My Favorite Lincoln Nautilus Features
Author:
Brian Moody.
The Lincoln Nautilus is an all-new luxury SUV for 2024. Of course, the Nautilus has been around, but in 2024, it got a significant redesign with a new look and upgraded technology. If you’re looking for a luxury SUV, you should consider Lincoln. Lincoln might not be on many people’s shopping lists. The one thing they lack is advertising dollars. The cars themselves are very, very good. Many of the colors, textures, paint, and wheel choices are top-notch, rivaling even more expensive brands like Mercedes-Benz. Senior Editor Allyson Harwood says, “If the interior of the all-new Nautilus represents how Lincoln defines luxury moving forward, the brand’s future is looking bright. I love the different color combinations that are available for the interior.” Here are five things about the new Lincoln Nautilus that make it worth a test drive:
1. Compelling Technology
For 2024, the Lincoln Nautilus gets serious technology upgrades. The most notable and prominent is the 48-inch viewing screen that sits just at the base of the windshield. Lincoln calls it an “immersive panoramic display.” You can turn half of it off if it is too distracting, and the left side acts as the instrument panel. Even though there are digital gauges, colors, and themes to pick from, the overall look is straightforward and not distracting. Again, Senior Editor Allyson Harwood says, “The incredible 48-inch-wide curved display is useful without being over the top.”
Not only does that large display screen show relevant information like the trip meter, song choice, weather, and more, but you can reconfigure it to show the precise information the driver or passenger wants to see. Like many cars in the $40,000 and up range, the Nautilus has LED ambient interior lighting with several color choices. Some other luxury cars (Mercedes-Benz) with customizable interior lighting have more color options.
Another technology feature in the Lincoln Nautilus is the availability of Google built-in. This tech feature is Google’s answer to an in-car operating system. You can use Google to power maps, listen to music, and do all those things without pairing your phone. Even if you don’t have a phone or an account, you can still use Google inside the Lincoln Nautilus. Connect it to your existing Google account, and it will become even more personalized and easier to use. One of the significant advantages is that you can just say navigation destinations out loud. This voice control has been a feature in new cars for many years, but the Google instance is so seamless and works so well that you won’t want any other automaker native system because the Google system is better.
2. Colors and Textures
The Nautilus interior looks like it’s from a much more expensive car than $50,000. Exterior color choices are high-end, with fancy-sounding names like Diamond Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat and Blue Panther Metallic. Most of these fabulous colors are available at an extra cost — $750, to be exact. If there’s a complaint here, it’s that I wish there were more available colors. As it is, there are seven choices, even on the top-of-the-line Black label model, most rather dark. The interior colors are equally fancy, with names like Cashmere, Harvest, Bronze, and Redwood. But this car is more than just color choices. It’s about the comfort of the seats and the quilting patterns; it’s about the oval-shaped steering wheel and how Lincoln has seamlessly integrated the technology with high-end materials and textures. If you haven’t driven or even been in a Lincoln lately, give them a try — because it’s far from what Lincoln used to be.
3. Smooth Hybrid
Two powertrain choices are available with the new Lincoln Nautilus: a turbocharged 2-liter inline-4-cylinder gasoline-only engine or a turbocharged 2-liter inline-4-cylinder hybrid with electric assist. The hybrid makes the most power because it benefits from the gas engine and the electric motor. It feels noticeably quicker off the line and has a smooth disposition and driving character when on the road.
Lincoln deserves much credit for the seamless transition between the gas engine and the electric motor. If you’ve driven a hybrid and didn’t like it because you could tell when the gas engine was turning on and off, you will like the Lincoln Nautilus because that function is almost imperceptible. The hybrid is $1,500 more than the gasoline-only version. Both engine choices include all-wheel drive (AWD). Fuel economy is also very good with the hybrid – 29 mpg on the highway and 24 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
4. Service-Based Upgrades
This feature is a double-edged sword. Having service-based options sets the stage for charging people to use traditionally included in-car features. However, in the Lincoln Nautilus, especially on Black Label models, some additional upgrades and features are not hardware-based but service-based. For example, the Lincoln Nautilus allows the owner to use their phone as a key to the car.
In addition, Black Label Lincoln models provide a complimentary loaner car whenever the first owner needs it. A Lincoln Liaison coordinates all vehicle service and repair visits. A 24/7 concierge service helps arrange dinner reservations, event tickets, and other amenities. Black Label members get complimentary Avis car rentals for one week with the Avis Presidents Club and roadside assistance for life for the first owner. Finally, Black Label owners can accrue Lincoln Access Rewards. It’s like a travel points system where you can redeem points for exclusive benefits.
5. Self-Driving
In a way, Lincoln’s BlueCruise self-driving option is more like a software-based option than some other features. However, on Reserve 1 trim levels and below, BlueCruise is included but only on a 90-day trial basis. Reserve 2 and above include the self-driving feature as part of the car’s overall price. This feature is similar to Tesla, where you pay only for the software-based features you want. BlueCruise enables hands-free driving on select highways. Other cars have this, and brands like BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lucid, Nissan, and Tesla have similar features. Here’s how Lincoln describes BlueCruise:
“Lincoln BlueCruise allows the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel while keeping their eyes on the road on certain roadways, while the system accelerates, brakes, and steers the vehicle in the lane. The system uses a driver-facing camera to ensure that the driver is paying attention to the roadway while the system is actively providing support.”
Lincoln’s hands-free highway driving feature works very well. Consumer Reports recently tested hands-free driving systems and placed Lincoln at the top, outranking other luxury cars like BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rover. For 2024, the Lincoln Nautilus gets a serious upgrade. It’s better looking than many other luxury SUVs and has compelling tech features. I’ve seen Lincoln transform from nothing more than a “Fancy Ford” to an impressive luxury automaker with vehicles, features, technology, craftsmanship, and opulence that rivals other luxury vehicles that cost much more. Related:
2024 Lincoln Nautilus: Choosing the Right Trim
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