2021 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2021 Lincoln Corsair

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair, introduced as a replacement for the Lincoln MKC, rode on the new C2 platform shared with the Ford Escape. Unlike its predecessor, the Corsair succeeded in differentiating itself from its Ford counterpart, offering a refined design with slab sides, blacked-out rear pillars, and straight belt- and rooflines. These design cues, shared with the Aviator and Navigator, made the Corsair appear larger than it was. Inside, the Corsair featured a flowing dash, floating center touchscreen, and “Piano Key” shifter buttons, though it had more hard-touch materials compared to its more expensive siblings.

The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus, formerly known as the MKX, was based on the Ford Edge platform and received a facelift in 2019. For 2021, the exterior remained the same, but the cabin was updated with a sharp new dash design, clean lines, soft materials, and a large touchscreen. The “Piano Key” shifter-button layout was easy to use, and the 13.2-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen system was user-friendly and visually appealing. The Nautilus also featured wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making it a tech-savvy choice.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came with a base 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. An optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine offered 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the 2.0-liter available in FWD or AWD and the 2.3-liter exclusively in AWD. The Corsair also introduced the Grand Touring trim with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.5-liter engine with electric motors for a total of 266 hp and 28 miles of pure EV driving.

The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus came standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The Reserve and Black Label trims offered a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 with 355 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The four-cylinder engine was available in FWD or AWD, while the V6 came standard with AWD. The V6 provided smooth and controlled acceleration, complemented by an adaptive suspension that handled bumps well and kept the vehicle composed through corners.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair offered a spacious cabin with comfortable seats and ample storage space. However, the large lip when stepping in or out of the vehicle was a notable downside. The rear seats were reclining and sliding, providing impressive legroom for a compact SUV. The Corsair had 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 57.6 cubic feet with the seats folded, both average for its class. A power liftgate was standard, with a hands-free option available.

The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus provided up to 68.8 cubic feet of cargo space, more than the Lexus RX 350 and Cadillac XT5. With the rear seats in use, it offered 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space. The Nautilus emphasized two-row comfort, with plenty of head- and legroom in the rear seats and 22-way multi-contour power-adjustable front seats. The center console bin and deep in-door pockets provided additional storage, and the floating center controls design allowed for storage below the radio and climate controls.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running SYNC 3, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Reserve trim added wireless device charging, a 14-speaker Revel premium audio system, and a head-up display (HUD) with crisp graphics.

The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus featured a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with high-definition graphics and a sensible menu layout. It supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with large icons and no unnecessary repackaging. The available wireless charging pad and Revel 19-speaker premium audio system provided excellent sound quality.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. The CoPilot360 Plus suite added features like adaptive LED headlights, surround-view parking cameras, front parking sensors, speed-limit sign recognition, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, and automatic parking assist. The Corsair was an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus when equipped with high-feature headlights.

The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus included the CoPilot360 package with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional available features included adaptive cruise control, front parking sensors, surround-view parking monitor, and adaptive headlights. However, the standard backup camera was low-quality, making it difficult to see in low-light scenarios.