Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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Both the Aviator and Outlander PHEV 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 Outlander PHEV’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 Outlander PHEV 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.

Both the Aviator and Outlander PHEV 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 Outlander PHEV’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Aviator and the Outlander PHEV 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 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander PHEV has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

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

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

Reliability

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 Outlander PHEV 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 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 59 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

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 Mitsubishi 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, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

Engine

The Aviator’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 152 more horsepower (400 vs. 248) and 83 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 332) than the Outlander PHEV’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Aviator Grand Touring’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 246 more horsepower (494 vs. 248) and 298 lbs.-ft. more torque (630 vs. 332) than the Outlander PHEV’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Aviator Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Outlander PHEV (18 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Aviator’s standard fuel tank has 5.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Outlander PHEV (20.2 vs. 14.8 gallons).

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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

The Aviator’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Outlander PHEV are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Aviator has larger standard tires than the Outlander PHEV (255/60R19 vs. 235/60R18). The Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outlander PHEV (275/40R22 vs. 255/45R20).

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 Outlander PHEV SE/SEL’s 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 Outlander PHEV. The Aviator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Outlander PHEV SE/SEL.

The Aviator has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Outlander PHEV; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Outlander PHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Aviator has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Aviator’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 12.6 inches longer than on the Outlander PHEV (119.1 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander PHEV.

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Outlander PHEV (8.7 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

For excellent aerodynamics, the Aviator has standard flush composite headlights. The Outlander PHEV has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has 19.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander PHEV (144.7 vs. 125.5).

The Aviator has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 4.6 inches more front hip room, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom, 5 inches more rear hip room, 5.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.8 inches more third row headroom, 10.1 inches more third row legroom and 2.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Outlander PHEV.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Aviator	Outlander PHEV
Behind Third Seat	18.3 cubic feet	11.7 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	41.8 cubic feet	33.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	77.7 cubic feet	64.7 cubic feet

Both the Aviator and the Outlander PHEV have standard second row automatic folding seats. The Aviator’s third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a button. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Aviator. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Aviator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outlander PHEV’s (5600 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Aviator uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outlander PHEV uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Aviator is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Outlander PHEV. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Aviator and the Outlander PHEV have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Aviator is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outlander PHEV prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Outlander PHEV’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

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 Outlander PHEV can only operate 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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mitsubishi Connect can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Aviator’s power window switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Outlander PHEV’s power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Outlander PHEV’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Aviator’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mitsubishi only offers heated mirrors on the Outlander PHEV SE/SEL.

The Aviator’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Outlander PHEV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

A built-in pollen filter removes pollen, exhaust fumes and other pollutants from the Aviator’s passenger compartment. This helps prevent lung and/or sinus irritation which can trigger allergies or asthma. The Outlander PHEV’s air conditioner doesn’t offer a filtration system.

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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

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