2020 Lincoln Aviator vs 2021 Subaru Forester

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator slotted below the Navigator and above the compact MKC and its replacement, the Lincoln Corsair, in the Lincoln lineup. The Aviator featured a unified design across Lincoln's sedans, crossovers, and SUVs, with handsome headlights and an upright chrome grille. Its roofline tapered slightly, giving it an elongated look, and the low, wide beltline provided a boat-like appearance. Inside, the Aviator's cabin boasted a flowing design with soft-touch materials and selective use of brightwork. The seats were both elegant and sturdy, and the shifter buttons had a piano-key design. The Aviator's interior was luxurious, with soft-touch materials throughout, including plush leather on the dash, door panels, and center console sides. The massive panoramic moonroof and unique warning jingles recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra added to the luxury feel.

The Aviator's lineup included five trims: Standard, Reserve, Grand Touring, Black Label, and Black Label Grand Touring. The Standard trim came well-equipped with three-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, leather upholstery, and heated front seats. The Reserve trim added second-row captain's chairs, 12-way power front seats, upgraded leather upholstery, a hands-free power liftgate, Revel premium sound system, quad-zone climate control, surround-view camera system, and a navigation system. The Grand Touring trim included a huge sunroof, many features from the Standard and Reserve trims, and a standout plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The Black Label trim offered unique upholstery choices and nearly every feature as standard equipment, while the Black Label Grand Touring shared much with the Black Label but was further enhanced with the plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The 2021 Subaru Forester, redesigned for the 2019 model year, retained a styling that looked older due to its carryover from the previous generation. The biggest difference was the distinctive cross-shaped taillights. The Forester's boxy, upright shape appealed to SUV shoppers, and while the Base trim level looked plain with its 17-inch steel wheels, it had a clean and unpretentious look. The Forester Sport models featured orange striping around the lower edges of the body and roof rails, a rear spoiler, and black 18-inch alloy wheels, which made a big difference in appearance, especially with a complementary paint color.

The Forester rode on the Subaru Global Platform, shared with other Subaru models like the Impreza, Crosstrek, Legacy, Outback, and Ascent. The interior was a no-nonsense mix of materials designed to withstand years of use. The Sport trim level added orange trim and cross-stitching to the interior. Base, Premium, and Sport models had cloth upholstery, while the Limited and Touring trims had leather upholstery. The All-Weather Package, standard on Premium and higher trims, included heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a windshield de-icer.

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 the 3.0-liter turbo V6 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. Both versions could accelerate from 0-60 mph in about 4 seconds. The Grand Touring's combination of electric and gas power provided smooth, confident acceleration and improved fuel efficiency. The Aviator's steering was light, and its brakes were cushioned in feedback, offering a refined driving experience. The Aviator had an "Excite" drive mode for a more dynamic feel, but its 5,600-pound weight limited its agility. Fuel economy for the RWD Aviator was 18 mpg city, 26 highway, 21 combined, while the AWD version achieved 17 mpg city, 24 highway, 20 combined. The PHEV had a combined 23 mpg, with a 21-mile electric-only range and a 56 miles-per-gallon equivalent combined rating.

The 2021 Subaru Forester was available with a single powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The engine had a boxer configuration, providing a lower center of gravity. The Forester had a 1,500-pound maximum towing capacity and standard Trailer Stability Assist. The engine felt adequate in most situations but lacked power for highway merging and overtaking. The Forester's suspension was softly sprung, resulting in poor body control and a bouncy ride on uneven pavement. AWD was standard, with a sophisticated drivetrain featuring X-Mode for different surfaces. Sport models had Dual X-Mode with "Snow/Dirt" and "Snow/Mud" modes. Premium and higher trims had standard hill-descent control, and all models had 8.7 inches of ground clearance. However, for serious off-road capability, other vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk or Ford Bronco Sport were better options.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator, with its three rows, competed with vehicles like 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 best suited for kids on longer trips. Dropping the second and third rows provided 77 cubic feet of cargo space, comparable to the Cadillac XT6. The Aviator had some confusing controls, such as the door handles and seat controls. The 30-way seats with a massage function were worth the effort to learn. The door-release function was also complicated, with a button on the back of the handle instead of a conventional handle. A manual door release was available but only for the driver's door.

The 2021 Subaru Forester offered above-average headroom and legroom in both rows, thanks to its tall, flat roof. The roofline also provided excellent outward visibility and a roomy feeling. The Forester had 35.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 76.1 cubic feet with the 60/40 split-folding rear bench down. It had more cargo space than the Honda CR-V or the 2022 Hyundai Tucson with the rear seats folded but less with the rear seats up. The Forester lacked a sliding second-row bench available in some competitors but offered an optional power liftgate on the Sport trim and standard on the Limited and Touring trims. The cupholders were decently sized, and the center console was reasonably sized, but the phone-storage cubby was too small for an average-size phone, and there was no wireless charging. A power-adjustable driver's seat was not standard and required upgrading to the Premium trim. The large knobs for audio volume, tuning, and climate control were appreciated, but the number of buttons and switches on the steering wheel caused some confusion.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator featured the Sync 3 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen. Unlike the Ford Explorer's portrait layout, the Aviator's screen used a landscape layout, providing a better interface for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Aviator also had a fully digital instrument panel and a massive head-up display, which provided a lot of information in a minimalist and unobtrusive manner.

The 2021 Subaru Forester came with the Subaru Starlink infotainment system, featuring a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, front-row USB ports, and a CD player. Sport models added an 8-inch touchscreen and Harman Kardon audio system, while Limited and Touring models included navigation and dual USB ports in the rear center console. The Forester's infotainment system was easy to use, with well-designed graphics and backup analog controls. However, the screen was slow to boot up. The Forester also had a secondary screen in the center of the dashboard and a small screen in the instrument cluster, displaying secondary information like fuel economy and tire pressure. The setup seemed overly complex, with much of the same information displayed on both screens.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator came standard with a full array of front and side-impact airbags, traction control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. It also included Lincoln Co-Pilot360, a suite of driver-assistance systems with forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Other safety features included blind-spot monitoring and a head-up display.

The 2021 Subaru Forester excelled in safety, receiving the highest "Top Safety Pick+" award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Forester came standard with EyeSight, a group of driver-assist features enabled by a pair of cameras near the rearview mirror. EyeSight included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. The Forester also had steering-responsive headlights, automatic high beams, and a rear seatbelt reminder. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking.