Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Audi A4 Allroad

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nautilus has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A4 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Nautilus has standard Cross-Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A4 Allroad.

Both the Nautilus and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and around view monitors.

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 Audi A4 Allroad:

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Nautilus the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A4 Allroad last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Nautilus’ 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 Nautilus’ reliability 23 points higher than the A4 Allroad.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The A4 Allroad 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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi 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 Audi 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, Audi is rated below average.

The Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 273) than the A4 Allroad’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 74 more horsepower (335 vs. 261) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 273) than the A4 Allroad’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Nautilus has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the A4 Allroad (18 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Nautilus has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Nautilus higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi A4 Allroad (5). This means the Nautilus produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 Allroad every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Nautilus, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A4 Allroad.

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the A4 Allroad:

The Nautilus stops shorter than the A4 Allroad:

For better traction, the Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the A4 Allroad (265/40R21 vs. 245/45R18).

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 A4 Allroad’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus offers optional 21-inch wheels. The A4 Allroad’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the A4 Allroad (112.2 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Nautilus is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than on the A4 Allroad.

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the A4 Allroad Premium Plus pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has 16.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 Allroad (108.3 vs. 92).

The Nautilus has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom and 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4 Allroad.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Nautilus’ rear seats recline. The A4 Allroad’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 24.2 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 58.5 cubic feet).

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 A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Nautilus has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Nautilus’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The A4 Allroad’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Nautilus (except Standard)’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

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 A4 Allroad.

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Nautilus is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Nautilus owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Nautilus will cost $835 to $2970 less than the A4 Allroad over a five-year period.

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

The Lincoln Nautilus outsold the Audi A4/S4 by 35% during 2022.