Compared: 2023 Buick Enclave vs. 2023 Lincoln Aviator

These three-row midsize SUVs start on a similar level, but the Lincoln goes deeper into luxury territory than its Buick rival.

Ronan Glon | 

Aug 14, 2024 | 3 min read

Buick | Lincoln

The 2023 Buick Enclave and the 2023 Lincoln Aviator are two luxurious SUVs that can overlap in several key areas, including exterior dimensions, fuel economy, and pricing. Buick keeps the Enclave range relatively simple, while Lincoln makes the Aviator available with upmarket equipment and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, which can make the Lincoln's price closer to a more expensive Cadillac XT6 than the Buick.

Buick

The Buick's Less Expensive

Enclave buyers have three trim levels: Essence, Premium, and Avenir. The base Essence starts at $46,000 with front-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive (AWD) is a $2,000 option across the range. Buick charges $53,000 for the mid-level Premium and $59,000 for the Enclave Avenir top trim.

The Aviator is offered in five trim levels: Standard, Reserve, Grand Touring, Black Label, and Black Label Grand Touring. Starting prices range from $55,000 to $92,000. Opting for AWD on the bottom two trims adds $2,505, while the top three trims come standard with traction at all four wheels.

Lincoln

The Lincoln Offers More Features

The Buick and the Lincoln are similarly sized, and both feature three rows of seats, but the Lincoln can be configured with a longer list of features than the Buick, and it's considerably more powerful.

The Aviator comes standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The Buick ships with an 8.0-inch unit.

Buick

Available Aviator features include an air suspension system and Active Park Assist 2.0 technology capable of semiautonomously maneuvering the car into a parking spot.

One advantage of the Enclave over the Aviator is the Rear Camera Mirror. Standard on Enclave Premium and Avenir trims, it gives the driver an unobstructed view of what's behind the car while driving in situations where passengers or luggage might block the view through the rear glass.

Another significant difference between these rivals is the availability of the Lincoln's plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Buick doesn't offer an electrified variant of the Enclave.

Lincoln

The Aviator Can Be the Most Efficient

Buick exclusively sells the Enclave with a 3.6-liter V6 engine making 310 horsepower bolted to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Buick scores an EPA-estimated 18/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined with front-wheel drive and 17/25/20 mpg with AWD.

The base rear-drive Aviator ships with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6, sending 400 horsepower to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It matches the Buick with 18/26/21 mpg in rear-drive form. Efficiency dips to 17/24/20 mpg with AWD. The available 494-hp plug-in consists of the base V6, an electric motor, and a 13.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

The AWD-only electrified Aviator can cover up to 21 miles on electricity alone at 56 MPGe combined and return 23 mpg combined when burning gasoline.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Ronan Glon

Ronan Glon is an American journalist and automotive historian based in France. He enjoys working on old cars and spending time outdoors seeking out his next project car.