NOT EVEN CLOSE

I won’t waste your time. I’m not going to yank your chain. No dillydallying here, heaven forbid. If you’re shopping for an American three-row luxury SUV, it would be a regretful mistake to buy a Cadillac XT6 over the Lincoln Aviator.

From a pricing perspective, they’re pretty even. Each carries a starting price in the high-$50,000 range. As tested, Lincoln’s three-row comes to $75,120 and Cadillac’s rings in at $73,040. Both have their strengths, but by almost every measure, the Aviator provides a superior luxury three-row experience. Here’s why.

Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and MPG

Both cars generate power with gas-fueled aluminum V-6 engines, one force-fed (by two turbochargers) and the other naturally aspirated. The free-breathing powerplant lives under the hood of the Cadillac, and it’s the same 3.6-liter V-6 that General Motors defaults to in countless Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles.