Compare the2023 Lincoln NautilusVS 2022 Mercedes GLC Coupe

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 Coupe 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 Coupe 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 Coupe 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 Coupe.

Both the Nautilus and the GLC Coupe 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.

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 Coupe has not been tested, yet.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLC Coupe. 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 Coupe 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.

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 Coupe.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Nautilus first among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The GLC Coupe 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.

The Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 273) than the GLC Coupe’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 Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GLC Coupe 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 Coupe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The Nautilus stops much shorter than the GLC Coupe:

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger standard tires than the GLC Coupe (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R19). The Nautilus’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLC Coupe (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 Coupe’s optional 45 series front tires.

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

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

The Nautilus Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the GLC 300 Coupe 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 GLC 300 Coupe (27.1 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

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 Coupe doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has 1 inch more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear legroom and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC Coupe.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat up (37.2 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat folded (68.8 vs. 49.4 cubic feet).

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

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 Coupe can’t be towed flat on the ground.

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 Coupe 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Nautilus has a standard rear wiper. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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 Coupe.

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Nautilus is less expensive to operate than the GLC Coupe 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 Coupe, 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.

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