The electric revolution is slowly sweeping the nation, and almost every car brand is getting in on the action. Lincoln is one of them, and Lincoln has recently unveiled its 2020 hybrid Aviator. While there are some good things about it, here’s why Car and Driver says that the 2020 Lincoln hybrid Aviator is a waste of money.

What’s good about the 2020 Lincoln Aviator?

Earlier this year, CarBuzz reported that Lincoln’s new hybrid Aviator was more powerful than people expected. The hybrid Aviator was originally quoted as having about 450-hp, but CarBuzz discovered that it actually had 495-hp. That’s not where the good things end, either, as the performance figures for the hybrid Aviator do live up to the hype. 

Thanks to that high horsepower number as well as its high torque figure of 630 lb-ft, the hybrid Aviator could accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5 seconds. According to Car and Driver, that’s a full second faster than what the regular Aviator can do. 

In terms of its fuel economy, obviously it’s better than what the regular Aviator gets, but there’s debate about how much. Car and Driver mentions that its tests of the hybrid Aviator had its combined fuel economy at about 23 MPG.

The EPA however, says that the hybrid Aviator gets about 27 MPG combined. Car and Driver has a different way of measuring fuel economy than the EPA does, so that’s likely where the differences stem from.

Furthermore, the Aviator, hybrid or not, is a luxury SUV to begin with. The car that Car and Driver tested was a very high-end model of the hybrid Aviator, and Car and Driver was very impressed by its interior features and design. 

What’s not good about it

Despite the fact that it’s a hybrid, Car and Driver actually claims that it got a fuel economy that was 1 MPG worse than the regular Aviator. Again, that likely happened because of the differences in how the EPA and Car and Driver tests for fuel economy, but that’s not a good sign for the hybrid Aviator.

Another big issue with the hybrid Aviator is the additional weight it has due to the weight of the batteries and electric motor. Car and Driver said that the hybrid Aviator weighed in at over 5,800 lb, and that’s about 650 lb heavier than what the regular Aviator weighs in at.

This additional weight, combined with some flaws in terms of its design, makes the hybrid Aviator uncomfortable to ride in, according to Car and Driver. 

But the biggest issue with the hybrid Aviator is its price tag. The one that Car and Driver drove was worth almost $89,000. For comparison, the regular Aviator, at its least expensive price, is about $51,000. While the Aviator is a luxury SUV, the difference between those two price points is $38,000, which is equal to the value of buying another brand-new car.

That said, the least expensive version of the hybrid Aviator is still about $69,000, which is a full $18,000 more than the least expensive regular Aviator.

You could just buy a Tesla for that kind of money

Another reason why the 2020 Lincoln Aviator hybrid is a waste of money is because of the opportunity cost. If you only want to buy a Lincoln, then that’s one thing. But if you’re open to other car brands, then that $89,000 could be spent on a more fuel-efficient SUV like the Tesla Model X. There are a lot of differences between the two, but the biggest one is fuel economy. 

A fully electric SUV is going to be far more fuel-efficient than a hybrid will be. And if you’re willing to spend $89,000 on an environmentally conscious SUV, it doesn’t make sense not to go all-in and just choose an even more fuel-efficient SUV. That’s why, unless you’re a hardcore Lincoln fan, the 2020 hybrid Aviator just seems like a waste of money.