Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 BMW X6

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 X6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 X6 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 X6 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Nautilus and the X6 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.

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 X6 has not been tested, yet.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X6. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the X6 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.

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 X6.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The X6 was rated second 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.

The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 331) than the X6’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus gets better mileage than the X6:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X6 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 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 X6 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 BMW X6 (3). This means the Nautilus produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X6 every 15,000 miles.

The Nautilus stops shorter than the X6:

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X6’s (39.3 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Lincoln Nautilus may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the BMW X6.

The Nautilus is 4.8 inches shorter than the X6, 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 X6 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has .6 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the X6.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Nautilus’ rear seats recline. The X6’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X6 with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 27.4 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X6 with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 59.6 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 X6 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 X6 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

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 X6 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Nautilus has a standard rear wiper. The X6 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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 X6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Nautilus is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X6 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 $4600 to $8760 less than the X6 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the X6 because it costs $354 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the X6, including $697 less for a water pump, $983 less for a muffler, $154 less for front brake pads, $496 less for a starter, $245 less for fuel injection, $435 less for a fuel pump, $243 less for front struts and $1317 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 $24973 to $26413 less than for the BMW X6.

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

The Lincoln Nautilus outsold the BMW X6 by 51% during 2022.