Compare the2024 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2023 Lincoln Nautilus

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Q5 Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Nautilus doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 Sportback and Nautilus have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 Sportback 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 Nautilus’ 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Q5 Sportback has a standard backup collision prevention system that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Nautilus doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5 Sportback. But it costs extra on the Nautilus.

Both the Q5 Sportback and Nautilus have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Q5 Sportback has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Nautilus’ Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the Nautilus 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 around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q5 Sportback is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

	Q5 Sportback	Nautilus
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	22.4%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	229 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	165/596 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	282
Neck Injury Risk	34%	35.2%
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	197 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	44 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	145/201 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 Audi Q5 Sportback is safer than the Lincoln Nautilus:

	Q5 Sportback	Nautilus
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	84
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	190 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	16 inches
HIC	219	257
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	38 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Q5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Nautilus’ (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Audi Q5 Sportback’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Nautilus’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 4 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

Engine

The Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 11 more horsepower (261 vs. 250) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 Sportback gets better mileage than the Nautilus:

			MPG
Q5 Sportback
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	22 city/28 hwy
Nautilus
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/25 hwy
		2.7 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Q5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Q5 Sportback 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.

Transmission

The Q5 Sportback offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Nautilus doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5 Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Nautilus doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

The Q5 Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Nautilus are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

The Q5 Sportback’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 Q5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Nautilus.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Q5 Sportback’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Nautilus’ (38.7 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The Q5 Sportback is 5.4 inches shorter than the Nautilus, making the Q5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Towing

The Q5 Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Nautilus’ (4400 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 Sportback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Nautilus. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Lincoln. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, Lincoln is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

The Q5 Sportback Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information 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 Q5 Sportback and the Nautilus have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q5 Sportback 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 Q5 Sportback’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 Q5 Sportback’s 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 Nautilus’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Nautilus doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Nautilus doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Nautilus doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Q5 Sportback with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Nautilus’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Q5 Sportback 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 Nautilus Reserve/Black Label.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q5 Sportback owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Q5 Sportback with a number “5” insurance rate while the Nautilus is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 Sportback is less expensive to operate than the Nautilus because typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 Sportback than the Nautilus, including $216 less for a timing belt/chain and $520 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q5 Sportback and the Lincoln Nautilus, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q5 outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by over three to one during 2022.

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