Compare the2025 Lincoln AviatorVS 2025 Chevrolet Traverse

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

Safety

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Both the Aviator and Traverse 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 Traverse’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 help 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 Traverse 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 Traverse 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 the Traverse have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Aviator is safer than the Traverse:

	Aviator	Traverse
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Compression L/R	22/22 pounds	472/270 pounds
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL

Warranty

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

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

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Traverse’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 Traverse 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 72 more horsepower (400 vs. 328) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 326) than the Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Lincoln Aviator is faster than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	Aviator	Traverse
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.3 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.2 sec	4.7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98 MPH	94 MPH

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 Traverse.

Brakes and Stopping

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

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

The Aviator stops shorter than the Traverse:

	Aviator	Traverse
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	145 feet	150 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 Traverse LT’s standard 65 series tires. The Aviator’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Traverse’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Traverse LT.

Suspension and Handling

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 Traverse’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 Traverse 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 Traverse doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Traverse (8.7 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Aviator’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Traverse Z71 (8.7 vs. 7.8 inches).

Chassis

The Aviator is 5.2 inches shorter than the Traverse, making the Aviator easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

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 Traverse doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

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

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Aviator is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Traverse. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Aviator offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, certain gauge, warning, turn signal and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Traverse doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Traverse’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Aviator the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Traverse can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

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 Traverse’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 Traverse 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 Traverse doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Lincoln Aviator has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Traverse RS/High Country.

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

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 Traverse.

The Lincoln Aviator has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the driver’s visor. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Traverse RS/High Country.

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