Compare the2024 Acura RDXVS 2023 Lincoln Nautilus

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the RDX. But it costs extra on the Nautilus.

Both the RDX and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 Acura RDX is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

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 Acura RDX is safer than the Nautilus:

The Acura RDX achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Nautilus has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the RDX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Nautilus.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Acura higher than Lincoln.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Lincoln is ranked 23rd.

The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (272 vs. 250) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

On the EPA test cycle the RDX gets better mileage than the Nautilus:

The RDX has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Nautilus. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura RDX higher (6 out of 10) than the Lincoln Nautilus (5 to 6). This means the RDX produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Nautilus every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura RDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Nautilus.

The RDX stops shorter than the Nautilus:

The RDX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Nautilus’ standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Nautilus.

The RDX 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.

The RDX A-Spec handles at .82 G’s, while the Nautilus Reserve AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RDX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Nautilus Reserve AWD (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

The RDX has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Nautilus with its rear seat folded (79.8 vs. 68.8 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Lincoln. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Lincoln is ranked 12th.

The RDX Advance has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction 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 RDX and the Nautilus have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the RDX 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 RDX’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.

The RDX’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Nautilus’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the RDX 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 RDX 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.

Insurance will cost less for the RDX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the RDX will cost $1325 to $2905 less than the Nautilus over a five-year period.

The RDX will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the RDX will retain 53.7% to 55% of its original price after five years, while the Nautilus only retains 46% to 49.16%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the RDX is less expensive to operate than the Nautilus because typical repairs cost much less on the RDX than the Nautilus, including $79 less for a water pump, $188 less for a muffler and $677 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Acura RDX will be $4456 to $16032 less than for the Lincoln Nautilus.

The Acura RDX has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

The Acura RDX outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by 61% during 2023.