2022 Land Rover Defender 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 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 unique piano button shifter. The various trims offered a range of features, from synthetic leather upholstery and tri-zone climate control in the Standard trim to massaging front seats and a 28-speaker Revel Ultima sound system in the Black Label Grand Touring trim.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender retained its distinctive boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare tire, and flat hood, reminiscent of the original Defender and classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these retro elements, the modern Defender featured rounded corners for better aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights. The interior combined rugged character with comfort, offering a mix of leather and suede upholstery, exposed screws, and metal trim. The Defender 90 V8 test car showcased a blend of luxury and practicality, making it suitable for both off-road adventures and everyday use.

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 version of the same engine, boosting output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid powertrain provided brisk acceleration and up to 21 miles of electric-only range. However, the Aviator's long wheelbase made it less maneuverable in tight spaces, and noticeable body roll was present in corners. The drive mode selector offered options like "Excite" and "Conserve," aligning with the Aviator's focus on comfort rather than performance.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with three powertrain options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, and a new 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 518 hp and 461 lb-ft. The V8 engine could propel the Defender 90 from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. V8 models also featured an electronic active rear differential, Dynamic drive mode, and unique suspension tuning for sportier handling. Despite its off-road capabilities, the Defender was comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimized noise from the 22-inch tires.

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 in the Grand Touring trim offered a digital control panel for seat, climate, and audio controls. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, with the Defender 90 model providing limited cargo space but impressive rear seat comfort. The four-door Defender 110 model offered more cargo space, with up to 70.4 cubic feet available in the three-row configuration. The interior emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard and a sizable center-console storage bin. Optional exterior cargo solutions included a basket-style roof rack and side-mounted cargo boxes.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the intuitive Sync 3 infotainment system, with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system's landscape layout and redundant controls made it user-friendly. The Aviator also offered a fully digital instrument panel and an optional head-up display with crisp graphics.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with a standard Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model. An 11.4-inch touchscreen was newly available for 2022. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, head-up display, and a surround-view camera system for off-roading.

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.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist features like lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control were optional. The IIHS and NHTSA had not published safety ratings for the Defender, which is common for luxury vehicles.