Compare the2024 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Audi Q5

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. The Q5 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 Q5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Nautilus and the Q5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Nautilus’ warranty.

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.

The Nautilus has more powerful engines than the Q5:

The Nautilus has 5.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q5 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (20 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Nautilus has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q5’s standard fuel tank (20 vs. 18.5 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 Q5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Q5.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Q5:

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger tires than the Q5 (255/60R19 vs. 235/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Q5. The Nautilus’ optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Q5.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Q5 (114.2 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Nautilus is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Q5.

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (37.5 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Nautilus’ turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (37.5 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has 2.6 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 5.1 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q5.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 25.8 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 with its rear seat folded (71.3 vs. 54 cubic feet).

The Nautilus has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q5 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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. An easy entry system costs extra on the Q5.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE 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 variable intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Nautilus has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q5 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Nautilus also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Nautilus 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 costs extra on the Q5.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q5.

The Nautilus offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q5 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 Q5 Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The Nautilus is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.