2024 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2024 Buick Envista

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, available in Premiere, Reserve, or Black Label trim, showcased a sophisticated exterior redesign that hinted at a new direction in Lincoln's design language. The new grille, inspired by the bifurcated design of Mercedes-Benz but enhanced with LED lighting and an illuminated Lincoln star logo, truly stood out. This horizontal aesthetic continued at the rear with a full-width animated LED light bar and dual exhaust ports. Lincoln made a bold design choice by incorporating the door handles into the beltline, giving the SUV a streamlined look.

Inside, the Nautilus was indeed a standout. The crown jewel was its immersive, full-width screen, which we delve into later. High-quality materials such as open-pore wood, polished metal, and fine leather were used throughout the cabin, supplemented by ambient lighting. The piano key shifter, a long-standing Lincoln tradition since the mid-1950s, continued to be a unique feature. For those looking to personalize their ride further, the Jet Appearance Package offered two-tone paint, black exterior trim, and black 20- or 22-inch wheels, depending on the model.

The 2024 Buick Envista, built on the same platform as the Chevy Trax, took a different styling approach. Its sloping roofline gave it a "crossover coupe" vibe, previously seen only on pricier models like the BMW X4 and X6. Although this design slightly compromised rear visibility, it was still within acceptable limits.

The coupe-like profile was combined with Buick's new front-end styling, marked by a split lighting design reminiscent of the Buick Wildcat EV concept. Daytime running lights sat atop, while the actual headlights were encased in vertical elements flanking the grille, mimicking oversized fog lights. Buick's arrangement of these elements into a pointed, shark-nose prow gave the Envista a sleek look. This front-end treatment was better integrated than in models like the Buick Envision and Encore GX, which underwent mid-cycle refreshes for 2024.

Different trims offered distinct styling cues. The ST grade featured black exterior trim and 18-inch wheels, with 19-inch wheels as an optional upgrade. The top-tier Avenir trim boasted bright exterior trim, standard 19-inch wheels with a Pearl Nickel finish, and distinctive interior contrast stitching in blue (ST) and off white (Avenir). The interior shared similarities with the Trax but adopted a more streamlined look, with softer materials on the dashboard and door armrests. Despite the enhancements, the grained texture of these materials felt somewhat cheap.

The standard engine for the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus was a turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This combination delivered smooth power application and almost imperceptible shifts. Despite not feeling underpowered, the hybrid setup, available for an additional $1,500, was recommended. The hybrid variant offered 310 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, with an EPA estimate of 30 mpg in combined driving. This was a significant improvement over the gas-only engine, which returned 24 mpg combined, delivering a total range of over 600 miles.

Every Nautilus came equipped with all-wheel drive and five drive modes: Normal, Excite, Conserve, Slippery, and Deep Conditions. To fully utilize these modes, the optional adaptive suspension was advised. The hybrid model featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that avoided the typical droning and erratic engine speed. While not a driver’s car like the Porsche Cayenne or BMW X5, the Nautilus could offer decent performance and deliver a bit of driving excitement when needed.

The Buick Envista borrowed its only powertrain from the Chevy Trax: a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This setup churned out 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, mirroring the Trax’s performance specifications. The combination delivered power with smoothness befitting a larger engine and more gears.

Unlike its predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista was not available with all-wheel drive. This distinction set it apart from the Encore GX, which continued as the most affordable Buick with AWD. The base models of the Envista featured a torsion-beam rear suspension, while models with 19-inch wheels benefited from a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension, touted to improve ride quality. The front suspension, a MacPherson strut setup similar to the Trax, included Buick-specific bushings and damper tuning for enhanced comfort.

Buick engineers fine-tuned the suspension to quiet road imperfections, and our test drive exposed the improved ride on Michigan’s weathered pavement. The Watts Link-equipped Envista ST managed the bumps well but exhibited some nervousness on imperfectly smooth straightaways. Acceleration was adequately responsive, making highway merges effortless, while the ride was quieter and more comfortable than its Chevy counterpart.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus provided exceptional comfort in all trims with power-adjustable, heated, and cooled front seats. The Black Label model's 24-way Perfect Position front seats were the highlight, possibly the most comfortable in their class, even surpassing high-end competitors like Mercedes-Benz and Genesis. These seats featured a continuous massage function and extended heating element operation, offering ultimate relaxation.

Rear passengers enjoyed 43 inches of legroom, significantly more than the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, making the Nautilus a comfortable option for taller individuals. The Lincoln Rejuvenate feature, comparable to Mercedes-Benz's Energizing Comfort, combined massage, lighting, and screen images to create different moods, adding a unique relaxation element to the vehicle.

Cargo space in the Nautilus was generous, with 36 cubic feet behind the second row and 71 cubic feet with the seats folded down in the Premiere trim. The Reserve and Black Label trims sacrificed a bit of cargo space but still outdid the Lexus RX. The Nautilus only offered seating for five, unlike some competitors with optional third-row seats, which are often impractically small for adults.

The Buick Envista was considerably larger than the outgoing Encore, with a 14.2-inch increase in length and a 5.7-inch wheelbase stretch. Although it was wider, the coupe-like design resulted in a shorter stature. Despite the design, the longer wheelbase improved interior space, particularly rear-seat legroom, which increased by three inches. Shoulder room also grew by two inches in both rows, creating a more spacious feeling. However, headroom decreased slightly, more so for second-row passengers, due to the plunging roofline. Despite this, the seats remained relatively comfortable for the price point.

The roofline design meant the Envista had less headroom than the Chevy Trax, comparable to rivals like the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks. Both the Envista and Trax had low, car-like driving positions with good outward visibility, enhanced by low side glass and a short hood.

When it came to cargo space, the Envista lagged behind with 20.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 42 cubic feet with them folded down. This was less than the Honda Civic hatchback and the Trax, which offered 25.6 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 54.1 cubic feet when folded.

The standout feature of the Nautilus was its massive 48-inch curved display, which included a customizable digital dash for the driver and segments for navigation, weather, audio, and various vehicle metrics. The 11.1-inch touchscreen on the center console managed basic infotainment tasks, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While HVAC controls were easy to access, adjusting the vents via the screen was notably distracting.

The steering wheel's unlabeled controls for audio and driver assistance functions were another potential distraction until users got accustomed to them. However, the infotainment system boasted advanced features like Google maps, Alexa Built-in for voice controls, gaming, web browsing, and over-the-air updates. Wireless charging and multiple USB ports ensured ample connectivity throughout the cabin.

The Buick Envista came standard with the 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital instrument cluster found in the Trax, bypassing the base infotainment system. Features like wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity were included. The interface resembled the Trax, user-friendly with retention of physical buttons for climate control and audio volume.

The center stack’s tilt toward the driver made passenger access to the controls somewhat awkward. The Envista, as an entry-level vehicle, didn’t offer many optional tech features. Notably, a head-up display wasn’t available, and wireless phone charging was optional except on the top Avenir trim. Nonetheless, the baseline tech offerings were impressive, especially given the price range.

The Nautilus was equipped with an extensive suite of standard safety features via the Lincoln CoPilot 360, which included lane-keeping assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and emergency braking. The hands-free/eyes-up Blue Cruise 1.2 technology offered adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist with features like automatic lane-change assist and In-Lane Repositioning. However, Blue Cruise was only fully included in the Black Label trim, with a 90-day trial for other trims.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus had not been rated by the NHTSA, though the 2023 model received high marks in crash tests. The IIHS rated the 2024 model ‘Good’ in crashworthiness but had yet to rate its latest model in front crash prevention or seat belt and child restraint systems.

Crash-test ratings for the Buick Envista were unavailable at the time of writing. The Envista came standard with driver-assist technologies including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian braking, a following distance indicator, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. Optional features mirrored those of the Chevy Trax and included adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist.