Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Cadillac XT6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
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 Cadillac XT6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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 XT6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 XT6 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 XT6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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 Cadillac XT6:

	Nautilus	XT6
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	25%
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	28 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	282	305
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	38%
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	71 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 Cadillac XT6:

	Nautilus	XT6
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	98
Hip Force	192 lbs.	255 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	180
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	292
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	666 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 XT6 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 21 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it 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 43 points higher than the XT6.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lincoln 7 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (250 vs. 235) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the XT6’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Nautilus’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 25 more horsepower (335 vs. 310) and 109 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Nautilus turbo V6 is faster than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport 3.6 DOHC V6:

	Nautilus	XT6
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.8 MPH	93.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus gets better mileage than the XT6:

			MPG
Nautilus
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/25 hwy
		2.7 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy
XT6
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ brake rotors are larger than those on the XT6:

	Nautilus	XT6
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Nautilus stops much shorter than the XT6:

	Nautilus	XT6
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the XT6 (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R20).

The Nautilus’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT6’s standard 65 series tires. The Nautilus’ optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the XT6 Sport AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Nautilus is 8.5 inches shorter than the XT6, making the Nautilus easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, 6.3 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT6.

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume than the XT6 with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Nautilus easier. The Nautilus’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 30 inches, while the XT6’s liftover is 33 inches.

Towing

The Nautilus’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT6’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds).

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 XT6 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Nautilus’ front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Nautilus the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the XT6 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 XT6 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Nautilus’ headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XT6’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The XT6’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 XT6.

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 XT6 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 $1160 to $3105 less than the XT6 over a five-year period.

The Nautilus will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Nautilus will retain 45.16% to 45.45% of its original price after five years, while the XT6 only retains 43.43% to 43.61%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the XT6 because it costs $500 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the XT6, including $27 less for a water pump, $250 less for a muffler, $5 less for front brake pads, $244 less for a starter, $229 less for fuel injection and $55 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lincoln Nautilus, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac XT6 isn't recommended.

The Lincoln Nautilus outsold the Cadillac XT6 by 582 units during 2022.