2021 Lincoln Aviator vs 2021 Nissan Armada

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator stood out with its unique styling, avoiding the temptation to mimic its rivals. It carried over the sharp design language from the Navigator, featuring crisp lines and chrome accents that enhanced its luxurious appearance. Inside, the Aviator differentiated itself from its Ford counterpart with a cabin defined by comfort and warmth, featuring soft-touch materials and a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The piano button shifter and soothing chimes added to the air of class and luxury.

In contrast, the 2021 Nissan Armada underwent a significant facelift, aligning its exterior with Nissan's new signature design. The redesigned grille, fenders, bumpers, and LED lights modernized its look while retaining its traditional beefy and athletic styling. The interior, however, remained somewhat dated despite tech upgrades. The Prima-Tex, leather, and quilted leather seating materials were comfortable, but other design choices made the SUV appear past its prime.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine in its Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. 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. The hybrid powertrain provided brisk acceleration and a smooth power delivery, though the Aviator's heft resulted in noticeable body roll in corners. The drive mode selector included unique modes like "Excite" and "Conserve," suitable for highway and cul-de-sac driving but less composed in city environments.

The 2021 Nissan Armada came equipped with a 5.6-liter V8 engine, delivering 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque with premium fuel. Paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the Armada offered rear-wheel drive as standard and optional four-wheel drive. Despite its weight, the Armada was a capable off-roader with a skid plate, double-wishbone suspension, and up to 9.2 inches of ground clearance. However, its fuel economy was low, with RWD models getting 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway. The Armada's handling improved over previous models, but its large turning radius made maneuvering in tight spaces challenging.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator provided 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 down. The second row, especially with captain's chairs, offered ample comfort and control options. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2021 Nissan Armada, as a full-size SUV, offered 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 49.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and 95.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. The high load floor made loading and unloading challenging for petite adults. The interior featured comfortable first- and second-row seats, with optional captain's chairs reducing seating capacity from eight to seven. Third-row seating was less comfortable for adults due to limited legroom. Small-item storage was limited, with the center console storage bin being the exception.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the intuitive Sync 3 infotainment system. The landscape layout of the screen made for a natural user experience, and the system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with large icons. The Aviator also had a fully digital instrument panel and an optional head-up display with crisp graphics.

The 2021 Nissan Armada boasted a class-leading 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, responsive and clear. Standard features included navigation, a six-speaker stereo, satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB ports, a WiFi hotspot, and wireless Apple CarPlay. Available upgrades included a 13-speaker Bose audio system, rearview camera mirror, and second-row entertainment system. The analog tachometer and speedometer, along with a functional but unattractive steering wheel, provided limited control of the infotainment system.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came well-equipped with standard driver assistance features as part of the Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 package, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. 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 Nissan Armada included Nissan Safety Shield 360, featuring automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning. Additional standard safety technologies included adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning. However, the Armada lacked advanced driving assist technologies like Nissan ProPilot Assist. The NHTSA gave the Armada a three-star rollover rating due to its 23.7-percent rollover risk.