Lincoln Aviator
Encyclopedia
The Lincoln Aviator was a mid-size sport utility vehicle
(SUV) produced by the Ford Motor Company
's Lincoln
luxury division. It was introduced in 2002, and production ended in 2005. The Aviator was built exclusively at Ford's St. Louis Assembly
plant in Hazelwood
, Missouri
. Its competitors included the Cadillac SRX
, Lexus GX
(launched at the same time as the Aviator), and Infiniti FX
.
Prices for the Aviator ranged from US$
39,940 for the base RWD model to US$ 42,890 for the AWD
model.
It was available only with a 4.6 L DOHC V8, 302 hp gasoline engine.
Lincoln played up the similarity to the Navigator
with magazine ads that read, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Especially when it's yourself you're imitating." The Aviator seemed to have been met with relatively positive press coverage.
While the Aviator's styling borrowed cues from its big brother, the Navigator
, it didn't look much different from the very widespread Ford Explorer
that it was based on. Also working against the Aviator was that it was priced similar to the larger and relatively popular Ford Expedition
. (The Navigator, based on and priced above the Expedition, was priced similarly to the Ford Excursion
, but the Excursion was rare so the comparison did not work against the Navigator, whereas the Aviator was frequently compared to the Expedition and Explorer.) Indeed, Car and Driver
magazine said in a comparison test, in which the Aviator tied for fifth place, that only the car's high price and lack of certain features held it out of contention for the top spots.
Despite the initial praise, the Aviator was a poor seller for Lincoln—with many hypothesizing that its all-too-familiar looks were to blame—and was quickly discontinued in August 2005. Originally, the Aviator was supposed to be on hiatus for the 2006 model year
and reappear based on the CD3 platform
the next year. However, Ford scrapped the Aviator name, and the car has been replaced by the Lincoln MKX
mid-size crossover SUV
, which was unveiled at the 2006 North American International Auto Show
and went on sale in December 2006 as a 2007 model. Even though the Aviator only had a V8 engine
, the MKX only has a V6, and in many ways such as towing and seating capacity
, the MKX doesn't properly replace the Aviator. The Aviator was also sold alongside the Mercury Mountaineer
, another clone of the Explorer which offered an identical equipment list to the Aviator.
The last Lincoln Aviator rolled off the assembly line on August 19, 2005
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
(SUV) produced by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
's Lincoln
Lincoln (automobile)
Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
luxury division. It was introduced in 2002, and production ended in 2005. The Aviator was built exclusively at Ford's St. Louis Assembly
St. Louis Assembly
St. Louis Assembly Plant was an automobile factory owned by Ford Motor Company in Hazelwood, Missouri. In 2006, it was idled as part of Ford's "The Way Forward" plan...
plant in Hazelwood
Hazelwood, Missouri
Hazelwood is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northwestern St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 25,703 as of the 2010 census. Hazelwood, a northern suburb of St. Louis, is located north of Lambert-St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Its competitors included the Cadillac SRX
Cadillac SRX
Engine options include the High-Feature V6 and the 4.6 L Northstar V8. It is based on the GM Sigma platform and comes with a five or six-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available....
, Lexus GX
Lexus GX
The Lexus GX is a mid-size sport utility vehicle sold in North American and Eurasian markets by Lexus. The first generation GX 470 was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in 2002 as a 2003 model, and subsequently became the third SUV to enter Lexus' lineup. The 4.7 L V8...
(launched at the same time as the Aviator), and Infiniti FX
Infiniti FX
The Infiniti FX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by the Nissan-owned Infiniti luxury vehicle brand since the 2003 model year. The FX replaced the QX4 as Infiniti's mid-size luxury-type SUV, although the QX4 was smaller than the FX. It was released at the same time as its competitors,...
.
Prices for the Aviator ranged from US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
39,940 for the base RWD model to US$ 42,890 for the AWD
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
model.
It was available only with a 4.6 L DOHC V8, 302 hp gasoline engine.
Lincoln played up the similarity to the Navigator
Lincoln Navigator
The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV built by the Ford Motor Company for its luxury division, Lincoln. Introduced as a 1998 model, production began May 14, 1997 with sales beginning in August. The Navigator was Lincoln's first SUV as well as its first four-wheel drive capable vehicle...
with magazine ads that read, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Especially when it's yourself you're imitating." The Aviator seemed to have been met with relatively positive press coverage.
While the Aviator's styling borrowed cues from its big brother, the Navigator
Lincoln Navigator
The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV built by the Ford Motor Company for its luxury division, Lincoln. Introduced as a 1998 model, production began May 14, 1997 with sales beginning in August. The Navigator was Lincoln's first SUV as well as its first four-wheel drive capable vehicle...
, it didn't look much different from the very widespread Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
that it was based on. Also working against the Aviator was that it was priced similar to the larger and relatively popular Ford Expedition
Ford Expedition
The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV built by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced in 1997 as a replacement to the Ford Bronco, it was previously slotted between the smaller Ford Explorer and the larger Ford Excursion, but as of the 2005 model year, it is Ford's largest and last truck-based,...
. (The Navigator, based on and priced above the Expedition, was priced similarly to the Ford Excursion
Ford Excursion
The Ford Excursion is a full-size sport utility vehicle that was produced by the Ford Motor Company between model years 2000 and 2005 . Based on the Super Duty pickup truck platform, it served as Ford's largest SUV in its lineup during the tenure of its production and mainly competed against the...
, but the Excursion was rare so the comparison did not work against the Navigator, whereas the Aviator was frequently compared to the Expedition and Explorer.) Indeed, Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
magazine said in a comparison test, in which the Aviator tied for fifth place, that only the car's high price and lack of certain features held it out of contention for the top spots.
Despite the initial praise, the Aviator was a poor seller for Lincoln—with many hypothesizing that its all-too-familiar looks were to blame—and was quickly discontinued in August 2005. Originally, the Aviator was supposed to be on hiatus for the 2006 model year
Model year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
and reappear based on the CD3 platform
Ford CD3 platform
The Ford CD3 platform is a Ford global midsize car automobile platform. It was designed by Mazda. The original Mazda chassis code for the CD3 platform is Mazda G platform, which Ford Motor Company has used every evolution of since 1983...
the next year. However, Ford scrapped the Aviator name, and the car has been replaced by the Lincoln MKX
Lincoln MKX
The Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover from Ford's Lincoln division and a de facto successor to the Lincoln Aviator luxury SUV. It debuted as a 2007 model in December 2006 as a production version of the Lincoln Aviator Concept shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show...
mid-size crossover SUV
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
, which was unveiled at the 2006 North American International Auto Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
and went on sale in December 2006 as a 2007 model. Even though the Aviator only had a V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, the MKX only has a V6, and in many ways such as towing and seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
, the MKX doesn't properly replace the Aviator. The Aviator was also sold alongside the Mercury Mountaineer
Mercury Mountaineer
Although the redesigned Explorer had already been out for two years, Mercury introduced an Explorer twin called the Mountaineer. The Mountaineer was only slightly different from the Explorer, although it did offer a few extra luxury features that the Explorer lacked, such as a standard 302 cu in ...
, another clone of the Explorer which offered an identical equipment list to the Aviator.
The last Lincoln Aviator rolled off the assembly line on August 19, 2005
Sales
| Calendar Year | American sales |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,856 |
| 2003 | 29,517 |
| 2004 | 23,644 |
| 2005 | 15,873 |
| 2006 | 1,711 |