Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Audi Q5 Sportback

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 Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lincoln Nautilus has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Nautilus and the Q5 Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, 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 Audi Q5 Sportback:

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 Audi Q5 Sportback:

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 Q5 Sportback has not been fully tested, yet.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5 Sportback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 Sportback 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 27 points higher than the Q5 Sportback.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback’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 Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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 Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback (5). This means the Nautilus produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback.

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Q5 Sportback:

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the Q5 Sportback (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R19). The Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q5 Sportback (265/40R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The Nautilus offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Q5 Sportback’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Q5 Sportback (112.2 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Nautilus is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Q5 Sportback.

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q5 Sportback.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 Sportback with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 24.7 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 Sportback with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 51.9 cubic feet).

The Nautilus’ cargo area is larger than the Q5 Sportback’s in almost every dimension:

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 Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback 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. An easy entry system costs extra on the Q5 Sportback.

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 Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE 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 Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback.

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 Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Nautilus is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 Sportback 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 $760 to $3260 less than the Q5 Sportback over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the Q5 Sportback because it costs $218 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the Q5 Sportback, including $215 less for a water pump, $206 less for a muffler, $65 less for front brake pads, $590 less for a starter, $265 less for fuel injection, $234 less for a fuel pump and $182 less for front struts.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lincoln Nautilus and the Audi Q5 Sportback, based on reliability, safety and performance.