Compare the2025 Lincoln NautilusVS 2024 Porsche Macan

Both the Nautilus and Macan 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 Macan’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.

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 if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Macan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Macan doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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. A system to reveal vehicles in the Macan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Nautilus’ standard Cross-Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Macan doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

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 Macan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Nautilus and the Macan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Lincoln Nautilus has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Macan has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

There are almost 3 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Nautilus’ warranty.

The Nautilus has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Macan doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus gets better mileage than the Macan:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Macan requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 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 Macan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Nautilus higher (7 out of 10) than the Porsche Macan (5). This means the Nautilus produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Macan every 15,000 miles.

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 Macan.

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 Macan doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger tires than the Macan (255/60R19 vs. 235/55R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Macan’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Nautilus’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Macan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Macan (114.2 inches vs. 110.5 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Macan’s (37.5 feet vs. 39.2 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 Macan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Nautilus’ rear seats recline. The Macan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Macan with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 17.2 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Macan with its rear seat folded (71.3 vs. 53 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Nautilus’ rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Macan doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Nautilus’ available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Macan doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Nautilus Hybrid can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Nautilus can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Macan can’t be towed flat on the ground.

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

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 Macan.

The Nautilus Reserve/Black Label has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Macan.

The Nautilus’ standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The Macan doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

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