Compare the2022 Chevrolet EquinoxVS 2021 Lincoln Nautilus

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Chevrolet Equinox’s rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lincoln Nautilus doesn’t offer comfort guides on its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Equinox are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Equinox and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

	Equinox	Nautilus
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	159	212
Neck Injury Risk	17%	22.4%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	229 lbs.
Neck Compression	10 lbs.	21 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	363/349 lbs.	165/596 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	35.2%
Neck Stress	153 lbs.	197 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

	Equinox	Nautilus
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	1.1 inches	1.1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	630 lbs.	635 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	16 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Equinox the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 119 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Nautilus last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Equinox’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Nautilus’ (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 4 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Equinox’s reliability 48 points higher than the Nautilus.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 9 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox gets better fuel mileage than the Nautilus:

			MPG
Equinox
	2WD	1.5 Turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy
	4WD	1.5 Turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/30 hwy
Nautilus
	2WD	2.0 Turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
	4WD	2.0 Turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/25 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Equinox uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Nautilus requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (7 out of 10) than the Lincoln Nautilus (5). This means the Equinox produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Nautilus every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

The Equinox has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Nautilus doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Equinox Premier handles at .83 G’s, while the Nautilus Reserve AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Equinox’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Nautilus’ (37.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The Chevrolet Equinox may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1050 pounds less than the Lincoln Nautilus.

The Equinox is 6.9 inches shorter than the Nautilus, making the Equinox easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Equinox offers available electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Nautilus doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Equinox has .1 inches more front headroom and .3 inches more rear legroom than the Nautilus.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Equinox easier. The Equinox’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the Nautilus’ liftover is 30 inches.

Towing

All models of the Equinox can be flat towed on all four wheels, allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Equinox can be unhitched and driven around locally. Only the Nautilus 2.7 Turbo can be dinghy towed.

Ergonomics

The Equinox’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Nautilus does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Equinox and the Nautilus have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Equinox is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Nautilus prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Equinox’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Nautilus’ cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Nautilus only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Equinox’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Nautilus’ headlights are rated “Poor.”

When the Equinox Premier is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Nautilus’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Equinox owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Equinox will cost $730 less than the Nautilus over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Equinox is less expensive to operate than the Nautilus because typical repairs cost much less on the Equinox than the Nautilus, including $32 less for a water pump, $90 less for front struts, $184 less for a timing belt/chain and $368 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Equinox will be $15607 to $21391 less than for the Lincoln Nautilus.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Equinox, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Equinox second among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Nautilus isn’t in the top three in its category.