- suv 125,181
- 5,999 high price
- Bridgeport, CT
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- autoshopper.com
2003 lincoln aviator review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new baby navigator is smooth and luxurious. introductionlincoln showrooms have been like old mother hubbard's cupboards of late: rather bare. But lincoln's cupboards are now being re-stocked, and the most recent addition is the 2003 aviator sport utility. ford's luxury division has been eliminating models from its line. Gone is the aging continental along with the blackwood, an impractical but expensive sport-utility vehicle with a pickup bed that never took off. In essence, all that lincoln dealers have had to sell is the ls entry-luxury sedan, the town car and the navigator sport-utility. the aviator, on sale since november, is the luxury marque's first midsize sport-utility vehicle. It goes up against newly introduced midsize luxury sport utilities like the lexus gx 470 and infiniti fx45. It will also face the upcoming volkswagen touareg and cadillac srx. And it will challenge the relative old-timers, the acura mdx, bmw x5 and mercedes-benz m-class. . lineuplincoln aviator comes in two trim levels, luxury and premium. Both include a long list of standard features. luxury 39,255) comes standard with six-way power front seats with two memory settings; am/fm/in-dash cd audio system with steering wheel-mounted controls; dual-zone electronic climate control and auxiliary climate controls for rear seat passengers; heated power-adjustable side mirrors with built in puddle lamps and turn-signal indicators; power adjustable brake and accelerator pedals; and a back-up obstacle detection system. premium 42,205) adds more equipment, including heated and cooled front seats. Options on both include a power moonroof 1,595), a rear entertainment system with a dvd player and wireless headphones 1,295), and a class iii towing package offering a 7,300-pound towing capacity 295). Other options include a dvd-based navigation system and tire-pressure monitoring system. under the hood, the aviator is outfitted with ford's 4. 6-liter dohc v8 engine, rated at 302 horsepower and 300 pounds-feet of torque. The v8 is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. aviator comes with a choice of rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive 2920). Two all-wheel drive systems are available. Early models use a permanently engaged system that shifts power between the front and rear wheels. A more sophisticated advancetrac system will also be available that shifts power front to rear and side to side for better traction in snow and ice and improved stability. aviator is outfitted with a host of safety features. Side airbags are not offered, however. Other automakers offer both side airbags and a side curtain. Other safety and security features on the aviator include: front safety belts with pretensioners and load-limiting retractors; three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating positions; childproof rear-door locks; latch universal child safety seat latches; securilock passive anti-theft system; remote keyless entry; approach lamps; and adjustable pedals. . walkaroundthe all-new lincoln aviator was deliberately designed to be a scale model in size and price of lincoln navigator. As a result, the aviator is nearly identical to the navigator in appearance, both inside and out. aviator features the same chrome-laden grille as the navigator, though it is more diminutive and less imposing because of the aviator's overall smaller dimensions. Like the navigator, the aviator sports a generous application of chrome trim, from the grille to the roof rack to the rear licensee plate holder. as a midsize luxury sport utility, the aviator is a foot shorter in length than the navigator, which is a full-size luxury sport utility. Aviator seats six or seven, depending on the seating configuration ordered, while the navigator has room for eight. The aviator is also about six inches shorter in height. In price, the aviator starts at about $40,000 and tops out at just over $50,000. Navigator ranges from $50,000 to more than $60,000 when fully loaded. the aviator shares its basic body structure with the ford explorer and mercury mountaineer, both of which were redesigned and re-engineered for 2002. The aviator is more than just a redesigned explorer, however. Its engineers modified the explorer's basic architecture to produce a roomier, more comfortable, more luxurious vehicle with a smoother ride. for starters, the aviator is slightly longer and wider than the explorer. It uses the explorer's new independent rear suspension, a design more common on luxury cars than trucks that greatly improves ride quality and allows room underneath for the fold-down third seat. The aviator takes this refinement a step farther, however, with a revised suspension, steering, and brakes. Lightweight components and different tuning have been employed for improved on-pavement ride. the truck-like running boards, stationary and not power-operated like those on the navigator, are a giveaway that the aviator is a truck and not a car-based sport utility. In fact, the running boards are a necessity for short-legged passengers climbing aboard the tall utility. exterior colors include gold ash metallic, ceramic white tricoat, vivid red metallic, medium wedgewood blue metallic, aspen green metallic, mineral grey metallic and ebony. . interiorthe lincoln aviator's interior is stunning. The interior also comes in a two-tone medium and dark ash. the most distinctive touch on the interior is the pewter-colored satin nickel finish used on the center dashboard and shifter surround. Another distinguishing element is a door, in the same satin nickel finish, that pulls down to hide the audio system. Also on the center dash, the clock, with delicate gold hands and numbers, resembles an expensive watch. The clock is becoming a signature feature in lincolns. aviator's interior designers said the 1961 continental inspired the symmetrical instrument panel. Switches and controls, either rectangular toggles or rotary dials, are backlit with white led lighting. The wood and leather trimmed steering wheel includes controls for the audio and climate controls. Every surface throughout the aviator is not only attractive to the eye but also inviting to the touch. aviator comes standard with three rows of seats. They can select a three-way split bench seat that seats three or bucket seats that seat two. The bucket seats feature a hefty center console nearly identical to the one that sits between the front bucket seats. Either way, the second-row seats fold and tumble forward for access to the third row. the third-row bench sits low and is most suitable for children. The third seat folds flat into the floor manually, not by power as is available in the navigator. Nor does the aviator offer a power liftgate, as the navigator does. It isn't bouncy like other truck-based sport utilities. It rides more smoothly than the mercury mountaineer. lincoln has made vast improvements in steering systems and the aviator is a good example of that. Its rack-and-pinion steering system delivers a solid on-center feel. The speed-sensitive steering assist makes low-speed parking lot maneuvers and tooling around the neighborhood effortless. Yet it feels stable at highway speeds. It comes equipped with an anti-lock brake system (abs) and electronic brake force distribution. Slam on the brakes and the aviator comes to a predictable and uneventful stop. Abs lets the driver maintain steering control in a panic stop, while ebd reduces stopping distances. aviator's tried-and-true v8 engine delivers plenty of power and makes it possible, with the optional package, to tow up to 7,300 pounds. The only criticism, which is often the case with ford engines, is that. Bucket Seats✔ AM/FM✔ Climate Control✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Navigation System
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