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8 speed, Automatic w/OD
Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4
All Wheel Drive
Lincoln sells four SUVs: the compact Corsair, the midsize two-row Nautilus, the midsize three-row Aviator, and the full-size Navigator. Until last year, Lincoln based the Nautilus on the Ford Edge. Now, the redesigned 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is made in China on a different platform that uses turbocharged four-cylinder gas and hybrid powertrains.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Moving Nautilus production to China and adding a Nautilus Hybrid are just two of the significant changes to the SUV. In addition, it is the first Lincoln to get a new Google-based infotainment system called the Lincoln Digital Experience, and the Nautilus features an impressive new panoramic display with configurable data panels that stretches from one end of the dashboard to the other. The latest version of Lincoln's hands-free driving technology (BlueCruise) is also on the menu as standard equipment.
Lincoln offers the new 2024 Nautilus in Premiere, Reserve, and Black Label trim levels, with prices between $50,415 and $74,350, not including a $1,595 destination charge.
For this review of the 2024 Nautilus, Lincoln provided a test vehicle equipped with Reserve trim and the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $67,700, including the $1,595 destination charge to ship the SUV from the assembly plant in Hangzhou, China, to your local dealership.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
One of the best things about the new Lincoln Nautilus is comfort. Thanks to the Reserve III option package, the test vehicle had 24-way power-adjustable Perfect Position front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage. They live up to their name, are exceptionally comfortable, and come wrapped in quality leather. Unfortunately, the driver faces a small and oddly shaped steering wheel, which detracts from the experience.
That steering wheel size and shape are necessary to ensure clear sightlines for the impressive panoramic display and leg clearance when entering and exiting the Nautilus. Lincoln minimizes the number of physical controls in the cabin, tucking too many of them into the 11.1-inch touchscreen display in the center of the dashboard. Those that remain prioritize form over function, negatively impacting the user experience. The steering wheel controls are particularly irritating.
Wide-opening rear doors grant access to a roomy back seat. Seemingly endless legroom combines with a bottom cushion and backrest offering excellent support, and the test vehicle's panoramic sunroof allows plenty of natural light into the cabin. Lincoln does not provide a triple-zone automatic climate control system in the Nautilus, so passengers are at the mercy of the people sitting in front. Also, this SUV lacks rear-side window sunshades, something to remember if you carry infants who don't realize yet they shouldn't look at the sun.
Thanks to numerous trays, bins, nooks, and crannies, in-cabin storage space adds up to enough. The cargo room measures up to 36.4 cubic feet behind the back seat and 71.3 cu-ft with the rear seat folded flat.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Featuring Google Built-in, the Lincoln Digital Experience includes Google Maps, Google Assistant, and apps from the Google Play Store. If Alexa is more your speed, the infotainment system lets you sign into your account and use the Alexa Built-in technology. You can also pair your smartphone and wirelessly run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. To ensure all the bases are covered, the system also includes SiriusXM 360L satellite radio and Lincoln Connect connected services with access to a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot.
That's all great, provided the technology works. For about 36 hours, my test car's 11.1-inch touchscreen quit responding to touch, making it just a screen. The only virtual buttons that kept working were the ones controlling the climate system temperature. I could not access any main menus, change the SXM radio station, change the driving modes, adjust the front air vents (you must do that through the screen), modify system settings, or customize the panoramic display.
The screen quit working on a Friday afternoon, remained unresponsive all day Saturday, and slowly returned to life on Sunday morning. After that, it worked properly for the rest of my time in the SUV.
Aside from that glitch, the Lincoln Digital Experience is an impressive infotainment system. Connecting a smartphone is effortless, and Lincoln makes it easy to switch back and forth between the native environment and smartphone projection (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). Google Play opens a world of possibilities regarding information and entertainment, and Google Assistant quickly recognizes and responds to naturally spoken queries and commands.
However, when I told Google Assistant I needed to go to a hospital, it recommended three nearby medical facilities that were not my local hospital located just a few miles away. After switching my request to an emergency room, Google Assistant suggested three urgent care centers, still unable to suggest the hospital near my home. Unfortunately, you only get three suggestions from the system. Reject them, and Google Assistant leaves you without a result.
In addition to the Perfect Position front seats, the test vehicle's Reserve III package added a high-end Revel Ultima 3D audio system with 28 speakers and gorgeously detailed speaker grilles. As you might expect, it sounded terrific.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Lincoln offers the 2024 Nautilus with a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive (AWD). The engine produces 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque and the EPA expects it to get 24 mpg in combined driving.
An optional hybrid powertrain uses the turbocharged four-cylinder and swaps the eight-speed automatic for a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Total system output measures 310 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and the EPA gas mileage rating for the Nautilus Hybrid is 30 mpg.
Drivers choose between Normal, Conserve, Excite, Slippery, and Deep Conditions driving modes. In standard Premiere trim, the Nautilus Hybrid adds rear continuous damping control shocks to help manage its extra 168 pounds. Starting with the Nautilus Reserve trim level, all examples of the SUV have a standard adaptive damping suspension.
Previously, JD Power published a review of the Nautilus Hybrid. This time, the test vehicle had the standard powertrain, which averaged 21.8 mpg on my Southern California testing loop.
Driving the new Nautilus isn't much fun. The turbocharged engine must motivate a minimum of 4,349 pounds, and it does so adequately. The suspension is too soft in Normal mode at city speeds, and the ride made me feel queasy. Traveling over residential speed humps made the SUV's interior feel like a wave pool, the brakes provided an inconsistent response to input, and the over-assisted steering felt dissociated from the front wheels.
Switching to Excite mode firmed the suspension, added heft to the steering, and made the turbocharged four-cylinder engine feel more responsive. But driving in Excite mode also likely leads to added fuel consumption. If you accept that, the Nautilus is a more satisfying conveyance. However, with each engine restart, the powertrain defaults to Normal mode, so you must actively choose Excite.
Oddly, the Nautilus feels better to drive at higher speeds in Normal mode because most unwanted body motion disappears. In addition, the SUV is quiet on the highway. That, in combination with the comfortable seats, suggests it would be an excellent long-distance road-tripper.
The SUV quickly lost its composure regardless of the driving mode when attempting to drive the Nautilus with some enthusiasm in the local mountains. The steering provides as much helpful feedback as a video-game controller, the brakes quickly faded, and despite their substantial size, the Michelin Primacy all-season tires demonstrated limited grip. Body roll and excessive body motions are also a problem.
However, over one particularly rough section of repaired pavement in the middle of a curve, the Nautilus effortlessly glided over it in a smoother and more controlled fashion than any test vehicle I can recall.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Every 2024 Nautilus comes with Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Vision 2.2, a collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). They include:
In addition, the Nautilus has BlueCruise, a hands-free semi-autonomous highway driving assistance system. It combines adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance with lane-change assistance and in-lane positioning technology. On approved roads, drivers can remove their hands from the steering wheel when BlueCruise indicates it is safe. A complimentary 90-day subscription is standard, but you must pay a fee to use BlueCruise afterward.
Overall, BlueCruise helps to set the bar for modern hands-free driving assistance technologies. From how clearly it communicates system status to how capably it takes complete control of the driving, it deserves accolades. But it is not perfect, and as with any hands-free driving assistance technology, drivers must be prepared to take back control at any time.
For example, BlueCruise turned off at the base of a mountain grade while driving on the 101 freeway in Ventura County, and it intermittently operated during the climb to the summit. It also suddenly and unexpectedly slowed when the rest of the traffic did not, in response to a 55-mph construction zone speed limit sign barely visible on the side of the five-lane freeway. That did not make the drivers behind the Nautilus happy. (The construction zone was brief, about the length of a typical overpass, and no workers were present.)
Later, on the 23 freeway, it had trouble navigating a curve with a freeway entrance ramp in the middle of it, and other motorists must have thought the Lincoln had a drunk driver behind the wheel. The SUV's predictive speed control is also too aggressive, slowing the Nautilus too much in curves. Fortunately, you can turn that feature off.
Due to these characteristics, BlueCruise can add to rather than reduce a driver's stress level. The technology consistently does things a human driver wouldn't, so when something unexpected occurs, you need to assess what's happening and why it's happening, take control, and resolve the situation, all in a matter of seconds.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Cargo space in the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus depends on the trim level. The Nautilus Premiere supplies 36.4 cu-ft of volume behind the back seat and a maximum of 71.3 cu-ft. Step up to the Nautilus Reserve or Black Label, and the SUV accommodates 35.2 and 68.8 cubes, respectively. Notably, the measurements don't change with the hybrid powertrain.
Within the cargo area, Lincoln provides a couple of hooks and a little extra storage underneath the load floor in trays surrounding the spare tire. Unfortunately, there aren't any nets, trays, or bins to hold loose items during transport.
The Nautilus Hybrid promises good gas mileage at 30 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg in combined driving. The base engine in my test car earns fuel economy ratings of 21/29/24 mpg in city/highway/combined driving.
On the evaluation loop, the test vehicle averaged 21.8 mpg, disappointing in the context of the official estimate of 24 mpg but not unexpected for the midsize luxury SUV segment.
Yes, it appears the 2024 Nautilus is a safe SUV. In addition to its long list of standard ADAS, it gets a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). As of this writing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not tested the new Nautilus.
Choose a 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Premiere with the standard turbocharged engine, and the price is $50,415. At the other end of the lineup, you'll find the Nautilus Black Label Hybrid at $74,350. Don't forget to add the $1,595 destination charge to those figures.
In the JD Power 2024 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Cadillac XT5 ranks highest in the Midsize Premium SUV segment. The Lexus RX is the next highest-ranked model.
In the JD Power 2024 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Lexus RX ranks highest in the Midsize Premium SUV segment. The Land Rover Range Rover Velar is the next highest-ranked model.
Other 2024 Nautilus competitors include the BMW X5, Genesis GV80, and Mercedes-Benz GLE.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Undoubtedly, the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus has a showstopper of an interior. The panoramic display is impressive, the Lincoln Digital Experience infotainment system offers a nearly effortless user experience, and the cabin is roomy, quiet, and exceptionally comfortable. Lincoln refers to it as a sanctuary, and that's a credible claim. In addition, the BlueCruise technology is impressive, even if it isn't flawless.
With that said, unexpected feature omissions, like separate rear climate controls and rear window shades, are conspicuous by their absence. The suddenly unresponsive center touchscreen is concerning, especially since it inexplicably came back to life. There is no joy in driving this SUV on pavement, and it certainly can't head too far off the road. Also, some traditional Lincoln buyers might balk at bringing home an SUV built in China.
In many ways, I liked the previous-generation, Ford Edge-based Nautilus better. But the redesigned 2024 Nautilus undeniably represents forward progress for Lincoln.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran automotive journalist with 30 years of experience in the field and has held automotive editorial leadership positions at Edmunds, JD Power, and The New York Daily News. Today, Chris owns a content agency called Speedy Daddy Media, and in addition to JDPower.com, his work appears on Capital One Auto Navigator, CarGurus, and Edmunds.
