Compared: 2023 Infiniti QX60 vs. 2023 Lincoln Aviator

While Lincoln's three-row midsize luxury SUV offers plenty of tech and performance, its Infiniti rival is loaded with style.

Sami Haj-Assaad | 

Sep 21, 2023 | 3 min read

Lincoln | Infiniti

While pricier than more mainstream models, three-row luxury SUVs such as the 2023 Infiniti QX60 and 2023 Lincoln Aviator offer numerous standard features and benefits, including refined cabins loaded with high-tech gear.

Infiniti

2023 Infiniti QX60 vs. 2023 Lincoln Aviator: Price

With its front-wheel-drive Pure base trim priced around $51,000, the 2023 Infiniti QX60 has an almost $5,000 advantage over the least expensive Lincoln. Adding all-wheel drive (AWD) to the Infiniti is about $2,000. The QX60 Luxe trim includes larger wheels, navigation, and enhanced driver-assistance features for around $57,000 total. The top-of-the-line QX60 Autograph with all-wheel drive is about $67,000. It comes with second-row captain's chairs and seating for six instead of seven and could be a bargain, if you're comparing it with the pricier Lincoln alternatives.

Adding AWD to the base rear-wheel-drive 2023 Lincoln Aviator Standard, priced around $55,000, raises the cost by about $2,000. In contrast, the top Aviator Black Label trim includes AWD, 22-inch wheels, a 28-speaker sound system, and an interior configured in one of three atmospheric themes. It starts around $82,000. Efficiency-oriented shoppers might consider the Aviator Grand Touring Plug-in Hybrid, with prices starting at about $72,000. Like the Infiniti, the Lincoln offers seating for seven with a bench seat in the second row, or seating for six with a pair of captain's chairs instead.

Infiniti

2023 Infiniti QX60 vs. 2023 Lincoln Aviator: Features

With such a vast price difference, some buyers might worry that the Infiniti will be lacking in certain ways. However, the QX60 is close to the Aviator in passenger volume, with just under 141 cubic feet in passenger space, compared with just shy of 145 cu-ft in the Lincoln. The delta in cargo space is also tight, as the Infiniti includes 14.5 cu-ft behind its third row, compared with 18.3 cu-ft in the Aviator. Fold all the seats down and the difference in space is not much more than 2.0 cu-ft, with the QX60 totaling 75.4 cu-ft, compared with 77.7 cu-ft in the Aviator.

Interior space aside, both vehicles offer plenty of safety equipment. However, the entry-level Lincoln includes more driver-assistance features than the mere warnings found in the Infiniti. The QX60 offers two 12.3-inch screens, one for infotainment and one as a digital instrument cluster. The screens in the Lincoln are smaller, but audiophiles can get a maximum of 28 Revel Ultima speakers for the Aviator's premium audio, compared with just 17 Bose speakers in the QX60.

Lincoln

2023 Infiniti QX60 vs. 2023 Lincoln Aviator: Fuel Economy

The Infiniti's only powerplant, a 3.5-liter V6 gas engine, makes 295 horsepower and is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Versions with front-wheel drive score an EPA estimate of 23 mpg, while AWD QX60s deliver 1 less mile per gallon at 22 mpg.

The Lincoln makes do with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that outputs 400 horsepower. Matched to a 10-speed automatic, the rear-wheel-drive models deliver 21 mpg, while AWD estimates drop to 19 or 20 mpg, depending on the trim level. The plug-in Aviator's additional electric motor bumps the output to 494 horsepower and an astonishing 630 pound-feet of torque. This setup offers 21 miles of all-electric range, 56 MPGe, and 23 mpg.

Sami Haj-Assaad

Sami Haj-Assaad is an award-winning automotive journalist who has contributed to several automotive, electric vehicle, luxury lifestyle, and technology publications. His work isn't just limited to the written word, as he's also hosted YouTube videos and podcasts. Having grown up in the '90s, he has a strong sense of attachment to that era's style, though he also loves to geek out about the modern, futuristic tech and powertrains rolling out today.