of information in a minimalist and unobtrusive manner.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with 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 head-up display with crisp graphics.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator included standard safety features such as front and side-impact airbags, traction control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Lincoln Co-Pilot360 suite offered forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and a head-up display.

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 Lincoln 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 was an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus when equipped with the high-feature headlights in the Reserve II package.