Jump LinksTidy Low Mileage Car At This PriceLincoln's Upmarket SUV Is Also Supremely ComfortableWhen purchasing a new SUV, you'll want a fair amount of goodies to come along for the price. Take the 2026 Toyota 4Runner as an example. The Japanese contender costs just over $41,000 just to have the entry-level model. For this outlay, you'd have to make do with fabric seats and single-zone climate control, which, quite frankly, you can easily find on a cheap car from 20 years ago. We reckon opting for a used SUV would net you much better results for the money.A pre-loved Lincoln Aviator Reserve, the mid-range version of the three-row SUV, is a great example of the sort of luxury cruiser you can get. Examples only a few years old have tumbled in value, and can now be had for significantly less than a new entry-level 4Runner. This piece explores the technical elements and luxury touches offered by used examples of the Lincoln Aviator Reserve, as well as how much you can expect to spend on a decent one. Used Aviator Reserves Are Tantalizingly Tempting LincolnIf you fancy picking up a brand-new 2026 Toyota 4Runner, the cheapest way of doing so is by opting for the SR5 trim, which would set you back $41,370 before you've even contemplated any options. Compare that to a used 2022 Aviator, and you'd be pleasantly surprised. CarBuzz's Marketplace reports (see graph below) that a middling-spec Reserve trim currently has an average sale price of $31,500, roughly $10,000 less than the 4Runner.This figure gets even more mouth-watering when you consider the rear-wheel drive version demanded over $57,000 when it was shiny and new. The beauty of this extreme depreciation is that you can pick up an SUV that sits significantly higher up the luxury tree than a 4Runner, without having to give away much in terms of age or mileage. A Tidy Low Mileage Car At This Price Lincoln Handily, there are plenty of excellent examples of Aviator Reserves at this value for you to choose from. A good one is a mint 2022 model for $35,897 finished in white, and with just 45,667 miles on the clock. It's also an all-wheel drive variant, affording you extra traction and security when conditions get tricky.If high mileage doesn't concern you, you can easily pick up a solid Aviator Reserve for well under $30,000. Just make sure to thoroughly inspect the vehicle's maintenance history to prevent any unwanted scares. Still, the value you can get with a used Aviator is pretty eye-opening. Feel Like You're Living The High Life Lincoln From the moment you climb inside the confines of the Aviator Reserve, you can recognize the step-up in luxury from a 4Runner SR5. For starters, you'd find premium leather seating with heating in the front row. There is also quad-zone climate control, which provides more passenger comfort than the limited single-zone system in the Toyota. Multiple trim choices are also on the menu, including leather, wood, and metal touches.The Aviator's cabin treats occupants to upmarket extras such as a powered panoramic roof, a premium audio system with satellite navigation, soothing ambient lighting, and even a handy 360-degree camera. The equipment list only grows from there, and it's safe to say the vehicle offers a higher level of luxury than the standard 4Runner. Lincoln's Upmarket SUV Is Also Supremely Comfortable Lincoln While having nice seats and top-notch climate control are crucial when it comes to creating a comfortable cockpit, they mean nothing if the vehicle rides like a donkey on a rocky beach. The Aviator Reserve works excellently in this regard, too, courtesy of its comfort-geared independent suspension configuration. Adaptive damping lends a hand to make sure you're well taken care of, no matter the surface. However, there is a way to make it even better.Look around, and you may find an example with the optional Dynamic Handling package. This not only affords you camera-linked dynamic damping, which uses a camera scanning the road ahead to prepare the car for whatever is coming before you get there, but the equipment also includes an air suspension. The air setup provides a cloud-like ride, while also greatly reducing body roll. The ride would be far smoother than a base 4Runner could offer. A Used Aviator Will Help Itself To Your Funds Lincoln Of course, one area you'll always find challenging with a used luxury car is running the thing. The Aviator Reserve comes loaded with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that kicks out 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque with a ten-speed automatic transmission. You'd be lucky to eclipse the EPA-rated 20 miles per gallon combined fuel economy for the all-wheel-drive version (21 MPG with RWD). Anticipate stopping off at a gas station more than you would in a 4Runner, which gets a slightly more efficient turbocharged 2.4-liter four-pot engine. However, the base, rear-drive 4Runner gets 22 MPG combined, so the difference isn't perhaps as large as you might anticipate.The Aviator will be more demanding to keep running well, bearing in mind that its considerable mass will put more wear and tear on consumables such as the brakes, suspension, and tires. RepairPal therefore estimates that you'd need to spend around $626 per year to keep an Aviator Reserve running at its best. For comparison, a 4Runner is cheaper to run at $514 a year, but again, the difference isn't as drastic as you might think. Budget for running a $60,000 luxury SUV as opposed to a cheaper vehicle worth $30,000, and you shouldn't find much in the way of unwelcome surprises. The Aviator's Lesser-Badged Cousin Is Also Good Value Ford Should the upmarket vibe of the Aviator not tickle your pickle, then its Ford-badged cousin could be the perfect alternative. The Aviator shares the same platform as the Explorer, though. The Ford features sportier interior and exterior styling, and is aimed at a less luxury-focused audience than the Lincoln. Plus, for the same kind of money as an Aviator Reserve, you can pick up a newer 2023 Explorer King Ranch AWD, the range-topping variant of the SUV.Opting for this Explorer gets buyers the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 as the Aviator, but it was detuned to 365 hp prior to 2023. From then on, the powerplant got the same 400 hp as the Lincoln. The Explorer's more rugged exterior makes it better on the rough stuff, too, making the Ford the more usable option if you like taking the family camping. The Aviator is far superior if you're only going to be cruising along paved roads, though, so you simply need to ask yourself what you want from your bargain used luxury SUVs. Whichever of the duo you ultimately settle on, you're getting far more for your money than a new 4Runner.
