Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2023 Lexus GX

Both the Aviator and GX 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 GX’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 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 GX 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 GX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 GX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Aviator and the GX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 164 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GX has not been tested, yet.

There are almost 3 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Lexus 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 GX’s engine uses 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 GX doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The Aviator’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 99 more horsepower (400 vs. 301) and 86 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 329) than the GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8. The Aviator Grand Touring’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 193 more horsepower (494 vs. 301) and 301 lbs.-ft. more torque (630 vs. 329) than the GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator turbo V6 is faster than the Lexus GX:

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator Grand Touring running on electricity gets better mileage than the GX (54 city/58 hwy MPGe vs. 15 city/19 hwy).

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

The Aviator Grand Touring can travel with zero emissions for 21 miles. The GX 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 GX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Aviator’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available Grand Touring). The GX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Aviator uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GX 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 GX 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 Lexus GX (3). This means the Aviator produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GX 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 a six-speed automatic is available for the GX.

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

For better traction, the Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GX (275/40R22 vs. 265/60R18).

The Aviator’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GX’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the GX. The Aviator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the GX.

For superior ride and handling, the Lincoln Aviator has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus GX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 9.3 inches longer than on the GX (119.1 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 4.5 inches wider in the front and 4.5 inches wider in the rear than on the GX.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the GX pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the GX (26.5 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Aviator’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the GX’s (39.2 feet vs. 41.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GX (8.7 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lincoln Aviator may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 400 pounds less than the Lexus GX.

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 GX uses body-on-frame design instead.

The front grille of the Aviator uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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 GX doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Aviator has 15 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GX (144.7 vs. 129.7).

The Aviator has 3.5 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 4.9 inches more rear legroom, 3.1 inches more rear hip room, 4 inches more rear shoulder room and 1.7 inches more third row headroom than the GX.

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

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Aviator’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The GX doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

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 GX’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Aviator has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Aviator Reserve/Grand Touring/Black Label, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The GX doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

The Aviator (except Standard) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, certain gauge, warning, turn signal and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GX doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Aviator’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The GX’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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 GX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 GX’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Aviator’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The GX’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

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 GX 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 GX.

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 GX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 GX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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