Compare the2025 Honda PassportVS 2024 Lincoln Nautilus

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Nautilus’ side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Passport 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Passport for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Nautilus.

There are almost 2 times as many Honda dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Nautilus have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln With 45 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Lincoln.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 18 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 30 more horsepower (280 vs. 250) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Passport is faster than the Lincoln Nautilus:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Nautilus requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Nautilus.

For better traction, the Passport EX-L/Black Edition’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Nautilus (265/45R20 vs. 255/60R19).

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Nautilus doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Nautilus.

The Passport Black Edition handles at .78 G’s, while the Nautilus Black Label pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Nautilus (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Passport is 4.1 inches shorter than the Nautilus, making the Passport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Passport Black Edition is quieter than the Nautilus Black Label (65 vs. 66 dB).

The Passport has 2.3 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1 inch more rear hip room and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Nautilus.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Nautilus with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 36.4 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Nautilus with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 71.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Passport. The Nautilus doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Nautilus’ (5000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Passport’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Nautilus has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda Passport outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by 79% during 2023.