Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2023 GMC Yukon

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
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 Yukon doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Aviator and Yukon 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 Yukon’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 Yukon doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Yukon 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.

The Aviator has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Yukon’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Aviator has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Yukon.

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 Yukon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Aviator uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Yukon uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Aviator and the Yukon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, rearview cameras, 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 Yukon:

	Aviator	Yukon
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	146
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	51 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.2%	47%
Neck Stress	187 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	380/405 lbs.	333/811 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 Yukon:

	Aviator	Yukon
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	573 lbs.	764 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Aviator is 6.1% to 7.2% less likely to roll over than the Yukon.

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 Yukon has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The Aviator comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Yukon’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 Yukon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Yukon ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

Reliability

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

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Aviator have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon.

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 Yukon 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 45 more horsepower (400 vs. 355) and 32 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 383) than the Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8. The Aviator Grand Touring’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 74 more horsepower (494 vs. 420) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (630 vs. 460) than the Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator turbo V6 is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

	Aviator	Yukon
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	7.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.7 MPH	90.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
Aviator
	AWD	Grand Touring Electric Motor	54 city/58 hwy
Yukon
			MPG
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	21 city/27 hwy
		5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	20 city/26 hwy
		5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Yukon:

			MPG
Aviator
	RWD	3.0 turbo V6	18 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	17 city/24 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	22 city/25 hwy
Yukon
	RWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	20 city/26 hwy
		5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

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

Regenerative brakes improve the Aviator Grand Touring’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Yukon doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Aviator higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the GMC Yukon (3 to 6). This means the Aviator produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Yukon every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Aviator stops much shorter than the Yukon:

	Aviator	Yukon
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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 Yukon SLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Aviator’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Yukon’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Yukon SLE.

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Yukon AT4 4x4 pulls only .66 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 4.1 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 4x4 (26.5 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Lincoln Aviator may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 750 pounds less than the GMC Yukon.

The Aviator is 10.7 inches shorter than the Yukon, making the Aviator easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Aviator is 7.3 inches shorter in height than the Yukon, making the Aviator much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Aviator’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Yukon uses body-on-frame design instead.

The Aviator (except Standard) offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Yukon doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Ergonomics

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

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 Yukon can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Aviator’s exterior PIN entry system. The Yukon doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 Yukon doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Aviator to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Yukon doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 Yukon doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

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