Compare the2024 Lincoln NautilusVS 2024 Audi A4 Allroad

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Nautilus has standard Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Nautilus has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A4 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Nautilus has standard Cross-Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A4 Allroad.

The Nautilus’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Nautilus and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Lincoln Nautilus weighs 502 to 670 pounds more than the Audi A4 Allroad. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 75 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Nautilus’ warranty.

Reliability

The Nautilus has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 13 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Lincoln higher than Audi.

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 Audi 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, Audi is rated below average.

Engine

The Nautilus’ optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 39 more horsepower (300 vs. 261) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 273) than the A4 Allroad’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder Hybrid CVT gets better fuel mileage than the A4 Allroad (30 city/31 hwy vs. 23 city/30 hwy).

The Nautilus Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the A4 Allroad (20.1 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Nautilus’ standard fuel tank has 5 gallons more fuel capacity than the A4 Allroad (20.3 vs. 15.3 gallons).

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Nautilus, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A4 Allroad.

The Nautilus has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the A4 Allroad:

	Nautilus	A4 Allroad
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger tires than the A4 Allroad (255/60R19 vs. 245/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the A4 Allroad. The Nautilus offers optional 22-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

The Nautilus’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the A4 Allroad (114.2 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Nautilus is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.6 inches wider in the rear than on the A4 Allroad.

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the A4 Allroad’s (37.5 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Nautilus has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the A4 Allroad (7.9 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Nautilus to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Nautilus has 21.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 Allroad (113.5 vs. 92).

The Nautilus has 2.2 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear headroom, 7.4 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4 Allroad.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Nautilus’ rear seats recline. The A4 Allroad’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 24.2 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat folded (71.3 vs. 58.5 cubic feet).

Towing

The Nautilus Hybrid 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 A4 Allroad can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Nautilus uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Nautilus’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Nautilus’ standard Intelligent Access allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Engine Start/Stop standard on the A4 Allroad only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Nautilus has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A4 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The A4 Allroad’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Nautilus’ standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Nautilus Black Label has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the A4 Allroad.

The Nautilus’ standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lincoln Nautilus has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the A4 Allroad Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Nautilus offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Nautilus’ Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The A4 Allroad Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

The Lincoln Nautilus outsold the Audi A4/S4 by 80% during 2023.