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2022 Lincoln Aviator Review | American luxury in the best way

In Lincoln's heyday, its cars were big, powerful and extravagant. They embodied the idea of American luxury in the best possible way. The 2022 Lincoln Aviator shows the brand has recaptured the essence of those good old days, while still pushing forward into the future with the latest tech offerings and an available plug-in hybrid powertrain that provides competitive all-electric range and a staggering amount of power. It's also a style leader, particularly inside, which was true of Lincoln's midcentury classics, but obviously missing for the better part of 30 years. Practically speaking, the Aviator is a fully competitive entry in the three-row luxury segment, capable to making a strong case for itself among (relative) lower-cost entries like the Acura MDX and Volvo XC90 as well as larger, upper-crust offerings like the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7. Its generous interior size and feature content has a lot to do with it, but so does the fact that Lincoln didn't mess around under the hood. Its base engine is more powerful than most of its competitors' engine upgrades, while that plug-in hybrid's 630 pound-feet of torque makes you wonder whether someone made a typo. They didn't. Basically, there's a lot to love about the Aviator, and crucially, a lot that makes sense. Interior & Technology  |  Passenger & Cargo Space  |  Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive  |  Pricing & Features  |  Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2022? Changes are light for the 2022 Aviator. The Reserve trim picks up additional standard features: wireless charging, a head-up display and phone-as-key. There's also a new Monochromatic package that adds black wheels and replaces bright work with body-colored trim. It's very 2022. 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring Black Label View 34 Photos What's the Aviator interior and in-car technology like? No other company's interiors look anything like the midcentury-inspired palace of cool you get in the Aviator. All versions are available with distinctive color schemes (including the base model shown below right in Sandstone), but the Black Label trim level stands out the most with its three available "themes" of "Chalet," "Flight" and "Destination" (below left) that get special colors and trim types. The quality of some plastics and the fit-and-finish aren't up to Mercedes or BMW levels, but everything looks so special that it covers whatever deficit exists.

Autoblog Podcast #327

New York Auto Show, Jim Farley interview, 2014 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy, Ford fuel economy app challenge
Episode #327 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about this year's New York Auto Show, Chevrolet's latest assault in the pickup truck fuel economy battle, and Ford's reward for developing a better fuel economy app. Dan also has an interview with Ford's Jim Farley about the future of Lincoln. We wrap with your questions and emails, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #327:

12 best hybrid SUVs for 2022

If you're searching for the best hybrid SUV, the truth is there actually aren't that many choices. While there's an endless sea of those powered solely by gasoline, those that add batteries and superior fuel economy to the mix are few and far between. The very good news, however, is that the choices you have are actually excellent. The top-selling and top-rated Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are not only available as hybrids, for instance, but are actually at their most appealing as hybrids.  Luxury hybrid SUVs are a different story. While Lexus offers each of its crossover SUVs as a conventional hybrid, those of other brands are by and large plug-in hybrids that provide a relatively brief amount of all-electric propulsion, superior fuel economy and higher prices that are somewhat countered by EV tax rebates. We include both conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids in the below list of best hybrid SUVs. All are listed alphabetically within each category. Best small hybrid SUVs   |   Best midsize hybrid SUVs Best luxury hybrid SUVs   |   Best luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs Best small hybrid SUVs Honda CR-V Hybrid Why it stands out: Best-in-class back seat space; hybrid's distinctive EV-like power delivery; middle lower LATCH anchorCould be better: Antiquated and glitchy tech interface; a bit dull Hybrid fuel economy: 38 mpg combined (AWD only) Read our 2022 Honda CR-V Review Consider the CR-V the baseline for any compact SUV search. Objectively speaking, it's tough to beat due to its massive cargo capacity, voluminous back seat, well-balanced driving dynamics, competitive pricing and features, strong safety ratings and well-regarded reliability. In terms of its hybridness, we like that Honda's distinctive hybrid system sees most of its propulsion handled by the electric motor (the engine rarely powers the wheels directly), resulting in a more EV-like, torque-rich power delivery and a less obtrusive gas engine. For the vast majority of compact SUV buyers, and especially families, the CR-V Hybrid checks every box.    Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Why it stands out: Beautiful interior; excellent infotainment and safety technology; traditional automatic transmissionCould be better: No spare tire; styling a tad outrageous Hybrid fuel economy: 37-38 mpg combined (AWD only) Plug-in hybrid electric range: 33 miles Plug-in hybrid fuel economy: 80 MPGe Read our 2022 Hyundai Tucson Review The Tucson is the new kid in town and it's made quite an entrance.