2024 Lincoln Nautilus Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Available in Premiere, Reserve or Black Label trim, the Nautilus debuts with an exterior styling that is more sophisticated and streamlined, hopefully pointing to a new direction in Lincoln design. The new grille is quite nice, reminiscent of the bifurcated design we’ve seen on Mercedes Benz. However, here the LED lighting extends through the grill and illuminates the Lincoln star logo. It’s stunning.

That horizontal aesthetic is copied at the rear with a full-width animated LED light bar and dual exhaust ports. Lincoln also does a neat design twist on the car’s profile, placing the door handles up high and incorporating them into the beltline.

However, it’s the interior that really takes the cake. We’ll talk more about the full-width screen a bit later in this review, but suffice to say, the immersive display is the crown jewel here.

That’s not to say the rest of the interior is lacking–far from it. The materials here are all of excellent quality, with glints of shiny, polished metal throughout. There is ambient lighting and plenty of textures like open pore wood and fine leather. We’re not fans of the piano key shifter style, but that’s been a Lincoln design element since the mid-1950s. It’s pretty much a tradition by now.

For an extra $3,000, buyers can add the Jet Appearance Package with two-tone paint and black exterior trim. Depending on the model, this package also adds black 20- or 22-inch wheels and a few unique interior bits.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus's standard engine is a turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, and together they function well. Power is applied smoothly, and shifts are kept in the background, rather than being overly noticeable. While it doesn’t feel too underpowered, we recommend spending an extra $1,500 for the hybrid set up.

Adding that bit of electric assist gets drivers 310 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque, and an EPA estimated 30 mpg in combined driving. You’ll get only 24 mpg combined in the gas-only engine. Plus, we saw a total range of over 600 miles in the Nautilus hybrid, enough to drive from San Francisco to the Oregon border and back. However, if you’re really looking for great fuel economy, the Lexus RX hybrid does much, much better, returning 36 mpg combined.

Every Nautilus comes equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD) and five drive modes. Having said that, if you want to get the most out of those drive modes, you’ll need the available adaptive suspension. Normal mode is fine for tooling around town with a cushy ride and relaxed steering feel. Excite mode tightens up the steering, throttle and reduces body roll with stiffer suspension. Also on hand here are Conserve, Slippery, and Deep Conditions, which Lincoln says is for deep snow, sand or mud.

The hybrid comes equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), often a hindrance to driving enjoyment. However, this setup exhibits no droning or over-eager engine speed. While we wouldn’t call the Nautilus a driver’s car–go get yourself a Porsche Cayenne or BMW X5 if you want to hit the back roads–it can certainly scratch a bit of the go-fast itch should it arise.

All trims get power-adjustable, heated, and cooled front seats, but for utmost in comfort, go for the Black Label model with Lincoln's 24-way Perfect Position front seats. They are possibly the most comfortable seats in the mid-size luxury SUV class, topping what’s found even in the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Genesis. Part of the reason is the massage function, which keeps doing its thing until physically turned off. Other manufacturers kill the massage function after 10 or 15 minutes. Same goes for the heating element. These seats will toast your buns for six hours-plus, if that’s your desire.

While the rear seats don’t offer the same amount of luxury (they are heated only on the top trim and there is no massage function) there is a whopping 43 inches of legroom. That’s nearly six inches more than what you’ll find in the BMW X5 and two inches more than in the Mercedes-Benz GLE. Folks over six feet tall will have no problem sitting in the rear.

If you just need to relax, the Lincoln Rejuvenate feature might be your jam. Akin to the Energizing Comfort feature found in Mercedes-Benz products, Rejuvenate combines massage, lighting, and screen images to invoke different moods. Seems like a perfect way to waste a few minutes in your driveway after your commute but before you tackle getting the kids dinner and to bed. Heck, you can even get a scented cabin. A car full of Mystic Forest or Ozonic Azure might be just what you need.

When it comes to cargo space, you’ll find 36 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 71 cubic feet when those seats are folded down in the Premiere trim, but you lose a bit of space in the Reserve and Black Label trims. Still, it’s more than what’s found in the Lexus RX.

It should be noted that the Nautilus is available only with seating for five. There are a few competitors, like the Cadillac XT6, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, that are available with three rows of seating. In most cases, however, those seats are too small for adults, and we'd rather have the cargo space.

Now, finally getting back to that massive 48-inch curved display; it’s a stunner. The left side features a digital dash for the driver and navigation information, but there are three sections that can be customized to display weather, audio, fuel economy, tire pressure, or the current trip mileage. Graphics here are crisp and the colors bright.

On the center console is a smaller 11.1-inch touchscreen for basic infotainment duties with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. HVAC controls are on the screen, but they are at least permanent icons and you don’t have to go searching through menus to turn on the air conditioner. You do, however, have to search through menus to adjust the vents, which is so mind-blowingly distracting it might as well be illegal.

Another distraction are the unlabelled steering wheel controls. Touch the right side with your thumb and the audio controls show up on the curved screen. Touch the left, and you’ve got Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) controls. However, it’s tough to get your thumb placed precisely, and you’ll likely be staring at the screen until you get the hang of it. Again, it’s a distraction that could be solved by actual physical buttons that click.

Still, we like the inclusion of Google maps and Alexa Built-in for voice controls. Gaming and web browsing are available when the car is stopped and over-the-air (OTA) updates should keep things current. Wireless charging is standard and there are USB-A and -C charge ports throughout the cabin as well.

There are plenty of standard safety features in the Nautilus and they all work as advertised. The Lincoln CoPilot 360 suite of ADAS features include things like lane-keeping assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and emergency braking.

However, we love that the hands-free/eyes-up Blue Cruise 1.2 technology is included on every Nautilus trim. Well, sort of included. Buyers of Premiere and Reserve trims can add a 90-day trial of the technology and the Black Label Nautilus gets the technology standard for four years. After the trial period, the cost is $75 per month or $800 per year.

On pre-mapped highways in North America, Blue Cruise combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, but this latest version adds an automatic lane-change assist when the driver signals. The new In-Lane Repositioning feature will put just a smidge more room between the Nautilus and a larger vehicle in the next lane. We wanted a bit more room, to be honest, as the semi-trucks in the adjacent lane seemed quite large at highway speed.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus has not yet been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the NHTSA scored the 2023 Nautilus with five out of five stars for frontal and side crash protection and four out of five stars for rollover protection.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 2024 Nautilus the top score of “Good” in crashworthiness but has not yet rated the latest model in front crash prevention or seat belt or child restraints systems.

The base Lincoln Nautilus Premiere starts at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $52,010, including $1,595 for Destination. That’s well-equipped with the Blue Cruise trial, comfy seating, all-wheel drive, and all the screens you could possibly want. If you want all the bells and whistles, including a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D audio system and massaging seats, you’re going into the mid-70s for that top Black Label trim. Don’t forget to add $1,500 for the hybrid powertrain.

Still, many competitors have a higher starting price. The Germans all cost $10,000 to $15,000 more at the get go. We like the Genesis GV80 as an alternative, though you’ll likely spend a few thousand more for one. If saving money is of utmost importance, look at the Lexus RX or Cadillac XT6.

The basic warranty here matches what most other luxury brands offer: four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. The powertrain warranty is a bit better at six years or 70,000 miles. If you opt for the hybrid, the battery has a warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles and you’ll get free scheduled maintenance on every Nautilus for four years or 50,000 miles.

There is a lot to like about the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. Not only does it come with impressive cabin technology, the ADAS features are all top-notch and every trim can be had with Blue Cruise. There are a few little quibbles here and there: the hybrid could get better fuel economy and some of the technology can be distracting. But overall, the Nautilus comes into its next generation very strong indeed.