Compare the2024 Lincoln AviatorVS 2023 BMW X5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
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 BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Aviator are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Aviator and X5 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 X5’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.

Both the Aviator and X5 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 X5’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Aviator and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 BMW X5:

	Aviator	X5
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	125	209
Neck Injury Risk	26.3%	34%
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	308 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	112 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/210 lbs.	636/584 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	318	342
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.2%	35%
Neck Stress	187 lbs.	220 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	380/405 lbs.	527/418 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 Lincoln Aviator is safer than the BMW X5:

	Aviator	X5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	65	72
Hip Force	224 lbs.	279 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	288	308
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	573 lbs.	796 lbs.

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

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Aviator 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the X5’s engines use 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 X5 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 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than BMW 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, BMW is rated lower.

Engine

The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 65 more horsepower (400 vs. 335) and 84 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 331) than the X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator AWD gets better fuel mileage than the X5 M50i (17 city/24 hwy vs. 16 city/22 hwy).

Both the Aviator and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Aviators have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Aviator uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X5 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 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 X5 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 X5.

Brakes and Stopping

The Aviator stops shorter than the X5:

	Aviator	X5
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The X5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the X5 (119.1 inches vs. 117.1 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Aviator’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the X5’s (39.2 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Aviator (except Premiere) offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has .8 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

Cargo Capacity

The Aviator’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

	Aviator	X5
Third Seat Folded	41.8 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	33.9 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	77.7 cubic feet	72.3 cubic feet

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 X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Towing

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Aviator uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

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 X5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Aviator has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 X5 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Aviator has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.