Thai
Elite Member
Car & Driver Review:
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Cara...003/january/0301_comparo_bradsher.xml?&page=1
Fifth Place (tie)
Lincoln Aviator
If there was shock value to be offered in this mad exercise of testing in the mud and on the macadam, it came in the form of the Lincoln Aviator. Many approached its rather cramped cockpit with a yawn, expecting a tarted-up Ford Explorer, only to discover a refined, highly attractive mainstream sport-utility vehicle.
THE VERDICT
Lincoln Aviator
Highs: Lusty engine, surprisingly civilized manners on- and off-road.
Lows: Baltic Avenue seat controls, Park Place sticker price.
The Verdict: The platinum-edition Ford Explorer, for better or worse.
Comments in our logbook recorded such flattery as "very nice highway car," "transmission shifts great," "smooth powertrain," "suspension taut," "the engine is the hot rod of the group," and "great transmission and engine sounds."
Overall, the Aviator acquitted itself well in the performance department, with the quickest sprint to 60 mph (7.4 seconds) and the second-best times through the quarter-mile and the double-lane-change maneuver. And those numbers don't lie. Out on the twists and turns, the Aviator cleaves to a line and follows the intended path faithfully. But off-road, its taut, short-travel suspension often left one or two wheels airborne and spinning, and it was prone to dragging its chin and tail in the rough stuff.
In fact, had it not fallen short in two critical departments, it is likely the Aviator would have ranked higher. The most serious flaw was its as-tested price of $48,675, second highest of the eight and almost eight grand more than the Acura MDX. Add to that a tight, cocoonlike driving compartment
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Cara...003/january/0301_comparo_bradsher.xml?&page=1
Fifth Place (tie)
Lincoln Aviator
If there was shock value to be offered in this mad exercise of testing in the mud and on the macadam, it came in the form of the Lincoln Aviator. Many approached its rather cramped cockpit with a yawn, expecting a tarted-up Ford Explorer, only to discover a refined, highly attractive mainstream sport-utility vehicle.
THE VERDICT
Lincoln Aviator
Highs: Lusty engine, surprisingly civilized manners on- and off-road.
Lows: Baltic Avenue seat controls, Park Place sticker price.
The Verdict: The platinum-edition Ford Explorer, for better or worse.
Comments in our logbook recorded such flattery as "very nice highway car," "transmission shifts great," "smooth powertrain," "suspension taut," "the engine is the hot rod of the group," and "great transmission and engine sounds."
Overall, the Aviator acquitted itself well in the performance department, with the quickest sprint to 60 mph (7.4 seconds) and the second-best times through the quarter-mile and the double-lane-change maneuver. And those numbers don't lie. Out on the twists and turns, the Aviator cleaves to a line and follows the intended path faithfully. But off-road, its taut, short-travel suspension often left one or two wheels airborne and spinning, and it was prone to dragging its chin and tail in the rough stuff.
In fact, had it not fallen short in two critical departments, it is likely the Aviator would have ranked higher. The most serious flaw was its as-tested price of $48,675, second highest of the eight and almost eight grand more than the Acura MDX. Add to that a tight, cocoonlike driving compartment
