2002 Lincoln Aviator 4.6L V8 5AT AWD (302 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lincoln introduced the Aviator in 2002 for the 2003 model year, offering customers the features and amenities present in the full-size SUV Navigator but in a smaller package.

Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln noticed that some of its customers didn’t want the full-size SUV Navigator due to its large dimensions. However, they loved what that vehicle offered in terms of comfort and equipment. As a result, in 2002, the automaker launched the Aviator lineup. The new model in the carmaker’s inventory shared its underpinnings with the Ford Explorer but was garnished with all the good stuff Lincoln had in its parts bins. Furthermore, it was available in a three-row configuration, so customers who wanted to use the same car for business and family matters could do that. In addition, the 2003 Lincoln Aviator didn’t mind crossing some unpaved roads or towing a trailer behind it.

At the front, the chromed cascading grille with vertical slats was already a key element design component of any Lincoln, so the Aviator boasted that. It was flanked by a pair of quad headlights with integrated turn signals on their outer sides. The bumper copied the styling of the one installed in the Navigator, featuring round fog lights and a skid-plate-like at the lower side. From a distance, it looked like its bigger sibling.

From its profile, on the other hand, the 2003 Lincoln Aviator revealed its shorter wheelbase, almost identical to the one from the Ford Explorer. In addition, it was shorter than the Navigator and didn’t sport the retractable running boards on the sides. Still, the automaker installed fixed ones to ease ingress and egress, and these were visually continued on the doors by gray plastic trims. The flared wheel arches on both ends emphasized the SUV’s more adventurous character, and thanks to its 17-inch aluminum wheels, it looked sportier, too. At the back, the taillights resembled those from its bigger brother since they were more on the vertical side and stretched from the rear quarter panels onto the manually operated tailgate. Lincoln reserved the powered version just for the full-size SUV Navigator.

Inside, customers were greeted by a dashboard with a clean design resembling the one from the Navigator. The driver fronted an instrument cluster filled with a center-mounted speedometer flanked on its left by the tachometer and on the right by the fuel level and coolant temperature gauges. Between the front, leather-wrapped seats, the automaker placed a floor-mounted shifter and a generously sized center console. In addition, a cubby storage was available under the armrest. The 2003 Lincoln Navigator came standard with seating for six on a three-row layout. As a no-cost option, customers could get the vehicle with a bench seat in the second row that could host three adults. At the same time, the rearmost bench seat was just for two and could be folded flat to increase cargo area.

Under its skin, the 2003 Lincoln Aviator featured a body-on-frame construction, just like its Explorer sibling. However, the automaker upgraded that with a fresh steering system from the European transmissions and gearboxes ZF. In the power department, the automaker used a 4.6-liter, quad-cam, rev-happy engine that could send all its oomph to the rear or all corners. The four-wheel independent suspension and the improved parts made the Aviator an agile SUV. It could also tow up to 7,500 pounds (3,402 kg). The quad-cam, 4.6-liter V8 engine was carried over from Ford’s parts bin and it developed 302 hp (306 PS) that sent all the torque to the rear or in all corners, depending on the options.