2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2021 Lincoln Aviator

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator stood out by not mimicking its competitors' styles. Instead, it adopted the successful design language of the larger Navigator, resulting in a sharp-looking vehicle with crisp lines and tasteful chrome accents. Inside, the Aviator differentiated itself from its Ford counterpart with a luxurious cabin featuring soft-touch materials, chrome accents, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The piano button shifter and soothing chimes added to the Aviator's air of class and luxury.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, in its second generation since 2014, received a significant refresh in 2018, which carried over to 2021. This refresh included a dual-screen center console that became a hallmark of Land Rover interiors. The Range Rover Sport offered a variety of trims, each with its own set of luxurious features, from leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control in the base SE trim to the high-end Autobiography and performance-oriented SVR models. The interior was spacious and well-appointed, with optional third-row seating available.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine in the Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. This power was managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission, with options for rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label trims featured a plug-in hybrid version of the same engine, boosting output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid could travel up to 21 miles on electric power alone. The Aviator's drive mode selector offered modes like "Excite" and "Conserve," making it well-suited for highways and suburban driving, though it struggled in tight city spaces.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a range of powertrains. The base P360 mild-hybrid powertrain combined a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt electrical system, producing 355 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque. The HST model featured a more potent P400 version, rated at 395 hp and 406 lb-ft. The HSE Silver Edition offered plug-in hybrid and diesel options, with the P400e plug-in hybrid delivering 398 hp and 472 lb-ft, and the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 making 254 hp and 443 lb-ft. The HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trims boasted a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 518 hp and 461 lb-ft, while the SVR and SVR Carbon Edition upped the ante with 575 hp and 516 lb-ft. All models featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive (4WD), with height-adjustable air suspension and a Terrain Response system for various driving conditions.

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 in the Grand Touring model with captain's chairs and a digital control panel, provided ample space and comfort. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row in use, expandable to 63.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. An optional third row increased seating capacity to seven but reduced cargo space to 10.8 cubic feet. The first and second rows offered generous headroom and legroom, while the third row was best suited for children.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the intuitive Sync 3 infotainment system, with a landscape layout that felt natural. The system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, presented 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 Land Rover Range Rover Sport's interior was dominated by a dual-screen center console. The lower screen controlled climate and vehicle settings, while the upper screen handled infotainment. The system had a learning curve and some bugs in earlier models, but the dual dials on the lower screen were versatile. The upper screen featured reasonably sized icons for easy navigation between menus and smartphone integration.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came well-equipped with standard safety features, 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 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and front-and-rear parking sensors. However, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were optional. Additional available features included a surround-view parking camera, traffic sign recognition, driver drowsiness monitoring, and parallel and perpendicular park assist.