Compare the2026 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2026 Lincoln Nautilus

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the 4Runner TRD Off-Road/Trailhunter/TRD Pro’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Nautilus doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The Toyota 4Runner comes with a standard Panoramic View/Multi-Terrain Monitor and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Lincoln Nautilus doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the 4Runner and the Nautilus 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, 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, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Nautilus. (Lincoln offers free maintenance on some Nautilus models.)

There are almost 3 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 4Runner’s reliability 54 points higher than the Nautilus.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Lincoln.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 59 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 24th.

The 4Runner has more powerful engines than the Nautilus:

As tested in Car and Driver the 4Runner Trailhunter 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Lincoln Nautilus turbo 4 cyl.:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Nautilus requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (6 out of 10) than the Lincoln Nautilus (5). This means the 4Runner produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Nautilus every 15,000 miles.

The 4Runner’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.

The 4Runner stops shorter than the Nautilus:

For better traction, the 4Runner TRD Sport/Limited/Platinum’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Nautilus (265/55R20 vs. 255/60R19).

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln Nautilus only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Nautilus; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The 4Runner offers an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Nautilus doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the 4Runner is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Nautilus.

The 4Runner’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.4% to 50.6%) than the Nautilus’ (56% to 44%). This gives the 4Runner more stable handling and braking.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Nautilus Black Label (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner SR5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Nautilus (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro’s minimum ground clearance is 2.2 inches higher than on the Nautilus (10.1 vs. 7.9 inches).

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Nautilus can only carry 5.

The 4Runner has 22.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Nautilus (136 vs. 113.5).

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Nautilus.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the 4Runner. The Nautilus doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Nautilus’ rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Nautilus’ (6000 vs. 0 pounds).

The engine in the 4Runner is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Nautilus. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The 4Runner’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Nautilus does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The 4Runner Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed 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 4Runner is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Toyota 4Runner retains 69.9% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 43.1% resale value of the 2025 Lincoln Nautilus after five years, which can save the Toyota’s owner up to $18418.08767 in depreciation.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by almost three to one during 2024.