Compare the2025 Lincoln AviatorVS 2024 Lexus TX

Both the Aviator and TX 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 TX’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 TX doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Aviator has standard Cross-Traffic Alert with Rear Cross Traffic Braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the TX Premium/Luxury offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the Aviator and the TX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, 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 and available all wheel drive.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the TX:

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

The Lincoln Aviator’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the TX’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 TX doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 125 more horsepower (400 vs. 275) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 317) than the TX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 34 more horsepower (400 vs. 366) and 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 406) than the TX 500h’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator is faster than the Lexus TX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Aviator uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The TX requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Aviator has 5.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the TX 550h+’s standard fuel tank (20.2 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Aviator has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the TX 350’s standard fuel tank (20.2 vs. 17.8 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 TX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 TX.

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

The Aviator stops shorter than the TX:

For better traction, the Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the TX (275/40R22 vs. 255/55R20).

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 TX’s optional 45 series tires.

The Aviator has a standard 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 TX’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 TX 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 TX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the TX (119.1 inches vs. 116.1 inches).

The Aviator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the TX’s (53.1% to 46.9%). This gives the Aviator more stable handling and braking.

The Aviator AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the TX 350 Luxury 4dr Sport Utility (27.1 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a greater minimum ground clearance than the TX 550h+ Luxury 4dr Sport Utility (8.7 vs. 7.7 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Aviator’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the TX 500h F Sport Performance Premium 4dr Sport Utility (8.7 vs. 8 inches).

The Aviator is 3.8 inches shorter than the TX, making the Aviator easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Aviator uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The TX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Aviator has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the TX.

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

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 TX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The TX Luxury/F Sport’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Aviator’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Aviator 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 TX.

The Aviator (except Premiere) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the TX.

The Lincoln Aviator outsold the Lexus TX by 90% during 2023.