Compare the2023 Buick EnclaveVS 2023 Lincoln Nautilus

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Buick Enclave’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lincoln Nautilus doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Nautilus doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Enclave offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Nautilus doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Enclave and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 Buick Enclave is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

	Enclave	Nautilus
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	22.4%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	229 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	165/596 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 Buick Enclave is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

	Enclave	Nautilus
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	69	84
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	161 lbs.	190 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches
HIC	251	257
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	38 G’s

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

Warranty

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Nautilus’ (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 3 times as many Buick dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 13th.

Engine

The Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 60 more horsepower (310 vs. 250) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Buick Enclave is faster than the Lincoln Nautilus turbo 4 cyl.:

	Enclave	Nautilus
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	7.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	15.6 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Enclave uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Nautilus requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Nautilus (19.4 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Nautilus (21.7 vs. 18 gallons).

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Enclave, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Nautilus.

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Nautilus are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Enclave has larger tires than the Nautilus (255/65R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln Nautilus only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Enclave has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Nautilus doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 8.7 inches longer than on the Nautilus (120.9 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Enclave is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Nautilus.

Chassis

The front grille of the Enclave uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Nautilus doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Enclave has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Nautilus can only carry 5.

The Enclave has 49 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Nautilus (157.3 vs. 108.3).

The Enclave has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Nautilus.

Cargo Capacity

The Enclave’s cargo area provides more volume than the Nautilus.

	Enclave	Nautilus
Third Seat Folded	57.7 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	37.2 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	97.4 cubic feet	68.8 cubic feet

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

	Enclave	Nautilus
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	26.2”/54”/90”	n.a./41.5”/75”
Max Width	52.7”	45”
Min Width	48.5”	45”
Height	30.8”	31”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Lincoln Nautilus is limited to 3500 pounds. The Enclave offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Lincoln. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 18% lower rating, Lincoln is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and tachometer readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Enclave and the Nautilus have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Enclave is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Nautilus prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Enclave’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Nautilus’ cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Enclave has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Nautilus only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

When the Enclave Premium/Avenir is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Nautilus’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Enclave has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Nautilus Reserve/Black Label.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Nautilus Reserve/Black Label offers wireless charging.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Enclave is less expensive to operate than the Nautilus because typical repairs cost much less on the Enclave than the Nautilus, including $69 less for a muffler, $95 less for front struts and $214 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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

The Buick Enclave outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by 48% during 2022.

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