Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2022 BMW X7

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 BMW X7 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Aviator are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

Both the Aviator and X7 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 X7’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.

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 X7 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Aviator and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 X7 has not been tested, yet.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Aviator 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 2 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Aviator’s warranty.

The Lincoln Aviator’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the X7’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 X7 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 BMW 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, BMW is rated lower.

The Aviator has more powerful engines than the X7:

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator turbo V6 is faster than the X7 xDrive40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator running on electricity gets better mileage than the X7:

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the X7:

The Aviator Grand Touring can travel with zero emissions for 21 miles. The X7 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Aviator uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Aviator has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 BMW X7 (3). This means the Aviator produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X7 every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Aviator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X7.

The Aviator stops much shorter than the X7:

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the X7 xDrive40i pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the X7 xDrive40i (26.5 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Aviator’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the X7’s (39.2 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

The Lincoln Aviator may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 650 pounds less than the BMW X7.

The Aviator is 4 inches shorter than the X7, making the Aviator easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 X7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Aviator has 3.2 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row headroom and 6.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

The Aviator’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

The Aviator’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

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 X7 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

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 X7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Aviator has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 X7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lincoln Aviator Reserve/Grand Touring/Black Label has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The X7 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Aviator has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Aviator is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Lincoln Aviator outsold the BMW X7 by 12% during 2020.