Compare the2023 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2023 Lincoln Aviator

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Chevrolet Traverse’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lincoln Aviator doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Traverse are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Aviator doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Traverse has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Aviator doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Traverse and the Aviator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Traverse	Aviator
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	26.3%
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	230/210 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 Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Lincoln Aviator:

	Traverse	Aviator
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	161 lbs.	161 lbs.
Hip Force	204 lbs.	224 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	251	288
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	573 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Traverse’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Aviator’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 4 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Traverse’s reliability 46 points higher than the Aviator.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Lincoln is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 9 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Traverse
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy
Aviator
	RWD	3.0 turbo V6	18 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	17 city/24 hwy

Both the Traverse and the Aviator have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Traverses have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Aviator Grand Touring doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Traverse uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Aviator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Traverse FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Aviator Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Traverse AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Aviator’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 20.2 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

The Traverse stops shorter than the Aviator:

	Traverse	Aviator
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	124 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Chevrolet Traverse’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln Aviator only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Traverse has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Aviator doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Aviator (120.9 inches vs. 119.1 inches).

The Traverse RS AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Aviator AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Chevrolet Traverse may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Lincoln Aviator.

Passenger Space

The Traverse has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Aviator can only carry 7.

The Traverse has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row headroom, 4.3 inches more third row legroom, 7.6 inches more third row hip room and 3.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Aviator.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Traverse	Aviator
Behind Third Seat	23 cubic feet	18.3 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.8 cubic feet	41.8 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	98.2 cubic feet	77.7 cubic feet

Towing

The Traverse can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Traverse can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Aviator can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

Consumer Reports rated the Traverse’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Aviator’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

When the Traverse Premier/High Country is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Aviator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Traverse owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Traverse will cost $1725 to $8545 less than the Aviator over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Traverse will be $13409 to $28468 less than for the Lincoln Aviator.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Traverse, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Lincoln Aviator isn't recommended.

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the Lincoln Aviator by almost six to one during the 2021 model year.