Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2023 Dodge Durango

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
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 Dodge Durango doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Aviator and Durango 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 Durango’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 Durango 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 Durango 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 optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Durango doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Aviator’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Durango doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Aviator’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango and is not available with SXT.

The Aviator Reserve/Grand Touring/Black Label has a standard 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Aviator and Durango have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Aviator has Cross-Traffic Alert with Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Durango’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

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 Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Aviator and the Durango 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 Dodge Durango:

	Aviator	Durango
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26.3%	34%
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	236 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/210 lbs.	339/364 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the Durango:

	Aviator	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	97	119
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	23 cm	26 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	1.9/1.8 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.6/.64	1.53/.59

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 Dodge Durango:

	Aviator	Durango
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Hip Force	224 lbs.	236 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	573 lbs.	714 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 4.7% to 6.5% less likely to roll over than the Durango.

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 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Durango is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

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

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Durango’s 3.6 DOHC V6 engine uses 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 the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

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 Durango doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

Engine

The Aviator has more powerful engines than the Durango:

	Horsepower	Torque
Aviator 3.0 turbo V6	400 HP	415 lbs.-ft.
Aviator Grand Touring 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid	494 HP	630 lbs.-ft.
Durango 3.6 DOHC V6	293 HP	260 lbs.-ft.
Durango 3.6 DOHC V6	295 HP	260 lbs.-ft.
Durango 5.7 V8	360 HP	390 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator turbo V6 is faster than the Dodge Durango:

	Aviator	Durango V6	Durango V8
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	8 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	16.1 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.7 MPH	86.9 MPH	93.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
Aviator
	AWD	Grand Touring Electric Motor	54 city/58 hwy
Durango
			MPG
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

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

			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
Durango
	RWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

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

Regardless of its engine, the Aviator’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. 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). Dodge only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Durango V6.

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 Durango doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

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 Durango.

Brakes and Stopping

The Aviator stops shorter than the Durango:

	Aviator	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	145 feet	160 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 Durango R/T’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Durango SXT. The Aviator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Durango.

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Aviator flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 3 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Durango GT 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Durango GT 4x4 (26.5 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Aviator’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Durango’s (39.2 feet vs. 41 feet).

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

Chassis

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 Durango 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 Durango doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has 3.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango (144.7 vs. 141.4).

The Aviator has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom, 2.8 inches more rear hip room, 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room and 3.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Aviator	Durango
Behind Third Seat	18.3 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Aviator Reserve/Grand Touring/Black Label’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 Durango, and is not available on all models.

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 Durango 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 Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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 Durango’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Durango 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 Durango’s standard 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 Durango’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 Durango 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 Durango 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 Durango 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 Durango.

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 Durango 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 Durango doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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