2021 Hyundai Kona vs 2021 Lincoln Aviator

The 2021 Hyundai Kona was a funky small SUV that blended mild and wild styling. Its front grille was flanked by lighting features, with additional lights above and fog lights beneath on some trims. This busy look leaned more toward playful than business, appealing to younger buyers. The rear design was more subdued, featuring a standard crossover shape and lighting configuration. Inside, the Kona maintained a fun attitude without being too whimsical. The seats had neat patterns and standard cloth upholstery, with higher trims offering leather upgrades. The interior was well-organized, featuring a high-mounted infotainment touchscreen and physical climate controls, making the layout simple and intuitive.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator, carrying over from its 2020 model, nailed its styling with crisp lines and heavy use of chrome, making it a sharp-looking car. Inside, it differentiated itself from its Ford counterpart with comfort and warmth, featuring soft-touch materials and a 10.1-inch touchscreen dominating the dash. The piano button shifter in the middle of the dash was laid out sensibly, contributing to the air of class and luxury. The Aviator's trims ranged from Standard to Black Label Grand Touring, each adding more luxurious features like upgraded leather upholstery, four-zone climate control, and a 28-speaker Revel Ultima sound system. The Grand Touring trim, which we drove, included adaptive headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, and massaging Multi-Contour Seats.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona offered two powertrain options. The base model had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The optional turbocharged 1.6-liter engine delivered 195 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $1,400. While neither engine was particularly powerful, both provided ample power for city and highway driving. The Kona handled with confidence, feeling agile and fun to drive, though the dual-clutch transmission was less graceful at low speeds. Fuel economy varied, with the base engine and FWD returning 27/33/30 mpg city/highway/combined, and the turbo engine with AWD delivering 26/29/27 mpg.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator's Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims came with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and available in RWD or AWD. The Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label trims featured a plug-in hybrid configuration, boosting output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, with a 21-mile electric-only range. The hybrid powertrain provided brisk acceleration, though the Aviator's heft resulted in noticeable body roll in corners. The drive mode selector offered modes like "Excite" and "Conserve," enhancing the driving experience. The Aviator excelled on highways but struggled in tight city spaces.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona provided decent headroom and legroom for front-seat passengers, with all controls within easy reach. The front seats were wide and well-padded but lacked support for spirited driving. Back-seat passengers had good headroom but limited legroom, and large rear-facing car seats could be problematic for taller front passengers. The Kona's cargo space was limited, only beating out the Mazda CX-3 in its segment. However, small-item storage spaces were generous and conveniently located.

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 77.7 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The second row, especially in the Grand Touring trim, featured captain's chairs, a center console, and a digital control panel for seat, climate, and audio controls. The power-button door releases were a potential functional issue, as they could be problematic if the battery died.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona came equipped with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, Bluetooth, six speakers, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and USB inputs. Available tech included SiriusXM radio, navigation, wireless device charging, a Harman Kardon audio system, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. The infotainment system was simple, colorful, and responsive, making it easy to navigate and use.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the intuitive Sync 3 infotainment system. The landscape format of the screen made for a natural layout, and the system was easy to use with sensible menu layouts and redundant controls. The Aviator came standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, presented well on the screen. The fully digital instrument panel and optional head-up display provided large, crisp graphics and multiple muted colors for easy viewing.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a driver attention warning system, and rear occupant alert. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a head-up display, and parking sensors.

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.