Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Volvo XC60

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 XC60 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 XC60 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Nautilus and the XC60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 Volvo XC60:

	Nautilus	XC60
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	165/596 lbs.	489/470 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	55 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	145/201 lbs.	329/351 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, results indicate that the Lincoln Nautilus is safer than the Volvo XC60:

	Nautilus	XC60
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	185
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	635 lbs.	906 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 XC60 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the XC60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Volvo 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 37 points higher than the XC60.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The XC60 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 89 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is rated below average.

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 Volvo 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, Volvo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lincoln 4 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Nautilus turbo V6 is faster than the XC60 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder:

	Nautilus	XC60
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.8 MPH	89.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Nautilus and the XC60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Nautiluses have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC60 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The XC60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the XC60:

	Nautilus	XC60
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.6 inches

The Nautilus stops much shorter than the XC60:

	Nautilus	XC60
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the XC60 (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18).

Suspension and Handling

The Nautilus has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The XC60 Ultimate suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The front and rear suspension of the Nautilus uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the XC60 Recharge Core pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XC60 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC60 (108.3 vs. 103).

The Nautilus has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC60.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Nautilus’ rear seats recline. The XC60’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Nautilus is 1.5 inches lower than the XC60 (17.5” vs. 19”). The Nautilus’ rear step up height is 1.5 inches lower than the XC60’s (18” vs. 19.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC60 with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC60 with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

The Nautilus’ cargo area is larger than the XC60’s in every dimension:

	Nautilus	XC60
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.5”/75”	37.8”/68.7”
Max Width	45”	43.5”
Min Width	45”	39.8”
Height	31”	30.6”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Nautilus’ rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The XC60 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

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. The XC60 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 XC60 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call 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” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the XC60’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Nautilus has standard extendable sun visors. The XC60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 XC60.

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 XC60 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 XC60 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 XC60 because it costs $154 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the XC60, including $89 less for front brake pads, $451 less for a starter, $257 less for fuel injection, $506 less for a fuel pump and $24 less for front struts.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lincoln Nautilus, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volvo XC60 isn't recommended.