Like most plug-in hybrids, the Grand Touring does it best work with a full charge pulled out of a wall and into its battery. Topped up with electrons, it can travel around 20 miles without touching the gasoline tank, averaging the electric equivalent of 56 miles per gallon.

Unfortunately, here in New York, chargers (especially non-Tesla ones) are few and far between. More irritatingly, the Grand Touring can’t drink from fast-charging spigots; it tops out at Level 2 charging, which means charging up the 13.6-kWh battery would take hours. As a result, I wasn’t able to add any power to the Lincoln during my days with it, other than what little the gas engine slid back into the battery as it was doing its business.

Yet even after the initial charge was exhausted, the Grand Touring’s fuel economy was better than I expected. Here, our decision to skip the long road trip likely paid off; instead of 1,600 miles of open road driving, the Aviator dealt with a 100-plus of mixed urban and highway driving, something much more suited to a hybrid’s skill set. I clocked roughly 25 miles per gallon overall, mostly while leaving the car in the default “Normal” drive mode. (There’s also “Conserve,” “Excite,” Slippery,” “Deep Conditions,” as well as “Pure EV” and “Preserve EV,” in case you’re wondering.)

In Normal, the gas engine spends a surprising amount of time offline, even at highway speeds. Under a light right foot, the Grand Touring can reach roughly 80 mph on the EV motor alone; even on the bustling New Jersey Turnpike, the V6 spent a good amount of time taking catnaps. And while having an internal combustion engine firing up once or twice a minute might sound annoying, the Lincoln’s solid build and sound insulation meant little clattering or rattling made its way inside.

A modern Boeing 737, for the record, averages 84.8 miles per gallon per passenger — if it’s filled. Fit four adults into the Aviator, and you’ll likely at least match that…but you’ll be much more comfortable during the ride.