2022 Lincoln Aviator

The 2022 Aviator is a mid-cycle carry-over of the U611 generation (2020–2024 pre-refresh), so the volume Reserve trim keeps the standard 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 rated at 400 hp on premium fuel.

Peak torque of 415 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm from the standard twin-turbo V6, unchanged for 2022.

Instrumented tests of the 400-hp gas U611 cluster in the mid-5s for the volume Reserve trim, with the heavier, more fully equipped Black Label running about half a second slower.

The twin-turbo V6 delivers effortless, quiet mid-range thrust that reviewers consistently rate as one of the Aviator's strongest traits, with only mild off-the-line turbo lag keeping it out of the top band.

The 10-speed automatic shifts smoothly under light load and holds gears sensibly in Excite mode, but reviewers of this generation report occasional hesitation and gear-hunting at low speed — a mid-band result rather than a class benchmark.

Properly equipped with the Class IV trailer tow package, the 2022 gas Aviator is rated at 6,700 lbs — near the top of the mid-size luxury three-row field thanks to its rear-drive-based platform.

The Aviator is rear-drive as standard with AWD optional on every gas trim (and standard on the Grand Touring PHEV), paired with five drive modes including Slippery and Deep Conditions — broadly available and competent, but there is no low range or locking hardware.

A pavement-oriented luxury three-row: roughly 7–8 in of clearance, road-biased tires, no skid plates, no low range, no locking differential and no off-road trim; the Deep Conditions mode and the air suspension's 1.2 in low-speed lift are the only real provisions.

Two genuinely distinct powertrains for 2022 — the 400-hp twin-turbo V6 and the 494-hp/630-lb-ft plug-in hybrid Grand Touring — so an electrified option exists, but there is no third choice and no full EV.

EPA rates the volume gas Aviator AWD at 20 MPG combined — a 400-hp twin-turbo V6 in a 4,800-lb three-row is thirsty even by gas mid-size SUV standards.

EPA city rating of 17 MPG for the AWD gas model; auto stop-start is standard but there is no hybrid assist on this powertrain.

EPA highway rating of 24 MPG for the AWD gas model, helped by the 10-speed automatic's tall top gears.

Computed from the 20.2-gallon tank fitted to the Standard/Reserve/Black Label gas trims and the EPA combined rating; the modest tank keeps total range mid-pack despite the big fuel appetite.

EPA's published annual fuel cost for the 2022 Aviator AWD is $3,100 — roughly $4,500 more than an average new vehicle over five years by EPA's own comparison.

EPA certifies the Aviator on regular unleaded, so it can be run on 87 octane without harm — but Lincoln quotes the 400 hp / 415 lb-ft rating on premium, so owners wanting the advertised output pay the premium surcharge.

NHTSA awarded the 2022 Aviator a 5-star overall rating, with 5 stars in both frontal and side crash and 4 stars for rollover resistance — the top result available in the mid-size luxury SUV class.

Every IIHS crashworthiness test returns Good — driver- and passenger-side small overlap, moderate overlap, both the original and the updated side test, roof strength and head restraints — and the Aviator is a 2022 Top Safety Pick. It falls short of TSP+ only because the award is qualified to vehicles with the optional projector headlights.

Lincoln Co-Pilot360 is standard on every 2022 Aviator: AEB with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system and auto high beams. Adaptive cruise is the gap — Intelligent ACC with Stop-and-Go arrives only with the Co-Pilot360 1.5 Plus package, which is bundled into the Reserve equipment collections but is an extra on the base Standard trim.

IIHS rates the Aviator's front crash prevention Superior vehicle-to-vehicle for both the standard and optional systems, and Superior for daytime pedestrian detection with the standard system. There is no nighttime pedestrian result on record for this model year, which is what separates it from the top band.

Blind Spot Information System with rear cross-traffic warning is standard across the whole 2022 range, and trailer-aware coverage is offered — but it is alert-only at that level. Reverse Brake Assist, the active intervention piece, rides with the Co-Pilot360 1.5 Plus package rather than the base equipment.

The lane-keeping system is standard and true Lane Centering Assist comes with the Co-Pilot360 1.5 Plus package that Reserve collections carry. Reviewers describe the keeping and centering as working well without calling attention to itself — no ping-ponging complaints.

Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control offers full-speed-range Stop-and-Go paired with lane centering and speed sign recognition, and it is smooth in dense traffic — but it brakes aggressively at the shorter following-distance settings, and on the base Standard trim it is a package extra rather than fitted equipment.

No hands-free highway system was offered on the 2022 Aviator at any trim or price. Lincoln launched ActiveGlide for 2022 on the Navigator only; the Aviator did not get it that model year.

The Good-rated LED projector headlamps with curve-adaptive function are locked behind the Illumination / Reserve 2 / Grand Touring packages and Black Label. The LED reflector unit fitted to Standard, Reserve and Grand Touring in base form rates Marginal, with inadequate visibility on the right side of straightaways — and that is what a typical volume-trim Aviator leaves the lot with.

An upright greenhouse and a high seating position give decent forward and side sightlines, and the 360-degree camera standard from Reserve up covers close-quarters maneuvering. Thick rear pillars and third-row headrests still pinch the over-shoulder view, and a rearview-camera recall affecting 2020–2023 Aviators is a mark against the camera compensation being dependable.

Four complete LATCH sets across the second- and third-row outboard positions is generous for a three-row SUV, and the wide rear doors make installation easy. IIHS rates ease of use Acceptable rather than Good because the tether anchors can be mistaken for other hardware.

The 2022 Aviator is a three-row mid-size luxury SUV; the volume Reserve trim seats seven with the 35-30-35 second-row split bench, or six when optioned with second-row captain's chairs.

Lincoln publishes first-row headroom separately for cars with and without the panoramic Vista Roof; 41.5 in is the no-sunroof figure, which the item asks for.

Front legroom is generous for the mid-size luxury class and unchanged across the 2020–2024 generation; identical on every 2022 trim.

Second-row headroom is near the top of the SUV band; the panoramic Vista Roof standard on Reserve costs about 1.3 in.

The rear-drive longitudinal platform and 119.1-in wheelbase give the second row limousine-grade legroom; third-row legroom is a much tighter 29.2 in.

The power-folding third row has decent headroom (36.9 in) and a genuinely usable 18.3 cu ft of cargo behind it, but 29.2 in of legroom is short of the mainstream three-row benchmarks, making it a kids-and-teens bench with adults relegated to short trips.

With the third row folded the Aviator offers 41.8 cu ft — competitive for a mid-size luxury three-row but well short of the boxier full-size SUVs the band tops out against.

Maximum cargo volume with the second and third rows folded is mid-pack for a mid-size three-row SUV.

A deep console bin with wireless charging pad (Reserve and up), broad door pockets and a covered under-floor cargo well behind the third row cover everyday storage well, but there is no signature storage innovation of the giga-console variety.

The Aviator's Perfect Position front seats — up to 30-way adjustment with independent thigh extensions and Active Motion massage — are repeatedly singled out as among the best in the industry, and the second row can be heated and ventilated too.

The available Air Glide adaptive air suspension with road-scanning preview delivers a genuinely plush, bump-absorbing ride, but reviewers consistently note it turns bouncy over crests and at higher speeds, which keeps it out of the top band.

Acoustic glass and active noise control make the Aviator's cabin notably hushed at highway speed — Edmunds' 2022 test called it 'quiet and comfortable' — though the twin-turbo V6 makes itself heard under hard throttle.

The volume Reserve trim carries quad-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats and remote start via the Lincoln Way app; massage and 30-way seats come further up the range.

The entry Standard RWD opened at $51,465, or $52,560 with the $1,095 destination charge — a mid-pack floor for a three-row luxury SUV, and notably below a BMW X5 or Audi Q7 while including a 400-hp twin-turbo V6 the Germans charge extra for. Lincoln nudged 2022 prices upward part-way through the model year (increases of $5 to $1,085 depending on trim), so late-build cars carry slightly higher stickers.

Reserve is the volume trim — it brings the genuine leather, 10-speaker audio and the Reserve I/II/III equipment groups most Aviator buyers actually order — and lists at $57,355, or $58,450 with the $1,095 destination charge. Adding AWD ($2,530) and the popular Reserve packages pushes real transaction prices into the low-to-mid $60Ks.

CarEdge projects $3,966 in maintenance and repairs across the first five years, and RepairPal corroborates with $626/yr for the Aviator against a $879/yr Lincoln brand average — sharing the Explorer's platform, 3.0L twin-turbo V6 and 10-speed automatic keeps parts and dealer labor well below the German three-rows. The caveat is frequency rather than price: Consumer Reports had the Aviator among its least reliable vehicles through the 2020–2021 model years, so shop visits are more likely than the dollar figure alone suggests, and a 15,000-mi/yr owner falls out of the 4-yr/50,000-mi warranty partway through year four.

The 2022 car is the Aviator's best-retaining year: it won Kelley Blue Book's 2022 Best Resale Value award for Luxury Midsize 3-Row SUV, and the pandemic-era used market beat the projection — KBB currently shows a 2022 Reserve down $21,655 (39%) with a resale value near $32,700–$34,450, i.e. about 61% retained at four years. Extending one more year of normal decline puts five-year retention near 50%, comfortably ahead of the model-average estimates struck against later, more expensive model years.

Lincoln's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 4 years or 50,000 miles, unchanged for 2022. That matches BMW, Audi and Mercedes at the time, but trails Genesis (5 yr/60,000 mi), and the 50,000-mile cap is what expires first for most owners.

Powertrain coverage is 6 years or 70,000 miles, the figure Lincoln has carried for years. It sits near the bottom of the luxury field against Genesis (10 yr/100,000 mi), and given the Aviator's documented early-build quality record the low mileage cap matters more here than on a segment rival with a cleaner reliability history.

There is no complimentary scheduled maintenance on the Standard or Reserve trims a typical buyer takes — Premium Maintenance (4 yr/50,000 mi or four visits) stays a Black Label privilege — which keeps the Aviator behind the Genesis/BMW/Volvo included-service tier. What does come with every car is genuinely useful: complimentary Lincoln Pickup & Delivery with a loaner for the warranty period, 24/7 roadside assistance, and a Connected Services trial through the Lincoln Way app. Unlike the 2025 car, the 2022 Aviator gets no hands-free driving package — ActiveGlide launched on the 2022 Navigator and had not reached the Aviator.

$58,450 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $29,225) leaves about $29,225 in depreciation. Add the projected $3,966 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $33,191 in total.

The 2022 model year is the point where the second-generation Aviator's reliability record stops being a disaster: Consumer Reports' latest rankings score it 48/100 — 'average' — and the Aviator returned to CR's recommended list, while the 2020 and 2021 model years remain below the mean. That is a real improvement, but 'average' is all it is, and J.D. Power's dependability data on this exact model year still lands Lincoln below the industry norm.

Lincoln sits in the lower half on multi-year dependability and is improving rather than good. Its 2025 J.D. Power VDS result — the study built on 2022 model-year owners, so the one that actually covers this car — was 221 PP100 against a 202 industry average, 19th of the ranked brands, though that was the second-largest year-over-year gain of any brand. Consumer Reports' brand table is harsher, placing Lincoln well below average and ahead of only six brands.

NHTSA lists 21 separate recall campaigns against the 2022 Aviator — an extreme count, and several are severe rather than administrative: improperly heat-treated engine rails that failed two FMVSS standards and carried a buyback option, a fuel filler tube that could detach in a crash, broken intake valves causing engine failure, and a low-pressure fuel pump that can stall the engine. The rearview camera has been recalled five separate times and the second-row seat latch twice, which is the signature of a defect the fixes did not settle.

The 3.0L twin-turbo Nano EcoBoost V6 and 10R80 10-speed are high-volume Ford units with a broad fleet footprint, but this model year carries specific, documented failures rather than a clean record: the 2021–2022 Nano EcoBoost engines were recalled for intake valves that can break and destroy the engine, and the 10R80 has drawn repeated harsh-shift TSBs and a class-action suit. Neither is an unproven design, but 'proven' here means proven to have these faults.

Material richness is the Aviator's strongest suit and reviewers consistently rate the cabin against Audi and Mercedes rather than against Ford — extensive leather, brushed aluminum, soft-touch surfaces almost everywhere leather is not, the 30-way Perfect Position front seats and the Revel audio system. The deficit is in the switchgear and lower-cabin plastics, which do not match the German benchmarks.

Reviewers find assembly generally solid and praise the cabin's presentation, but Consumer Reports' owner survey for this generation flags body hardware, paint and trim, and noises and leaks among the Aviator's worst trouble spots — the categories that are exactly fit and finish. Edmunds hit infotainment faults during its own test, and premium-brand initial quality was running worse than mass-market in this model year.

Coverage is a genuine advantage over the smaller luxury importers: roughly 637 US Lincoln stores in 2022, nearly all co-located with high-volume Ford dealers, so parts and service reach is nationwide. Lincoln Pickup & Delivery — a complimentary valet that collects the car within 20 miles (50 for Black Label) and leaves a loaner — has no direct equivalent at other luxury brands. Service satisfaction itself is mid-pack in the premium field, well behind Lexus.

Sharing the CD6 platform, the Nano EcoBoost V6 and the 10R80 with the Ford Explorer keeps mechanical parts abundant and cheap by luxury standards — RepairPal puts Aviator annual repair cost meaningfully below both the luxury midsize SUV average and the Lincoln brand average. Air suspension on upper trims, Lincoln-specific trim and dealer-only electronics work are what pull the figure back up out of warranty.

Every 2022 Aviator trim gets the same 10.1-inch centre touchscreen — there is no larger option, and it is modest against luxury rivals already fitting 12-inch-plus displays.

The 2022 Aviator still runs SYNC 3, which is easy to learn — big tiles, large text, real climate knobs beneath — but by 2022 it was visibly dated against SYNC 4, MBUX and iDrive, and owners report sluggishness and dropouts.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every 2022 Aviator, but SYNC 3 supports wired connection only — wireless projection is not offered on any trim, a real gap for a luxury SUV in 2022.

SYNC 3's voice control handles set commands competently but is not a natural-language assistant, and the built-in navigation is an option on lower trims — most owners default to CarPlay/Android Auto maps.

Audio is the Aviator's standout tech feature: a 10-speaker base system, a 14-speaker Revel setup on the volume Reserve trim, and a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D system at the top of the range that is among the best in any SUV.

A full-width 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is standard across the 2022 Aviator range, with graphics that change by drive mode — crisp and configurable, if less customisable than the best German systems.

Because the 2022 Aviator is on SYNC 3, it gets only occasional Wi-Fi-delivered infotainment and map updates — Ford Power-Up whole-vehicle over-the-air updates, which reach modules beyond infotainment, arrived with SYNC 4 and skip this model year.

The Lincoln Way app covers remote start and climate, lock/unlock, vehicle locate and scheduling, and Phone As A Key lets an owner use a handset as the key — solid coverage, though connected features move to a subscription after the included trial.

Four USB ports (USB-A and USB-C) spread across the first two rows, a 110V household outlet and a wireless charging pad from Reserve upward cover devices well, but the third row is thinly served and the mix is still A-heavy.

Proximity entry with push-button start and remote start is standard, a hands-free power liftgate comes on Reserve and up, and Phone As A Key is available — a near-complete keyless package for 2022.

A 360-degree camera with front and rear parking sensors and Active Park Assist automated parking are available on the trims most buyers choose, and image quality is good, though the surround view is not standard on the base car.

Lincoln's large colour head-up display became available on the volume Reserve trim for 2022 (previously Black Label territory), but it remains an option rather than standard and is absent from the lower trims.

Wide rear door openings, 40.1 in of second-row legroom and a power-folding third row make daily kid logistics easy, and 18.3 cu ft behind row three swallows a stroller; the trade-off is a third row too tight for older kids on long runs and a high load floor.

Lincoln Co-Pilot360 is standard on every 2022 Aviator — forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping and auto high beams — but adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, evasive steer assist and the 360 camera sit in optional packages.

Quad-zone automatic climate control, heated second-row seats, an available rear-seat entertainment system, a quiet cabin and real cargo room with all three rows up make this one of the better family tourers in the class.

400 hp through a 10-speed automatic makes traffic effortless, the seats and quiet cabin keep fatigue low, and the light controls suit stop-and-go; size and outward visibility past the thick rear pillars are the daily annoyances.

EPA rates the gas AWD Aviator at 17/24/20 mpg with a $3,100 annual fuel bill, and the twin-turbo V6 prefers premium — running costs per commuting mile are high even by luxury three-row standards.

At 199.3 in long on a 119.1-in wheelbase with roughly a 39-ft turning circle, the Aviator is a handful in tight urban parking; the available 360-degree camera, sensors and Active Park Assist make it manageable rather than easy.

With the Class IV trailer tow package the gas Aviator pulls up to 6,700 lbs and payload runs around 1,500 lbs — genuinely useful for a trailer or toy hauler, but there is no bed, no low range and no work-grade duty cycle.

The Aviator's record argues against hard-use duty: Consumer Reports has repeatedly placed it among the least reliable vehicles it surveys, and the 2022 car carries a large recall list including a low-pressure fuel pump failure that can stall the engine.

This is a leather-lined luxury SUV: cargo tie-downs, a 110V outlet and available roof rails are the extent of the work provisions, with no washable surfaces, no bed access features and effectively no upfit ecosystem.

Perfect Position seats, a hushed cabin, an air-sprung ride and roughly 480 highway miles from the 20.2-gallon tank make it an excellent mile-eater; available adaptive cruise with stop-and-go and lane centering cuts fatigue further, though hands-free ActiveGlide was not yet offered on the Aviator.

Available AWD, roughly 8 in of ground clearance, a 6,700-lb tow rating and roof rails handle gravel roads, bike racks and a boat comfortably, but road-biased tires, no low range and an air suspension that lowers at speed keep it well short of a genuine off-pavement tool.

Power-folding second and third rows open up 77.7 cu ft, and the under-floor well, roof rails and hitch availability cover bulky gear; the sloped roofline and high load floor stop it short of the boxier haulers.

The rear-drive-based platform gives the Aviator better balance and turn-in than its transverse rivals, and Excite mode tightens it up usefully, but at 4,774–5,300 lbs on air springs it gets bouncy through quick direction changes and over crests.

Steering is quick and accurate off-centre and better than the segment average for response, but it is light and largely feedback-free, tuned for effortlessness rather than communication.

Brakes are sized for the Aviator's weight and reviewers report confident, fade-free stops with a firm pedal in normal use; no widely published instrumented 70-0 figure was found for the gas 2022 car, so this sits at the middle of the competent band.

The 400-hp twin-turbo V6 and 10-speed automatic are strong and generally well calibrated — roughly 5.9 seconds to 60 mph with little turbo lag — though the 10-speed occasionally hunts between ratios at part throttle.

The V6 is well isolated at cruise but sounds coarse and unmusical when extended, and owners themselves mark it down — a clear step behind the German straight-sixes and V8s in this class.

A 39-ft turning circle on a 119.1-in wheelbase is unremarkable for a mid-size three-row SUV and makes tight U-turns and parking garages a two-bite affair.

A commanding seating position, an enormous adjustment range (up to 30-way Perfect Position seats with power thigh extensions), a power tilt/telescope column and retained physical climate controls make this one of the better-sorted cabins; the piano-key shifter and hard-to-reach interior door releases divide opinion.

Genuinely quick and more entertaining than most three-row luxury SUVs thanks to the rear-drive layout and Excite mode, but the soft air suspension, numb steering and ordinary engine note make it a pleasant cruiser rather than a car you detour for.

The $52,560 Standard trim includes the full 400-hp twin-turbo V6 — no downgraded four-cylinder base engine as on an X5 sDrive40i or GLE 350 — plus three rows, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, tri-zone climate, heated 10-way power front seats, power liftgate, and the whole Co-Pilot360 suite (AEB with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane keeping, rear cross-traffic alert) as standard. What is missing at base is the luxury-signal content: real leather, panoramic roof, head-up display and wireless charging all live further up the range, and 2022's additions were incremental (wireless charging made standard on Reserve and Grand Touring, head-up display and Phone As A Key folded into the Reserve I / Grand Touring I packages).

On paper the Aviator is a lot of car for the money — 400 hp, rear-wheel-drive proportions, three rows and one of the quietest cabins in the class starting some $8,000–$12,000 below a comparably powered X5 or Q7, with the 494-hp Grand Touring PHEV undercutting anything German with similar output. The offset is that the value thins as you climb: the Reserve packages that supply the equipment buyers expect add several thousand quickly, cabin materials in the lower trims drew criticism against Genesis and Volvo, and owners themselves flagged value as the car's weakest attribute in KBB's consumer survey.

Five trims spanning $52,560 to $88,230 — Standard, Reserve, Grand Touring, Black Label and Black Label Grand Touring — with rear- or all-wheel drive on the V6 cars, a plug-in hybrid at two price points, second-row bench or captain's chairs, and the layered Reserve I/II/III and Grand Touring I/II/III equipment groups that let a buyer step content without stepping trims. That is a wider, better-spaced ladder than most three-row luxury rivals offer, and 2022 is the last stretch of it — the PHEV Grand Touring disappears at the 2025 refresh.

22,246 US sales in 2022 — up 6.3% on 2021 in a year when the chip shortage was capping output, and enough to outsell the Audi Q7, Cadillac XT6 and Infiniti QX60 through the first quarter. It is a solid mid-pack showing rather than a segment-leading one: the Acura MDX and BMW X5 each moved roughly triple the volume, and the Aviator's 2022 result is still below its 23,080-unit 2020 launch year, with a sharp drop to 14,416 coming in 2023.

Lincoln in 2022 was a brand on the way back rather than one buyers aspire to — the Aviator generation itself arrived with real credibility (2020 North American Utility of the Year) and the Black Label ownership experience is a genuine differentiator, but the badge carries less pull than BMW, Mercedes, Lexus or the fast-rising Genesis, and the Aviator's repeated appearances on Consumer Reports' least-reliable lists through 2020–2022 worked against the image the styling earns. The compensating evidence is at the curb: the car holds its money better than the brand's reputation implies.

2022 was the worst possible year to negotiate one. Chip-shortage supply constraints against strong demand meant Lincoln was offering no cash incentives toward the Aviator by December 2022 — a 6.9% APR financing offer was the extent of it — and market conditions had transaction prices sitting at or above sticker. Scored on buyer benefit, that is close to the bottom of the range, tempered only by financing being available at all.

2022 is the third year of the second-generation U611 introduced for 2020 — squarely mid-cycle. The rear-drive-based platform, 10-speed automatic, 400-hp V6 and available PHEV were still current hardware with no replacement imminent, and the facelift was three model years away (revealed February 2024 for 2025). The only staleness showing was in cabin tech relative to newly launched rivals, and the absence of the hands-free driving system the 2022 Navigator had just received.

Consistently well reviewed without being the class pick: US News ranked the 2022 Aviator #3 among luxury midsize SUVs at 7.8/10, KBB's experts gave it 4.0, and Edmunds called it one of their favorites in the segment while headlining the review 'So Close to Greatness' — praise for the cabin, quietness and powertrains, reservations about the details that keep it out of first place. The generation's North American Utility of the Year win and KBB's 2022 segment resale award sit on the credit side; Consumer Reports' reliability warnings and the model's absence from comparison-test wins are what hold it in the 70s rather than the 80s.