Compare the2022 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2021 Lincoln Nautilus

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 4Runner 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.

The 4Runner has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 4Runner’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4Runner and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 four-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

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

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Nautilus.

There are over 66 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

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 4Runner’s reliability 72 points higher than the Nautilus.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 15th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 9th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Lincoln is ranked 26th.

The 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6 produces 20 more horsepower (270 vs. 250) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Nautilus requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Nautilus (23 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The 4Runner’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Nautilus are solid, not vented.

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln Nautilus only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Nautilus; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Nautilus doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Nautilus’ (37.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Nautilus can only carry 5.

The 4Runner has 19.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Nautilus (128 vs. 108.3).

The 4Runner has .1 inches more front hip room and .1 inches more rear hip room than the Nautilus.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Nautilus.

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the Nautilus’ in almost every dimension:

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Nautilus’ rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Nautilus’ (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

The engine in the 4Runner is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Nautilus. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Insurance will cost less for the 4Runner owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the 4Runner will cost $360 less than the Nautilus over a five-year period.

The 4Runner will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 4Runner will retain 60.09% to 69.29% of its original price after five years, while the Nautilus only retains 35.03% to 40.81%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the Nautilus because it costs $200 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the Nautilus, including $158 less for a muffler, $59 less for front brake pads, $120 less for front struts and $681 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota 4Runner will be $13827 to $20617 less than for the Lincoln Nautilus.

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Nautilus has never been chosen.