Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 BMW X5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
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 BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Nautilus are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable 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 X5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Nautilus and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 BMW X5:

	Nautilus	X5
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	34%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	308 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	112 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	165/596 lbs.	636/584 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	282	342
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	197 lbs.	220 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	91 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	145/201 lbs.	527/418 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 BMW X5:

	Nautilus	X5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	192 lbs.	279 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	308
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	796 lbs.

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 X5 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 2 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are BMW 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 13 points higher than the X5.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The X5 was rated third in its category.

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 BMW 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, BMW is rated lower.

Engine

The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 331) than the X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus gets better mileage than the X5:

			MPG
Nautilus
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/25 hwy
		2.7 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy
X5
	AWD	4.4 turbo V8	16 city/22 hwy

Both the Nautilus and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Nautiluss have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X5 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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 X5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Nautilus higher (6 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the Nautilus produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Nautilus stops much shorter than the X5:

	Nautilus	X5
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the X5 xDrive40i pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X5’s (39.3 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Lincoln Nautilus may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 700 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The Nautilus is 4.3 inches shorter than the X5, making the Nautilus easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 3 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

The front step up height for the Nautilus is 2 inches lower than the X5 (17.5” vs. 19.5”). The Nautilus’ rear step up height is 2 inches lower than the X5’s (18” vs. 20”).

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume than the X5 with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 33.9 cubic feet).

The Nautilus’ cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

	Nautilus	X5
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.5”/75”	40.7”/70”
Max Width	45”	49”
Min Width	45”	44”
Height	31”	31.5”

The Nautilus’ liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Towing

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 X5 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 X5 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 X5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Nautilus owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Nautilus will cost $2250 to $5275 less than the X5 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the X5 because it costs $300 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the X5, including $272 less for a water pump, $1439 less for a muffler, $123 less for front brake pads, $545 less for a starter, $340 less for fuel injection, $268 less for a fuel pump, $321 less for front struts, $841 less for a timing belt/chain and $1115 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Lincoln Nautilus will be $18164 to $20161 less than for the BMW X5.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lincoln Nautilus and the BMW X5, based on reliability, safety and performance.