2021 Toyota Venza vs 2022 Lincoln Nautilus

The 2021 Toyota Venza was a bit shorter and closer to the ground compared to the Toyota RAV4, but it shared the same wheelbase. Critics noted that the Venza's design closely resembled a Lexus, especially with its grille and elongated profile, drawing comparisons to the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. The Venza was available in three trims—LE, XLE, and Limited—and offered seven paint colors. Standard features included dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, puddle lights, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The base LE model came with a wireless charging pad, 4.2-inch driver’s information display, leather-trimmed steering wheel, Bluetooth, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment touch screen. Higher trims added more luxurious features, with the Limited trim offering a digital rearview mirror, illuminated footwells, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus, especially in the Black Label trim with 21-inch machined-finish wheels, was an attractive SUV with balanced styling and plenty of character. The Black Label trim featured a Lincoln Embrace lighting sequence and offered Chalet or Flight design themes, with our test vehicle showcasing light gray premium leather upholstery. The Black Label trim included nearly every available feature, such as a simulated suede headliner and luxury floor mats. The Nautilus had a starting MSRP of $44,225, with the Black Label trim starting at $66,825. Our test vehicle included Ultra Comfort 22-way power-adjustable front seats with Active Motion massage, perfect for long drives.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, resulting in a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system used an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) with a sequential-shifting feature for regenerative braking. While the Venza's acceleration was smooth, it was not rapid, and the engine noise was noticeable during acceleration. However, the Venza excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus offered two engine options. The standard and Reserve trims came with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Black Label trim featured a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine with 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, requiring all-wheel drive. The Nautilus had Comfort, Normal, and Sport driving modes, with the adaptive suspension adjusting accordingly. The twin-turbo V6 achieved an EPA fuel economy rating of 21 mpg combined, with a maximum range of 450 miles on the highway. During testing, the Nautilus averaged 25 mpg over 871.1 miles. The SUV was quiet, comfortable, and performed well on both long road trips and mountain roads, although the steering was not particularly engaging.

The 2021 Toyota Venza offered a practical and comfortable interior, with premium appointments in the center stack and a unique cabin design. The deep center console featured resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, drive mode buttons, and a wireless charging pad. The driver and passenger seats were accommodating, and the rear seats were comfortable for two adults. The Venza had more headroom than the RAV4 but slightly less legroom up front. Cargo space was around 60 percent of the RAV4's, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet. Despite the smaller cargo space, the Venza's quick-flip releases on the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks made arranging the cargo area easy.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label featured smooth leather, ambient lighting, and a quiet drive thanks to Active Noise Control and acoustic glass. The front seats were heated and ventilated, with the optional 22-way power front seats offering multiple massage programs and adjustable thigh extensions. The rear seats were heated and had air conditioning vents, but legroom was tight for a midsize SUV. Practical storage space was adequate, with a hands-free power liftgate revealing 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and a maximum of 68.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2021 Toyota Venza LE and XLE had an 8-inch infotainment system, while the Limited trim featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen. All screens ran the Entune infotainment system, which included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The system also offered a Wi-Fi hot spot, a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system, and various connected services like Safety Connect and Remote Connect. The larger screen provided dynamic navigation with cloud-based route guidance.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Sync 4 software. Sync 4 offered over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. The Black Label trim included connected navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a 19-speaker Revel premium audio system. The system had an intuitive user interface, physical stereo and climate controls, and a natural voice recognition system. The Nautilus also offered Phone as a Key, turning a smartphone into a digital key.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, tire pressure monitoring, and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. The suite also featured a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to automatic braking available on higher trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus included Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0, which featured forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Black Label trim added Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0 Plus, which included adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance, evasive steering assist, a surround-view camera system, and parking sensors. The Black Label also featured a semi-autonomous parking assist system and post-collision braking. The Nautilus received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for rollover resistance.