2024 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained much of its familiar design, with the Wilderness trim receiving a refreshed front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark gray cladding provided a striking contrast to the Autumn Green Metallic color of the Outback Touring XT model, which was described as a "green-tinged dark khaki." This color choice was surprisingly appealing, offering a unique alternative to more traditional champagne-beige hues. The Outback's various trims featured different levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Touring trim showcasing the most chrome, which was tastefully executed. Wheel designs varied by trim, with standard black 17-inch alloy wheels and a matte black version for the Wilderness trim, while the Onyx Edition and higher trims sported 18-inch wheels with a machine finish.

Inside, the top-trim Outback impressed with its Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, which was both attractive and comfortable. The Outback Limited offered standard leather seating, while the Onyx Edition and Wilderness trims featured Subaru's StarTex synthetic leather. Base and Premium trims came with cloth seats. The interior quality exceeded expectations for a brand known more for capability than luxury, providing a pleasant surprise for those seeking a more refined driving experience.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus debuted with a sophisticated and streamlined exterior design, signaling a potential new direction for Lincoln. The new grille, reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz's bifurcated design, featured LED lighting that extended through the grille and illuminated the Lincoln star logo, creating a stunning visual effect. The rear of the Nautilus mirrored this horizontal aesthetic with a full-width animated LED light bar and dual exhaust ports. A unique design twist was the placement of door handles high on the profile, integrated into the beltline.

The interior of the Nautilus was a standout feature, with a full-width screen serving as the crown jewel. The materials used were of excellent quality, with polished metal accents, ambient lighting, and textures like open-pore wood and fine leather. While the piano key shifter style was a traditional Lincoln design element, it was not universally loved. The Jet Appearance Package, available for an additional $3,000, offered two-tone paint, black exterior trim, and black 20- or 22-inch wheels, depending on the model, along with unique interior elements.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the standard 2.5-liter flat-four producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness, were upgraded to a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This turbo setup increased the towing capacity from 2,700 to 3,500 lbs. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) were standard across the lineup. The Touring XT model, with its more powerful engine, provided a better fit for the vehicle's weight, and the CVT effectively mimicked the sound and feel of eight distinct gears. The brake pedal, aided by an electronic booster, offered a satisfying feel, and the steering was adequate for a comfortable ride. The Outback's ground clearance was 8.7 inches, with the Wilderness trim offering 9.2 inches and all-terrain tires, along with an advanced dual-function X-Mode for off-road adventures.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus featured a standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The power delivery was smooth, and shifts were unobtrusive. For an additional $1,500, buyers could opt for the hybrid setup, which provided 310 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque, and an EPA-estimated 30 mpg in combined driving. The hybrid also offered a range of over 600 miles, although the Lexus RX hybrid achieved better fuel economy. All Nautilus models came with AWD and five drive modes, with the adaptive suspension enhancing the driving experience. The hybrid's CVT avoided the typical droning and over-eager engine speed, making it a viable option for those seeking a bit of performance without sacrificing comfort.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered impressive interior space despite its sleek proportions. With a moonroof-equipped model, the Outback provided more front headroom than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and only slightly less rear headroom than the RAV4. It also offered more front-row legroom than both competitors and surpassed the RAV4 in rear-seat legroom. The cargo area measured 32.6 cubic feet with all seats in place and 75.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. While the RAV4 and CR-V offered more cargo space with all seats occupied, the Outback excelled when the rear seats were folded. Feature availability was a strong point, with dual-zone climate control standard on all but the base trim, and heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver's seat starting with the Premium trim. The Limited trim added a powered front passenger's seat and heated rear seats. Ventilated front seats were exclusive to the Touring trim, and a heated steering wheel was standard from the Onyx Edition onward. The hands-free power liftgate was optional on the Premium trim and standard on higher trims, while the Onyx Edition included a power moonroof by default. Raised roof rails with retractable cross bars were standard, with the cross bars easily stowed when not in use.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus offered power-adjustable, heated, and cooled front seats across all trims, with the Black Label model featuring Lincoln's 24-way Perfect Position front seats, which were among the most comfortable in the mid-size luxury SUV class. The massage function and extended heating element added to the comfort, while the rear seats provided 43 inches of legroom, surpassing the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Lincoln Rejuvenate feature combined massage, lighting, and screen images to create different moods, and a scented cabin option was available. Cargo space measured 36 cubic feet behind the second row and 71 cubic feet with the seats folded in the Premiere trim, with slightly less space in the Reserve and Black Label trims. The Nautilus was available only with seating for five, unlike some competitors that offered three rows, but the focus was on maximizing cargo space.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Touring trim was the only model to feature a CD player, appealing to those who appreciated old-school features. The technology package included both USB-C and USB-A ports on all but the base trim, which had USB-A only. The top-trim model boasted an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, while the base trim retained a dual-7-inch-screen system. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though dated in appearance, offered standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless capability starting from the Premium trim. Climate controls were integrated into the touchscreen, with hard buttons for defoggers and temperature adjustments. Wi-Fi capability was available on all but the base trim, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system was standard on most trims, except for the base model with a four-speaker system and the Premium trim with six speakers.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus featured a massive 48-inch curved display, with a digital dash for the driver and customizable sections for weather, audio, fuel economy, tire pressure, and trip mileage. The graphics were crisp and vibrant. An 11.1-inch touchscreen on the center console handled basic infotainment duties, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. HVAC controls were permanent icons on the screen, but adjusting the vents required navigating through menus, which was distracting. Unlabelled steering wheel controls added to the distraction, as users had to touch the right or left side to access audio or ADAS controls, respectively. Despite these challenges, the inclusion of Google Maps, Alexa Built-in, gaming, and web browsing when stopped, along with over-the-air updates, kept the technology current. Wireless charging and USB-A and -C charge ports were standard throughout the cabin.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, although it fell short of the Top Safety Pick+ designation achieved by the 2023 model. The NHTSA awarded both the 2023 and 2024 models five stars overall. Safety features were enhanced for 2024, with reverse automatic braking standard from the Onyx trim level. The EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies remained standard, including adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, automatic pre-collision braking, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency steering. Blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert became standard on the Onyx Edition. The Touring trim added a wide-angle camera, digital rearview mirror, and driver-attention monitor. A backup camera and high-beam assist were standard across the lineup.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus came equipped with the Lincoln CoPilot 360 suite of ADAS features, including lane-keeping assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and emergency braking. The hands-free/eyes-up Blue Cruise 1.2 technology was included on every trim, with a 90-day trial for Premiere and Reserve trims and four years standard on the Black Label. After the trial, the cost was $75 per month or $800 per year. Blue Cruise combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist on pre-mapped highways, with automatic lane-change assist and In-Lane Repositioning for added safety. The 2024 Nautilus had not yet been rated by the NHTSA, but the 2023 model received five stars for frontal and side crash protection and four stars for rollover protection. The IIHS rated the 2024 Nautilus "Good" in crashworthiness but had not yet rated it for front crash prevention or seat belt and child restraint systems.