2025 Lincoln Aviator Reserve
Price: $94,400 CAD
Colour: Whisper Blue Metallic
Being a man of a certain age I sometimes get lost in the plethora of new vernacular popular with the kids these days. I’ve recently been brought up to speed on terms like “drip” and “riz”. I’m still working out exactly what drip is, but riz is easier because it’s simply a shortened form of charisma and carries the same definition. It was in this spirit when I picked up the newly refreshed 2025 Lincoln Aviator. I was a little meh on the new Aviator when it debuted in 2020. It was a fine enough car but failed to fire my fun bits. Imagine my surprise when I saw the refreshed Aviator and realized Lincoln must be spying on my brain as they’ve addressed almost all my issues and have given us a vehicle with a proper dose of riz and, possibly, a little drip.
The Aviator was gone from the Lincoln lineup for about 15 years. That’s a long gap between generations and I assumed the badge engineering exercise had been permanently relegated to the pages of history. It should have come as no surprise though when Lincoln completely abandoned passenger cars in favor of an all-SUV lineup that they would resurrect the nameplate.
The new Aviator for model year 2020 was a fine enough vehicle but left me wanting more for the premium price point as compared with competitors. Lincoln has listened and addressed things like the inferior sized infotainment screen blessing this new model with a much large unit with a better display and layout. You also get a beefier looking front end with a redesigned front fascia that hardens up the previously soft look of the previous version. One of the most important changes is that Lincoln have discontinued the PHEV variant. This version of the Aviator was only ever good for about 20kms in the real world and made no sense for practical everyday use. The added expense and complication of the PHEV drivetrain didn’t give you anything in return and I’m glad you’re just left with the regular 3.0L twin turbo to shift the bulk of the Aviator.
The interior of the 2025 Lincoln Aviator (with the exception of the infotainment and dash cluster) is still a great place to sit. That third row is still a pain to get into which is by no means exclusive to the Aviator as it’s an issue shared by most 3-row SUV’s. The seats are comfortable and spacious. If you buy one make sure it has the second row captain’s chairs. There’s no other way to do it and you can thank me later. The large glass roof with opening front section gives the cabin an airy sense of space which makes travelling in the back less of a claustrophobic nightmare.
The Lincoln Aviator continues to be a real option in the mid-sized, 3-row lux barge space. Improvements from one generation to the next are good to see and it shows that Lincoln is paying attention. They’ve paid so much attention in fact they’ve managed to infuse their newish car with that intangible bit of magic the young ones have coined “riz”. This is no small feat and that’s no cap.
