Text by Tom Appel
2024 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve Hybrid AWD
Specs
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Color: Lustrous Gray Metallic
Seating Capacity: 5
Miles driven: 241
Real-world fuel economy: 32.3 mpg
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | B |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | A |
| Value | B |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A- |
| Tall Guy | B |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 310-horsepower 2.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged, hybrid four |
| Transmission | CVT Automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 30/31/30 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Regular
Base price: $54,850 (not including $1595 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Reserve Package III ($10,005), special paint ($750), hybrid power train ($1500), 21-inch alloy wheels ($500)
Price as tested: $69,200
Pros and Cons
The great: Extreme refinement, long-drive comfort
The good: Plenty of power, surprising fuel economy
The not so good: 2024 price increases, lack of driver engagement
Overview
Redesigned for the 2024 model year, the premium midsize 2-row Nautilus slots in the all-SUV Lincoln lineup below the full-size Navigator and 3-row midsize Aviator, and above the compact Corsair. The simple Nautilus lineup in includes just three trim levels: Premiere, Reserve, and Black Label. Two drivetrain options are offered, a conventional turbocharged 4-cylinder, the other a hybrid version of the latter. The Lincoln Nautilus competes for sales with the Acura MDX, Cadillac XT5, and Lexus RX, among other vehicles.
Trim Levels
The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is offered in three trim levels, entry-level Premiere (starting around $52,000), midlevel Reserve ($57,000), and topline Black Label ($76,000). The Black label includes not only additional equipment, but also special concierge dealer services, and additional privileges unique to owners of the trim level. All Nautilus trim levels come standard with AWD. Upgrading to the hybrid drivetrain adds $1500 to the bottom line.
Engines and Transmissions
Gone for 2024 is the available 2.7-liter turbocharged V6. The standard Nautilus engine is a 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four. Offering additional power and improved fuel economy is the hybrid 2.0-liter four, which is rated at 310 horsepower. The bases engine mates to conventional 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid motor pares with a CVT-automatic.
Prices
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid in Reserve trim and extra-cost Lustrous Gray Metallic paint. All told, our well-optioned test car came to $69,200 including destination charge.
2023 Lincoln Navigator Reserve: Test Drive
Room and Comfort
Though thoroughly redesigned, the 2024 nautilus retains its roomy cabin, including rear-seat passenger space, and aft-of-rear-seat cargo volume. Getting into and out of the Nautilus is easy enough, thanks to a low step in and large door openings. Additionally, the generous glass area contributes to an open and airy feel, and easy outward visibility.
Though Nautilus prices have climbed for 2024, the cabin seems to have been commensurately promoted upscale. Interior surfaces are finished in high-grade, soft-touch materials, and the general design is premium in feel without looking overwrought.
New for 2024, and a triumph of modern interior design, is the nautilus’s “pillar-to-pillar” display screen, which stretches from the driver instrument panel on the left, all the way to the passenger-side door. Information displayed on the screen is easily configurable, and can be customized to include whatever information the driver and front-seat passenger determine to be most important. We most appreciated the trip-information chart, the analog clock, and media/entertainment screen. Space for the screen was created by lowering the dash top. The net effect is to create a welcome sense of space in forward of the front-seat occupants.
Note, too, that the available Revel-brand audio system is among the best premium sound systems we’ve enjoyed in recent history. We found the setup especially well suited for the mid-century American jazz favored by this editor.
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V: Review, Prices, and Specs
Ride, Handling, and Performance
Unlike most other premium-vehicle brands, Lincoln has opted to forgo sportiness for refinement, and the net effect is mostly positive, unless you really want to carve corners and blast down off ramps. We found the hybrid powertrain to be smooth and effective, and surprisingly efficient. There is plenty of power to pull away from a stop, and a deep well of reserve power for passing and merging maneuvers. And while not exactly sporty, the Nautilus handles with absolute competence, and never feels sloppy. Ride quality is also excellent. That said, we would prefer a little more steering feel, and firmer feeling brakes.
Over more than 200 miles of testing, our test Nautilus Hybrid returned a thrifty 32 mpg, exceeding the EPA combined estimate of 30.
Reivew
We’re very impressed by the new Nautilus, despite the higher-for-2024 prices. Lincoln has carved out an interesting niche for itself with the nautilus—and really its whole lineup—catering to customers more interested in comfort and refinement than the overt sportiness that often comes as part of a luxury-vehicle’s genetic makeup.
Summary
If you’re fortunate enough to be shopping in this price range, the Lincoln Nautilus absolutely deserves a place on your shopping list. Lincoln’s redesigned 2-row midsize crossover is extremely refined and especially comfortable, and is an excellent long-trip family conveyance. We’re not sold on the Black Label trim level, with its stiff starting price and odd assortment of dealer perks, but find both the base Premiere and uplevel Reserve to be compelling entries into what is a very competitive market segment.
Luxury Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Lincoln Ads
Listen to the Car Stuff Podcast
2024 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve Hybrid Pictures
Click below for enlarged images
