Compare the2024 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2024 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 4Runner 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.

The 4Runner has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Aviator doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the 4Runner and the Aviator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available four-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, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Lincoln Aviator:

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

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota 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.

There are over 80 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

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 4Runner’s reliability 52 points higher than the Aviator.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among upper midsize suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Aviator isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Lincoln.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Lincoln is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Lincoln is ranked 23rd.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Aviator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Aviator (23 vs. 20.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The 4Runner stops shorter than the Aviator:

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln Aviator only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Aviator; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Aviator doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Aviator’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Aviator (9.6 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota 4Runner may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 350 pounds less than the Lincoln Aviator.

The 4Runner is 9.1 inches shorter than the Aviator, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 4Runner has .1 inches more third row legroom, 2.4 inches more third row hip room and 3.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Aviator.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Aviator.

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Aviator doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Aviator’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

A Trailer Sway Control (TSC) is standard on the 4Runner, using the Vehicle 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.

Consumer Reports rated the 4Runner’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Aviator’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Aviator has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Lincoln Aviator by almost 8 to one during 2023.