The verdict: The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is the cushy, stylish, tech-forward cruiser that both brand and customer hope it will be, with excellent materials, fabulous presentation and a segment-busting 48-inch panoramic screen.
Versus the competition: The new Nautilus makes mincemeat of the neglected Cadillac XT5, is cushier than its German rivals and out-styles the Lexus RX — just keep an eye on the options list, as Lincoln will happily boost the top Black Label trim above $80,000.
Storied American luxury brand Lincoln has reinvented itself a handful of times over the past 30 years, and its latest revitalization seems to have stuck. In some ways, it’s a brand that loyal Lincoln customers of the 1950s and ‘60s would recognize, at least in ethos; today’s Lincoln lineup is populated by stylish, design-forward SUVs with elegant interior decor that make no pretense about purpose. Unlike its most direct competition, Lincoln has no performance trims. Heck, it has no performance aspirations. There are powerful Lincolns, sure, but those are meant to tow the moon while effortlessly shuttling a full house and baggage, not blaze through the quarter-mile.
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The 2024 Nautilus embodies the brand’s purposeful positioning. The mid-century modern playground that is Palm Springs, Calif., provided the perfect setting for our first drive of the new Nautilus, with its reserved, tinsel-free exterior threads blending in with the moneyed, Rolls-rich traffic while the gorgeous leather-wrapped cockpit drips with details and creature comforts. (Per Cars.com’s ethics policy, we pay for all travel and lodging at such manufacturer-sponsored events.)
Luxurious Isolation Chamber
The interior really is the Nautilus’ showpiece, but technology defines modern luxury as much (or more) than materials. So, Lincoln fitted its fresh mid-sizer with a class-leading 48-inch panoramic display that stretches “coast to coast” across the dashboard. Visually impressive and high-fidelity, the massive screen acts a bit like a physical head-up display with customizable layouts for critical information like navigation route, weather, driver-assist systems and any media apps you might want immediately on hand.
And that’s just for the passenger side. The majority of the driver’s-screen real estate handles the expected functions of a digital instrument panel. For all primary infotainment functions, including navigation setup, vehicle settings and media selection, there’s an additional, lower-mounted 11.1-inch touchscreen. It’s very 2024, but don’t let that distract you from the stylish controls and structural surfaces that wear a sheen of handsome retrofuturism. The squircle steering wheel is charming, complementing a suite of buttery extended upholstery that includes an uncommonly plush microsuede headliner and tight contrast stitching throughout the cabin. There are sharp little details peppered around the cockpit, too, from “crystal-inspired” glass hardware to an active scent diffuser to little metal trim accents on the floormats.
There is a fair bit of plastic trim present — most controls and glossy piano-black surfaces come to mind — but it’s of a quality matching the Nautilus’ $50,000-and-up price tag, to a point. For maximum aesthetic impact, I suggest opting for the range-topping (but rather pricey) Black Label trim. That’s the only way to land the exclusive (and very attractive) Chalet or Redwood interior themes. With either theme, rear passengers are similarly equipped for comfort, with reclining rear seats, quad USB-C charge ports, climate controls, available heated seats and impressive legroom even behind my 5-foot-11-inch seating position. They also get a clear earful of the optional 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D stereo that comes standard on Reserve II and Black Label variants, but I’m afraid only front occupants can take advantage of the available massaging seats.
Fabulous on Style, Good on Substance
A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 250 horsepower and 280 pounds-feet of torque is standard, as are all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. A premium hybrid drivetrain adds a 134-hp electric motor to the turbo 2.0-liter for a combined 310 hp and 295 pounds-feet, and boosts EPA-rated fuel economy to 30/31/30 mpg city/highway/combined from 21/29/24 mpg in the gas-only Nautilus.
Out on the pine-lined stretches of mountainous road outside Idyllwild, Calif., power from the standard gas engine was never more than just adequate. Two occupants in the car were enough to make reaching merging and passing speeds a safe but conscious exercise, one that was significantly improved by the more powerful hybrid drivetrain. The efficient configuration is also the one to pick for leadfoots and people haulers, with 310 hp providing strong passing acceleration and quickish cruising.
Regardless of which powertrain you have, noise and vibration from extended full-throttle rips were well isolated — more so in the hybrid. Still, the trade-off for electrification is a continuously variable automatic transmission and all the accompanying sustained drivetrain thrash; the traditional eight-speed auto in the gas-only Nautilus was smooth, unobtrusive and prioritized keeping revs to a minimum even under moderate acceleration.
Aside from an Excite driving mode, the new Nautilus has zero performance ambitions — but we hucked it down the famous Pines to Palms Highway (California State Route 74) anyway. The adaptive suspension and decently weighted steering proved more than capable for the crossover’s intended purpose, and it should make that annual trip up the mountain pass to the family cabin or ski lodge a composed and confident affair. Can it keep up with other German SUVs in its price bracket? Who cares?
Dialed back into Normal mode, the ride possesses the muted, pillowy quality expected of Lincoln’s trademark refinement. Body composure is well managed, and small-to-moderate bumps seem to get lost in a vat of syrup en route to the driver’s rear end. Brake inputs on the gas model are smooth and easy to modulate, but I found regenerative brake blending on the hybrid to be noticeably touchy, with high pedal sensitivity, mushy regen tip-in and too-grabby engagement when the physical brakes first clamp — not ideal when the rest of the car is markedly silky.
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Away from tight alpine roads and on the tremendously dull, straight and clogged Interstate 10, the Nautilus did a fantastic impression of an Eames lounge chair. Dark, roiling clouds threatened rain, causing predictably skittish Southern California drivers to needlessly slow down and jam. Lincoln’s BlueCruise came to the rescue; under the right circumstances, this suite of active, adaptive cruise control offers hands-free driving, and I was happy to let the Nautilus handle the congestion in my stead. BlueCruise had no significant interlane ping-ponging, no sketchy braking mishaps and no scary steering kerfuffles requiring real correction during this portion of my drive. Provided most of your highway route supports it, it’s easy to imagine this carves off a fair share of stress and frustration.
Mid-Century Modern at Modern Prices
That’s really the best summation of the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. At least in the top trims we sampled, it’s precisely the stylish, leather-lined, tech-forward isolation chamber both brand and customer hope it will be. Be careful with the order form, however, as the very reasonable $52,010 starting price can quickly spiral to the Black Label’s low $80,000 range.
Is it worth it? That’s going to require some soul (and couch cushion) searching. It has great tech, distinct style and excellent materials. If it fits your budget, I see no reason why it shouldn’t make your shortlist.
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