Compare the2024 Lincoln NautilusVS 2023 Toyota Highlander

Both the Nautilus and Highlander have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Nautilus has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Highlander’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

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 Highlander doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers a blind spot warning system.

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. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Both the Nautilus and the Highlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

The Nautilus comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Highlander’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Highlander ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Nautilus’ optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 45 more horsepower (310 vs. 265) than the Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Nautilus has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Highlander (20 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Highlander 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 Highlander doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger tires than the Highlander (255/60R19 vs. 235/65R18).

The Nautilus’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander L/LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Nautilus’ optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Highlander L/LE/XLE. The Nautilus’ optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum.

The Nautilus offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Highlander’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Nautilus has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Highlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Highlander (114.2 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

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

The Nautilus has 1.5 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more rear headroom and 4.4 inches more rear legroom than the Highlander.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume than the Highlander with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 16 cubic feet).

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 Highlander 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 Highlander doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Nautilus’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Highlander’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 is only available on the Highlander Limited/Platinum.

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 Highlander XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers wireless charging.

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 Highlander doesn’t offer an automated parking system.