Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2022 Mercedes GLC

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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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 GLC 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 GLC 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 GLC 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’ standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLC.

Both the Nautilus and the GLC 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, 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 Mercedes GLC:

	Nautilus	GLC
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	23%
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	87 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	165/596 lbs.	378/445 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	115 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 Mercedes GLC:

	Nautilus	GLC
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	192 lbs.	409 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	134
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	635 lbs.	784 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	787 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 GLC last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

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

There are over 78 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Mercedes 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 43 points higher than the GLC.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The GLC 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 Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes 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 Mercedes 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, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lincoln 14 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Nautilus’ optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 80 more horsepower (335 vs. 255) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Nautilus turbo V6 is faster than the Mercedes GLC:

	Nautilus	GLC
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.8 MPH	89.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

The Nautilus has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLC doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Nautilus	GLC
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

The Nautilus stops shorter than the GLC:

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

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the GLC (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLC (265/40R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The Nautilus’ optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLC’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus offers optional 21-inch wheels. The GLC’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

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

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the GLC 300 4MATIC 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 GLC doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC.

The front step up height for the Nautilus is 2.5 inches lower than the GLC (17.5” vs. 20”). The Nautilus’ rear step up height is 4.5 inches lower than the GLC’s (18” vs. 22.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 19.4 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 56.5 cubic feet).

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

	Nautilus	GLC
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.5”/75”	36.6”/61.3”
Max Width	45”	49.4”
Min Width	45”	43.3”
Height	31”	31.1”

Towing

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 GLC can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

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 GLC doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call 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 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the GLC.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Nautilus owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Nautilus will cost $490 less than the GLC over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the GLC because it costs $309 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Nautilus than the GLC, including $363 less for a water pump, $139 less for a muffler, $150 less for front brake pads, $528 less for a starter, $351 less for fuel injection, $158 less for a fuel pump, $236 less for front struts and $229 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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