Compare the2025 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2025 Lincoln Aviator

Both the 4Runner and the Aviator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Aviator. (Lincoln offers free mainteance on some Aviator models.)

There are almost 3 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 4Runner’s reliability 56 points higher than the Aviator.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 32 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 104 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 25th.

The 4Runner Trailhunter’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 415) than the Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6. The 4Runner’s optional 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 415) than the Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the 4Runner gets better mileage than the Aviator:

Regenerative brakes improve the 4Runner i-FORCE MAX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Aviator doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Aviator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Aviator. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (6 out of 10) than the Lincoln Aviator (5). This means the 4Runner produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Aviator every 15,000 miles.

For better traction, the 4Runner has larger tires than the Aviator (265/70R17 vs. 255/55R20).

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln Aviator only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Aviator; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Aviator doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Aviator (10.1 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota 4Runner may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Lincoln Aviator.

The 4Runner is 4.4 inches shorter than the Aviator, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the 4Runner’s middle and third row seats recline. The Aviator’s third row seats don’t recline.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Aviator.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Aviator’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 4Runner’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Aviator doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Aviator’s (6000 vs. 5000 pounds).

The 4Runner’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Aviator does not have an oil pressure gauge.

When the 4Runner Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro/Platinum is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Aviator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Lincoln Aviator by almost four to one during 2024.