Compare the2024 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2023 Lincoln Aviator

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 Atlas 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.

Both the Atlas and the Aviator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the Lincoln Aviator:

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Atlas its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 50 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Aviator was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

The Atlas’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Aviator’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Aviator.

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 Atlas’ reliability 38 points higher than the Aviator.

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

Both the Atlas and the Aviator have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Atlas’s 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 Volkswagen Atlas uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Aviator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Aviator. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The Atlas stops shorter than the Aviator:

The Atlas’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Aviator doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the Aviator AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Volkswagen Atlas may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1000 pounds less than the Lincoln Aviator.

The Atlas has 9.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Aviator (154 vs. 144.7).

The Atlas has .7 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear hip room, 1.4 inches more third row headroom, 4.5 inches more third row legroom, 4.2 inches more third row hip room and .9 inches more third row shoulder room than the Aviator.

The Atlas’ cargo area provides more volume than the Aviator.

trailer stability control is standard on the Atlas, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Aviator.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Aviator doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

When the Atlas SEL is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Aviator’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Atlas has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Aviator.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Aviator Reserve/Grand Touring/Black Label offers wireless charging.

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

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Lincoln Aviator by almost four to one during 2022.