Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2023 GMC Acadia

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Aviator have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Acadia doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Aviator and Acadia have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Aviator has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Acadia’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Lincoln Aviator has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Acadia doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Aviator has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Acadia doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Aviator (except Standard) offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Acadia doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Aviator’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Acadia doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Aviator and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	Aviator	Acadia
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	285
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	191 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	29 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/210 lbs.	129/383 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	318	319
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.2%	43%
Neck Stress	187 lbs.	203 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	Aviator	Acadia
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	65	125
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	224 lbs.	243 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	276
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	604 lbs.	799 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	288	381
Hip Force	573 lbs.	760 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Aviator the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 155 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Aviator comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Acadia’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Aviator 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Acadia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Acadia ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Aviator’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Acadia’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Aviator has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Acadia doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in long-term dependability. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

Engine

The Aviator’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 172 more horsepower (400 vs. 228) and 157 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 258) than the Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 90 more horsepower (400 vs. 310) and 144 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6. The Aviator Grand Touring’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 184 more horsepower (494 vs. 310) and 359 lbs.-ft. more torque (630 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator running on electricity gets better mileage than the Acadia:

			MPGe
Aviator
	AWD	Grand Touring Electric Motor	54 city/58 hwy
Acadia
			MPG
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator Grand Touring running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Acadia 3.6 DOHC V6 AWD (22 city/25 hwy vs. 19 city/26 hwy).

The Aviator Grand Touring can travel with zero emissions for 21 miles. The Acadia can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Aviator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Acadia.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Aviator’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Acadia:

	Aviator	Acadia
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The Aviator stops shorter than the Acadia:

	Aviator	Acadia
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Aviator has larger standard tires than the Acadia (255/60R19 vs. 235/65R18). The Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Acadia (275/40R22 vs. 255/65R17).

The Aviator’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Acadia SLE/SLT’s standard 65 series tires. The Aviator’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Acadia’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Acadia AT4. The Aviator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Acadia.

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Aviator’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Acadia doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 6.6 inches longer than on the Acadia (119.1 inches vs. 112.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Acadia.

The Aviator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Acadia’s (56.5% to 43.5%). This gives the Aviator more stable handling and braking.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Acadia SLT AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Acadia SLT AWD (26.5 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia (8.7 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 5 inches more rear hip room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Acadia.

Cargo Capacity

The Aviator’s cargo area provides more volume than the Acadia.

	Aviator	Acadia
Behind Third Seat	18.3 cubic feet	12.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	41.8 cubic feet	41.7 cubic feet

Both the Aviator and the Acadia have standard second row automatic folding seats. The Aviator’s third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a button. The Acadia doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Aviator. The Acadia doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Aviator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (5600 vs. 1000 pounds).

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Aviator uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Acadia doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Aviator is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Acadia. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Aviator’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Acadia, and is not available on all models.

The Aviator’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Acadia’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Aviator the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Acadia can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Aviator’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Acadia’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Aviator’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Aviator (except Standard) offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Acadia doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Aviator’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Acadia doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Aviator (except Standard) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Acadia.

The Aviator (except Standard)’s optional Active Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Acadia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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