LOOKS

The exterior of the Nautilus I tested featured a Chroma Caviar Dark Gray paint scheme that was quite sharp, and a strong overall design — highlighted by the bold and distinctive Lincoln grille, a hands-free liftgate, and LED headlights and taillights. I would describe the overall design as classy yet muscular. It’s bold but not as in-your-face as some luxury rivals’ exterior designs.

Outside mirrors are heated, include turn signals, and automatically fold. A panoramic vista roof is a nice addition, and includes a power shade. Wheels can range from 18 to 21 inches, and feature an eye-catching design. 

Moving inside, you’ll find where the Nautilus really shines. Especially on the Black Label trim, you’ll find an SUV that provides a plush and comfortable ride for all passengers, and an interior design that rivals all competitors from the German segment leaders to the many Asian rivals. 

Seats were an extra comfy Venetian Leather, with plenty of leg and head room in both rows. And the overall design is extremely classy and high-end. Nothing looks or feels cheap in this luxury ride. As it should be.

Cargo space comes in at 37 cubic feet with seats up, 68 cubic feet with back seats down. The vehicle also features ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and ventilated and heated front seats.

HOW’S THE RIDE? 

The Nautilus I tested featured the higher-end of the two powerplant options — a 2.7-liter, twin turbo V6 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Output from this impressive motor was 335 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque.

The entry-level engine in the Nautilus is a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet, but I would recommend the V6.

Both FWD and AWD are offered on the Standard and Reserve trim levels of the Nautilus; but if you choose the top Black Label trim AWD is standard.

Driving the V6, you can feel the power as it gets you moving quite impressively. The 0-to-60 time was roughly 6 seconds, impressive for the segment. At the same time, it offers a generally smooth and quiet ride, offering the best of both worlds. 

For a vehicle this large, handling was quite impressive and it drove more nimbly than I would have anticipated. The ride is also improved by the Nautilus’ available adaptive suspension, which helps in rough driving conditions.

You can shift between three drive modes in the Nautilus — Comfort, Normal, and Sport — depending on driving conditions.

One note: The unique piano-key style gear shifters take some time to get used to if you are used to a shifter knob. But they open up the design very well.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

The infotainment setup on the 2022 Nautilus features a massive 13.2-inch touchscreen with easy-to-use controls and plenty of functionality. Voice commands are intuitive, even offering suggestions on the screen so you can learn the preferred language cues.

They system features a reliable Navigation system, and a wireless phone charging pad is included. Other tech highlights include Wi-Fi capability, and the Phone as a Key feature.

For comfort, you can get one of my favorite tech features in luxury rides — massaging front seats. And if you like your tunes loud, a 19-speaker sound system is available. 

There are also tons of safety features included — as you should expect on a family friendly luxury SUV. These include a Blind Spot Information System, Cross-Traffic Alert, Active Park Assist, Lane-Keeping System, 360-degree camera, and Adaptive Cruise Control.

A full array of airbags is included to keep passengers safe, and you get both Pre-Collision Assist with automatic emergency braking, and an SOS post-crash notification system. 

Safety ratings on the Nautilus are five stars overall, making it one of the safest vehicles in its class.

MPG

The official fuel mileage numbers on the Nautilus are 19 city/25 highway/21 combined. However, I only averaged around 17 mpg in real-world testing.

These numbers lag behind some of the luxury SUV competition, which could play a role when buyers are deciding which brand to go with. 

PRICE

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label that I tested was priced at $69,535. Standard trim level starts around $44K, Reserve around $50K, and the base price for Black Label starts about $65K.

The Nautilus’ warranties include 4 years/50K mile overall warranty and 6 years/70K mile powertrain warranty. 

If you go for Black Label trim, you’ll get Lincoln's four-year/50,000-mile premium maintenance package. This will cover all recommended service and routine wear, provides anytime car washes, and more.

BOTTOM LINE

A classy, roomy, versatile, powerful and tech-savvy vehicle, the 2022 Nautilus keeps Lincoln solidly in the mix in the competitive midsize luxury SUV segment.

It’s one of the strongest domestic alternatives in the segment and will appeal to those who want to stick to a model from Detroit’s “Big Three”.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.