Compare the2024 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Audi Q8

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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Nautilus and the Q8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, 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 Q8. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q8 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.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Q8 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 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 Q8 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Q8 doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is 6 feet tighter than the Q8’s (37.5 feet vs. 43.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Nautilus has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q8 (7.9 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the Nautilus to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lincoln Nautilus may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 650 pounds less than the Audi Q8.

The Nautilus is 3.4 inches shorter than the Q8, making the Nautilus easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q8 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more rear headroom and 2.9 inches more rear legroom than the Q8.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q8 with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 30.5 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q8 with its rear seat folded (71.3 vs. 60.7 cubic feet).

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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8.

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 Q8.

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 Q8 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Nautilus is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Lincoln Nautilus outsold the Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 by over two to one during 2022.