2021 Toyota Venza vs 2021 Lincoln Aviator

The 2021 Toyota Venza was a sleek and stylish SUV that many critics noted bore a resemblance to a Lexus. Its design, from the grille to the elongated profile, blurred the lines between the Toyota and Lexus brands, evoking the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. The Venza was available in three trim levels—LE, XLE, and Limited—and offered a choice of seven paint colors. Standard features included dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior boasted a wireless charging pad, leather-trimmed steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Higher trims added more luxurious touches like a digital rearview mirror, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and the Star Gaze panoramic roof.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator, on the other hand, stood out with its unique styling that avoided emulating its rivals. It carried over the design language of the larger Navigator, featuring crisp lines and heavy use of chrome. 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 luxury feel. The Aviator was available in five trims: Standard, Reserve, Grand Touring, Black Label, and Black Label Grand Touring. Each trim level added more luxurious features, with the Grand Touring trim offering a plug-in hybrid powertrain and massaging front seats.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, delivering a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) provided smooth acceleration, though it was not particularly rapid. The Venza's handling was confident and typical of a Toyota, with a focus on fuel efficiency. It achieved an impressive EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered a more powerful performance with its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and available in rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label trims featured a plug-in hybrid configuration, increasing output to 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque, with up to 21 miles of pure electric range. The Aviator's drive mode selector offered options like "Excite" and "Conserve," enhancing its performance capabilities. However, its large size and long wheelbase made it less agile in tight spaces.

The 2021 Toyota Venza was known for its practicality, offering a unique cabin design with premium appointments. The center stack featured piano black capacitive buttons for climate and infotainment controls, and the deep center console included resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, and a wireless charging pad. The Venza provided ample space for passengers, with comfortable seating for five and a maximum cargo capacity of 55.1 cubic feet. While it had less cargo space than some competitors, it was sufficient for daily driving needs.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator excelled in interior space and functionality, offering 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 with captain's chairs, provided a luxurious experience with a digital control panel for seat, climate, and audio controls. The Aviator's power-button door releases were a unique feature, though they raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system on the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune infotainment system, though not the best in the industry, offered Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Venza Limited also came with a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota connected services included Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Service Connect, providing various levels of vehicle data and roadside assistance.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came standard with 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 included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with large, easy-to-use icons. The Aviator also featured a fully digital instrument panel and an optional head-up display (HUD) with crisp graphics. The combination of these features made the Aviator's technology offerings user-friendly and visually appealing.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Additional safety features included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Venza's safety features were effective and not overly intrusive.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator was well-equipped with standard safety features as part of the 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including a Top Safety Pick accolade.