Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Volvo XC90

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
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 XC90 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 XC90 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Nautilus and the XC90 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 XC90:

	Nautilus	XC90
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	27%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	252 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	165/596 lbs.	567/631 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	145/201 lbs.	383/334 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 XC90:

	Nautilus	XC90
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	192 lbs.	255 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 safer than the XC90:

	Nautilus	XC90
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	.91 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.42 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	7 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	535 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Nautilus its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XC90 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC90. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the XC90 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 45 points higher than the XC90.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The XC90 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 XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid:

	Nautilus	XC90
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	92.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Nautilus and the XC90 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 XC90 Recharge 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 XC90 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 XC90:

	Nautilus	XC90
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.6 inches

The Nautilus stops shorter than the XC90:

	Nautilus	XC90
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	123 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the XC90 (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R19).

Suspension and Handling

The Nautilus has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The XC90’s 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 XC90, 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 XC90 B6 Ultimate pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Lincoln Nautilus may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the Volvo XC90.

The Nautilus is 5 inches shorter than the XC90, 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 XC90 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 4.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC90 (108.3 vs. 103.8).

The Nautilus has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC90.

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume than the XC90 with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

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 XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 XC90 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 XC90’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 XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Nautilus is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The XC90 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the XC90 because it costs $290 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the XC90, including $498 less for a water pump, $47 less for front brake pads, $471 less for a starter, $220 less for fuel injection, $349 less for a fuel pump, $74 less for front struts and $100 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lincoln Nautilus, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volvo XC90 isn't recommended.