Compare the2026 Lincoln AviatorVS 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the Aviator and Grand Highlander 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 Grand Highlander’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 Grand Highlander 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 Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the Aviator and the Grand Highlander 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, plastic fuel tanks, 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Aviator	Grand Highlander
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	131	218
Neck Injury Risk	29.4%	39.3%
Neck Stress	275 lbs.	355 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	196/188 lbs.	331/316 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	236	356
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	199 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	196/281 lbs.	384/277 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 Grand Highlander:

	Aviator	Grand Highlander
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	97	112
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	5 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.6/.64	.69/.57

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lincoln Aviator is safer than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Aviator	Grand Highlander
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	39 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	17 inches
HIC	288	344
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	573 lbs.	823 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Aviator is 1.8% to 2.7% less likely to roll over than the Grand Highlander.

Warranty

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

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Grand Highlander’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 Grand Highlander 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 has more powerful engines than the Grand Highlander:

	Horsepower	Torque
Aviator 3.0 turbo V6	400 HP	415 lbs.-ft.
Grand Highlander Hybrid 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	245 HP
Grand Highlander 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder	265 HP	310 lbs.-ft.
Grand Highlander Hybrid Max 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	362 HP	400 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator is faster than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Aviator	Grand Highlander Hybrid	Grand Highlander turbo 4 cyl.
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	7.5 sec	8.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	15.7 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.7 MPH	88.8 MPH	86.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Aviator and the Grand Highlander have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Aviators have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Grand Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

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

The Aviator has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (20.2 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Aviator has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander’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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Grand Highlander.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Aviator	Grand Highlander
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13.3 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.3 inches

The Aviator’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Grand Highlander are solid, not vented.

The Aviator stops much shorter than the Grand Highlander:

	Aviator	Grand Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Highlander (275/40R22 vs. 255/65R18).

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 Grand Highlander LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Aviator’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Highlander LE/XLE. The Aviator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade.

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 Grand Highlander’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Aviator Reserve/Black Label 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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Aviator has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

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 Grand Highlander 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 Grand Highlander (119.1 inches vs. 116.1 inches).

The Aviator Reserve AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Grand Highlander XLE AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Grand Highlander XLE AWD (27.1 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Highlander (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Aviator Reserve/Black Label uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has 1.3 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear hip room and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Highlander.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Aviator’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

While the Grand Highlander Hybrid can only tow 3500, any Aviator can tow a minimum of 5000 pounds.

Servicing Ease

The Aviator uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Grand Highlander uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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

Ergonomics

The Aviator’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 Grand Highlander’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Aviator’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Grand Highlander’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Aviator’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Grand Highlander offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade.

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 is only available on the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade.

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 Grand Highlander.

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 Grand Highlander XLE/Limited/Nightshade/Platinum.

The Aviator (except Premiere)’s optional Active Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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