2023 Toyota Sienna vs 2023 Lincoln Aviator

The 2023 Lincoln Aviator aimed squarely at the luxury market with its striking, modern design. Its distinctive front end, especially in the Black Label Grand Touring trim, made it arguably the most successful execution in Lincoln’s SUV lineup. Available with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, the Aviator's performance aura was evident. The Grand Touring variants added a 13.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack to boost efficiency, making the hybrid model particularly appealing to those seeking eco-friendly luxury.

The Aviator's cabin was undeniably plush, featuring high-end materials like patterned metal trim, gloss black surfaces, chrome accents, and caramel-hued perforated leather seats. While the interior was luxurious, some styling choices, such as the chrome detailing and stitching, might have felt overdone. Nevertheless, the cabin was swanky and comfortable, boasting features such as welcome and ambient cabin lighting, four-zone automatic climate control, and soft-close doors.

In stark contrast, the 2023 Toyota Sienna presented a different sort of appeal, shedding the traditional minivan image with a design that mimicked a Japanese bullet train. Toyota went to great lengths to make the Sienna appealing, equipping its front-wheel-drive XSE and Platinum trims with 20-inch wheels to enhance its sporty silhouette. Inside, the Platinum trim dazzled with high-quality, brown leather upholstery and wood-grain accents on the center console.

The Sienna exuded practical elegance, offering various trims from the base LE to the top-of-the-line Platinum. Its spacious interior was designed for families, featuring power sliding doors and a power liftgate as standard in higher trims, making it a practical and stylish family vehicle.

The 2023 Lincoln Aviator Black Label Grand Touring was a plug-in hybrid that didn't sacrifice performance for efficiency. Despite its added weight of over 800 pounds due to the electric motor and battery, it delivered an impressive 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. The EPA estimated an electric driving range of 21 miles, and the hybrid mode averaged 23 mpg. With driving modes like Pure EV, Preserve EV, Conserve, Normal, and Excite, the Aviator catered to various driving conditions while ensuring maximum efficiency.

The Aviator’s performance was robust, albeit sometimes inconsistent. The regenerative braking system required careful handling to ensure smooth stops, and the drive was characterized by a quiet, isolating ride. However, its heavy and numb steering detracted from the fun-to-drive factor, despite the commendable handling traits of the standard Dynamic Handling Package.

Conversely, the 2023 Toyota Sienna came equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two front-mounted electric motors, and an additional rear-mounted motor for AWD versions. This combination resulted in a net system horsepower of 245. While this might have seemed lackluster compared to the competition, particularly in terms of acceleration, the Sienna excelled in chassis and steering performance. Despite its large size, the Sienna was nimble and offered a genuinely fun driving experience with light steering perfectly suited for city driving. Various drive modes such as EV, Normal, Eco, and Sport allowed drivers to tailor their driving experience, but Normal mode was often preferred for its balanced performance.

The 2023 Lincoln Aviator prioritized passenger comfort with features like a four-zone automatic climate control system, heated and ventilated seats, and massaging front seats with 30-way adjustability. However, its third-row seating was notably cramped, suitable more for children than adults. With the third-row seats in use, the Aviator offered 18.3 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 41.8 cubic feet with the seats folded flat and up to 77.7 cubic feet in total.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna, being a minivan, capitalized on its design to maximize interior space. Its over 200-inch length and 120.5-inch wheelbase translated to abundant room, especially behind the third row. The Sienna boasted 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in use, which expanded to 75.2 cubic feet with the third row folded. Total cargo space amounted to 101 cubic feet. Although this was less than some competitors due to the fixed second-row seats, the Sienna still offered ample storage and an incredibly spacious interior, making it an ideal choice for families who needed both passenger and cargo capacity.

Lincoln packed the 2023 Aviator Black Label Grand Touring with a comprehensive suite of technologies. The centerpiece was a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Alexa integration, and Lincoln Connect services. However, it ran on the outdated Sync 3 software, which managed to frustrate with its unreliable voice recognition system. Despite innovative features like the talk button embedded in the steering wheel, utilizing the voice prompts often led to inaccurate results. On a brighter note, the 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D audio system provided an exceptional listening experience.

For easier smartphone integration, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto was recommended, thanks to the car's excellent Phone As A Key digital key system. Digital instrumentation, a comprehensive head-up display, and effective parking aids rounded out the tech offerings, despite a somewhat clunky user experience.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna’s technology features were less bleeding-edge but functional. While it lacked the flair of Toyota's newest interfaces, it provided all core features, including SiriusXM, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (albeit requiring wired connections), and a 9-inch touchscreen. Though the interface was dated and a bit clunky, it featured physical buttons, which many users found convenient. The 12-speaker JBL audio system delivered a satisfactory auditory experience, too.

Safety in the 2023 Lincoln Aviator was addressed with the Co-Pilot360 collections of driver aids. The fully-loaded test vehicle included features such as adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure and lane-keeping systems, as well as evasive steering assist. Despite some overly complicated steering wheel controls, the safety technologies typically performed well, even if not perfectly reliable in dense traffic or curves. While the Aviator Grand Touring hadn't been crash-tested by IIHS or NHTSA at the time, the standard Aviator earned a Top Safety Pick from IIHS and a five-star rating from NHTSA.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna excelled in standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with steering assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. These systems ensured a safe driving experience, especially critical for a family vehicle. The Sienna received a five-star rating from NHTSA and the 2022 model, mechanically identical, earned a Top Safety Pick+ designation from IIHS. While not filled with gimmicky features, the Sienna focused on reliable, essential safety systems.