2021 Lincoln Aviator vs 2022 Buick Enclave

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 chrome accents. Inside, the Aviator differentiated itself from its Ford counterpart with a luxurious cabin featuring soft-touch materials, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and a piano button shifter. The soothing chimes and massaging front seats added to the air of class and comfort.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, on the other hand, embraced a more conservative design approach, reflecting its traditional customer base. However, recent updates moved the Enclave upmarket, with a new grille, headlamps, and wheel designs. Inside, the Enclave featured a restyled center console with push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim level offered climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching, enhancing the overall comfort and appeal.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. 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 ride, although the Aviator's heft resulted in noticeable body roll in corners. The drive mode selector offered options like "Excite" and "Conserve," making the Aviator well-suited for highways and cul-de-sacs.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came with a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Enclave's AWD-equipped test vehicle handled various terrains admirably, thanks to the premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The Enclave's powertrain was responsive, providing good off-the-line acceleration despite its weight. The nine-speed automatic transmission performed seamlessly, and the engine produced pleasant sounds at wide-open throttle.

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 folded. The second-row captain's chairs and digital control panel for seat, climate, and audio controls made the second row the place to be. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered easy ingress and egress, with excellent visibility and comfortable seating. The Enclave's spacious cabin accommodated passengers in all three rows, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room. The restyled center console featured push-button transmission gears, and the Enclave provided 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. The power-folding third-row seats added convenience.

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

The 2022 Buick Enclave came with a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, upgraded to an 8-inch reconfigurable version on higher trims. The Essence trim featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. The Premium and Avenir trims added navigation and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. The Enclave also offered a WiFi hotspot, multiple USB ports, and advanced safety features like adaptive cruise control and a head-up display.

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 2022 Buick Enclave made significant updates to its safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package now standard on all trims. This included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, and more. The Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera. The Enclave received a four-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests, with an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.