Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 GMC Acadia

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 GMC Acadia 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 Acadia 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 Acadia 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 Acadia 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 GMC Acadia:

	Nautilus	Acadia
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	212	285
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	29 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	282	319
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	43%
Neck Stress	197 lbs.	203 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	99 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 GMC Acadia:

	Nautilus	Acadia
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	125
Hip Force	192 lbs.	243 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	276
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	635 lbs.	799 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	381
Hip Force	425 lbs.	760 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 Acadia last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Nautilus comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Acadia’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Acadia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Acadia ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Nautilus’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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 29 points higher than the Acadia.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Acadia 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 GMC 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, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lincoln 11 places higher in reliability than GMC.

Engine

The Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (250 vs. 228) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the Acadia’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 Acadia’s optional 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 Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Acadia 3.6 DOHC V6 FWD (21 city/26 hwy vs. 19 city/27 hwy).

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Nautilus	Acadia
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Nautilus stops shorter than the Acadia:

	Nautilus	Acadia
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the Acadia (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R18). The Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Acadia (265/40R21 vs. 255/65R17).

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 Acadia SLE/SLT’s standard 65 series tires. The Nautilus’ optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Acadia’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Acadia AT4. The Nautilus’ optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Acadia.

Suspension and Handling

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

Chassis

The Nautilus is 3.4 inches shorter than the Acadia, making the Nautilus easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 1.8 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Acadia.

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume than the Acadia with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 12.8 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 Acadia’s liftover is 32 inches.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Nautilus. The Acadia doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Nautilus’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’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 Acadia 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 Acadia doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

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 Acadia, and is not available on all models.

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

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 Acadia can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Nautilus Reserve/Black Label’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Acadia’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Nautilus offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Acadia 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 Acadia.

The Nautilus (except Standard)’s optional Enhanced Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Acadia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the Acadia because it costs $454 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the Acadia, including $85 less for front brake pads, $220 less for a starter, $102 less for fuel injection, $145 less for a fuel pump, $165 less for a timing belt/chain and $133 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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