Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Nautilus have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Acura RDX doesn’t offer pretensioners for 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 Nautilus are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RDX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nautilus has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Nautilus and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

	Nautilus	RDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	212	300
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	26%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	262 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	23 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	165/596 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	282	353
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	145/201 lbs.	362/441 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 Lincoln Nautilus is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Nautilus	RDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	192 lbs.	217 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	124
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	52 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	486
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Nautilus’ 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 Nautilus’ reliability 11 points higher than the RDX.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The RDX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in long-term dependability. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

Engine

The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 63 more horsepower (335 vs. 272) and 100 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Nautilus turbo V6 is faster than the Acura RDX:

	Nautilus	RDX
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.8 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Nautilus has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the RDX (18 vs. 17.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

	Nautilus	RDX
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	12.2 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	13.6 inches

The Nautilus stops much shorter than the RDX:

	Nautilus	RDX
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the RDX (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R19). The Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RDX (265/40R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The Nautilus’ optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX A-Spec’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus offers optional 21-inch wheels. The RDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the RDX (112.2 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

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

The Nautilus Reserve AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RDX AWD (27.1 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 4.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (108.3 vs. 104).

The Nautilus has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, 5.7 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Nautilus’ rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is limited to 1500 pounds. The Nautilus offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Nautilus 2.7 Turbo can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Nautilus can be unhitched and driven around locally. The RDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Nautilus uses the AdvanceTrac™ sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The RDX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Nautilus’ exterior PIN entry system. The RDX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its AcuraLink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Nautilus offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The RDX doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Nautilus (except Standard) also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Nautilus Reserve/Black Label offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RDX.

The Nautilus Reserve/Black Label offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The RDX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Nautilus (except Standard)’s optional Enhanced Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the RDX because it costs $154 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the RDX, including $214 less for front brake pads, $383 less for a starter, $58 less for fuel injection, $170 less for a fuel pump, $18 less for front struts and $216 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lincoln Nautilus and the Acura RDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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