Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 GMC Terrain

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 Terrain 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 GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable 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 Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Terrain 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.

The Nautilus has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Terrain’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Nautilus has standard Cross-Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. GMC charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Terrain.

Both the Nautilus and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Lincoln Nautilus weighs 470 to 1126 pounds more than the GMC Terrain. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Terrain:

	Nautilus	Terrain
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	282	376
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	51 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	145/201 lbs.	264/236 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 Terrain:

	Nautilus	Terrain
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	109
Chest Movement	1.1 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	190 lbs.	195 lbs.
Hip Force	192 lbs.	357 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	288
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	377
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	730 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Lincoln Nautilus is much safer than the Terrain:

	Nautilus	Terrain
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.73 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Injury Criterion	260	733
Head Peak Forces	no contact	101 G’s
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.5 in	1.65 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	535 lbs.	669 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

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 Terrain 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 Terrain’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 Terrain. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Terrain ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Nautilus’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’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 27 points higher than the Terrain.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Terrain 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 75 more horsepower (250 vs. 175) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 160 more horsepower (335 vs. 175) and 177 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Nautilus has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Nautilus has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Terrain AWD’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 15.6 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Nautilus	Terrain
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	11.3 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	13.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the Terrain (245/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Terrain (265/40R21 vs. 235/50R19).

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 Terrain SLE/AT4’s standard 65 series tires. The Nautilus’ optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Terrain’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Terrain SLE/AT4. The Nautilus’ optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Terrain.

Suspension and Handling

The Nautilus has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Nautilus flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

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 Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Terrain (112.2 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Nautilus is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Terrain.

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Terrain Denali AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Nautilus Reserve AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Terrain Denali AWD (27.1 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 5.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Terrain (108.3 vs. 103.2).

The Nautilus has 1.9 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Terrain.

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

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

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Terrain is limited to 1500 pounds. The Nautilus offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

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 Terrain can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Nautilus uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Terrain uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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 Terrain’s passenger windows don’t close 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 Terrain 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 Terrain 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 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 Terrain’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

The Nautilus has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Terrain.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the Terrain because it costs $527 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the Terrain, including $336 less for a muffler, $120 less for front brake pads, $288 less for a starter, $265 less for fuel injection and $377 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

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