2022 Lincoln Nautilus

Slotted between the entry-level Lincoln Corsair and the larger Lincoln Aviator, the 2022 Lincoln Nautilus is a mid-size luxury SUV with room for five. It offers the quiet and refined ride Lincoln is known for and delivers on the promise of comfort and luxury. It won’t, however, raise your heart rate or dilate your pupils with excitement. The Nautilus is not designed for spirited driving or serious off-roading.

For 2022, the Nautilus is available in three trims: Standard ($45,285), Reserve ($51,700) and Black Label ($67,905). All prices include a $1,195 destination fee. Three new exterior colors have been added to the palette for 2022: Bronze Smoke, Gilded Green and Chroma Caviar Dark Gray. The Lincoln Black Label Flight interior theme, available on the Black Label model, adds a punch of color and texture to an already stylish and welcoming interior. Two new packages (Premium and Luxury), available on Standard and Reserve models, respectively, add features, amenities and creature comforts.

The Nautilus competes head-to-head with vehicles like the Audi Q5, the Cadillac XT5 and the Lexus RX. Like the Nautilus, most come with room for five passengers. Only the RX is available with a third row. Front and rear legroom are superior on the Nautilus, except for the RX, which has more front legroom but at the expense of second-row passengers. The two engine options available on the Nautilus are more powerful than the competition’s. The only exception is the Q5, which is available as a plug-in hybrid, and therefore gets a boost in power and torque from an electric motor.

Engineered to bring out the Matthew McConaughey in all of us, the Nautilus isn’t designed for drivers who enjoy what might be called “spirited” driving. Instead, it’s intended for those who prefer classic jazz over modern rock—in other words, an evolved, enlightened and curated version of the Ford Edge on which it is based. Interior space and comfort are the strengths of this SUV, and styling gets top marks as well. Packed with easy-to-use electronics, it appeals to consumers who want a thoroughly modern vehicle wrapped in an eye-pleasing package.

The Standard model comes in front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is optional) and is only available with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The Reserve is also front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is optional) and is available with either the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine or the twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6. The top-of-the-line Black Label model comes solely with the V6 and all-wheel drive. All models come with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters are optional on the Reserve and standard on the Black Label.

While some of the basic safety systems you’d expect on a modern SUV are standard across the model lineup, advanced driver assistance technologies are only available as options on the Reserve and standard on Black Label models.

Performance: 10/15

Those who enjoy the traditional Lincoln experience will appreciate what the Nautilus offers. It’s quiet, comfortable and feels solidly assembled. Acceleration is smooth and robust, road and wind noise are minimal, and there’s plenty of room for people and cargo.

The two engine options on the Nautilus produce more power than competitors like the Audi Q5 (except the plug-in hybrid), Cadillac XT5 and the Lexus RX. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine on the Standard model produces 250 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque. In contrast, the twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 available on the Reserve and standard on the Black Label model produces 335 hp and 380 lb.-ft. of torque.

Standard and Reserve models come in front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is optional), while the Black Label model is only available as an all-wheel drive model. Maximum towing capacity, when properly equipped, is 3,500 pounds on all models regardless of powertrain.

Fuel Economy: 10/15 

According to the EPA, the front-wheel drive version of the Nautilus, equipped with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivers 21 mpg city, 26 highway and 23 combined. In comparison, the all-wheel drive version (same engine) is slightly thirstier, dropping by 1 mpg in all three metrics. Equipped with the 2.7-liter V6, fuel economy dips further to 19 mpg city, 25 highway and 21 combined. 

Competitors like the Audi Q5 deliver 25 mpg combined when equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and 21 mpg when equipped with a 3.0-liter V6. Front-wheel drive models of the Cadillac XT5 are rated at 24 mpg (2.0-liter four-cylinder engine) and 21 mpg for models with the 3.6-liter V6. Lexus RX 350 models (front-wheel drive) deliver between 22-23 mpg when equipped with a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine, while the all-wheel drive versions get between 21-22 mpg. As expected, the hybrid RX gets much better fuel economy numbers (29-30 mpg).

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 8/15

The Nautilus is a Top Safety Pick, according to the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), and it gets a 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). However, it loses points because it’s not an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and because some of the more advanced safety features, which are part of the Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0 Plus package, are only available on the mid-level Reserve and standard on the top Black Label trim.

The Lincoln Cop-Pilot360 1.0 package is standard on all models and includes 

automatic high beams, a blind spot warning system, cross traffic warning, lane keeping assistance, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, a backup camera with a camera wash feature and a parking obstruction warning.

The more advanced Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0 Plus package adds adaptive cruise control, forward-side-rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera, lane keeping assistance, active parking assistance and automatic emergency steering.

Comfort & Room: 15/15

In typical Lincoln fashion, the Nautilus offers a comfy interior, with ample room for front (42.8 inches of leg room) and rear (39.6 inches) passengers. The only competitor from the above-mentioned competitive set that offers more front legroom is the Lexus RX (44.1 inches of legroom), but notably, that’s at the sacrifice of rear legroom (38.0 inches).

A dual-zone electronic automatic heating/air conditioning system is standard on all models, a leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel is standard on the Reserve and Black Label models (not available on Standard model), as is a panoramic sunroof, along with heated and ventilated front seats. Heated rear outboard seats are standard on Reserve and Black Label models.

The materials used for seating surfaces improve with each upgrade in trim. For example, the Standard model gets what Lincoln calls “Soft Touch” seats, the Reserve model comes with “leather-trimmed” seats, while the Black Label model gets “Venetian” leather seating surfaces.

Infotainment: 10/15

All trims come with a 13.2-inch LCD touchscreen in the center stack and a 12.3-inch customizable LCD instrument cluster display screen that replaces traditional analog gauges.

While the touchscreen can be used to control the heating and cooling system, as well as audio functions, the Nautilus also has physical knobs and buttons because sometimes it’s much easier to turn a knob and press a button rather than fiddle with a screen and dig down through multiple menus to make adjustments.

The Phone As A Key feature (standard on Black Label, optional on Reserve) turns any smartphone into a key fob, allowing the driver to enter the vehicle, start it and drive away without taking the phone out of their pocket.

The Lincoln Way App allows the driver to remotely start/stop, lock/unlock, schedule a time to remotely start the vehicle, locate the vehicle and check its status with the help of a smartphone.

SYNC 4 is standard on all models and includes wireless phone connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which work well. A rear-seat entertainment system with wireless headphones is available on Reserve and Black Label models. 

Cargo Space & Storage: 15/15

With 68.8 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the first row and 37.2 cubic-feet behind the second row, the Nautilus sits atop the competitive set. In comparison, the Audi Q5 has 54.0 and 25.8 cubic-feet of space behind the first and second rows, respectively, while the Cadillac offers 63.0 and 30.0 cubic-feet. The Lexus RX offers only 32.6 and 16.0 cubic-feet, respectively, unless you opt for the extended-length models, which have three rows of seats. But even then, the RX tops out at 58.5 cubes in total,  23 cubes behind the second row and a scant 6.2 behind the third. No matter how you slice it, the Nautilus has more cargo space overall. 

Furthermore, the cargo area has been designed with a flat floor when the seats are folded, as well as vertical sides, which makes for a convenient cargo hold without the need to deal with awkward obstacles and angles.

There’s plenty of room in the Nautilus for wallets, phones, purses and the like, including a storage bin in the center console that’s ideal for smartphones and comes with a wireless charging pad (standard on Reserve and Black Label models).

Style & Design: 8/10

Thoroughly modern and stylish, the Nautilus is pleasing to the eyes. The sculpted sheet metal is bold, muscular and athletic while at the same time coming across as refined and elegant. 

The warm and inviting interior is tastefully decorated in soothing colors and pleasing textures. Everything feels solid and upscale, reminding occupants that they’re riding in a luxury Lincoln product.

Luxury SUV buyers want a refined product that justifies the price of entry, and the Nautilus won’t disappoint. It delivers on the promise of luxury and comfort.

Is the 2022 Lincoln Nautilus Worth it? Which Nautilus is the Best Value? 

Although the Nautilus is available in three trims: Standard ($45,285), Reserve ($51,700) and Black Label ($67,905), the entry-level Standard lacks some of the amenities and creature comforts that Lincoln buyers will want when investing in a luxury SUV.

At the other end of the model spectrum, the fully loaded Black Label model is the most luxurious. But with a price tag that high, consumers might be better off moving up to the Lincoln Aviator, which starts at $52,975 and comes nicely equipped for $69,875 (only $1,970 over the asking price of the Black Label Nautilus).

For these reasons, the Reserve is the sweet spot in the Nautilus lineup. Well equipped, it comes with many amenities and luxuries Lincoln fans want, but without going over the top. Standard equipment on the Reserve model includes niceties like ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, premium leather-trimmed seats (heated/ventilated, 10-way power adjustable for the driver and 8-way for the front passenger), heated rear seats, a wireless charging pad and a heated steering wheel.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Lincoln Nautilus? 

Insurance costs for the Nautilus are similar to its main competitors. According to our data, the average 30-year-old female driver with a good record can expect an average annual premium of between $2,118 and $2,356, depending on the model. At the same time, the Audi Q5 runs between $2,543-$2,654, the Cadillac XT5 between $2,052-$2,277, and the Lexus RX between $2,283-$2,579. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, see our car insurance calculator.