Compare the2025 Lincoln AviatorVS 2024 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

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 Buick Enclave 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 Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

Both the Aviator and Enclave 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 Enclave’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 Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Enclave 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 Enclave have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Aviator has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Enclave’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert 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 Enclave doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Aviator and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 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 Buick Enclave:

	Aviator	Enclave
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	216
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	198 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	77 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	318	333
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.2%	35.2%

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 Buick Enclave:

	Aviator	Enclave
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	65	69
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	161 lbs.	161 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	134
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	604 lbs.	716 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the Enclave:

	Aviator	Enclave
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	86	141
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	446 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.91 in	1.3 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	982 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	168	189
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.98 in	1.02 in
Torso Deflection Rate	9 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	825 lbs.	848 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

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

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

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Enclave’s engine uses 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 Enclave 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’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 90 more horsepower (400 vs. 310) and 149 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 266) than the Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator is faster than the Buick Enclave:

	Aviator	Enclave
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.7 MPH	84.5 MPH

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Aviator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Enclave.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Aviator’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Enclave:

	Aviator	Enclave
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The Aviator stops much shorter than the Enclave:

	Aviator	Enclave
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Enclave (275/40R22 vs. 255/65R18).

The Aviator’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Enclave’s standard 65 series tires. The Aviator’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Enclave’s optional 55 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

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 Enclave doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Aviator’s 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 Enclave doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Aviator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Enclave’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Aviator more stable handling and braking.

The Aviator AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Enclave Avenir pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Enclave Avenir (27.1 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8.7 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Aviator is 5.5 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Aviator easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has 1.8 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear hip room than the Enclave.

Cargo Capacity

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

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

Towing

The Aviator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard 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 Enclave doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Aviator is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Enclave. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Aviator’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

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 Enclave’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Aviator has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Enclave doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Aviator also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Aviator to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Enclave doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Aviator has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Enclave doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Aviator (except Premiere)’s optional Active Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Enclave doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Aviator will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Aviator will retain 50.49% to 57.9% of its original price after five years, while the Enclave only retains 48.75% to 49.82%.

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