Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Lincoln Nautilus

The Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Nautilus doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander’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 Highlander and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Nautilus is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander 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 Highlander’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 Highlander’s reliability 60 points higher than the Nautilus.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Nautilus isn’t in the top three in its category.

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 Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 45 more horsepower (295 vs. 250) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Highlander is faster than the Lincoln Nautilus turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better mileage than the Nautilus:

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

The Highlander’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 Highlander stops shorter than the Nautilus:

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 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 Highlander’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Nautilus’ (37.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Nautilus can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 33 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Nautilus (141.3 vs. 108.3).

The Highlander has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear hip room than the Nautilus.

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

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

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

A Trailer Sway Control (TSC) is standard on the Highlander, using the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Nautilus.

The power windows standard on both the Highlander and the Nautilus have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Highlander 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by over 11 to one during the 2021 model year.