Yahoo Autos 2024 Lincoln Nautilus First Drive Review: Lincoln's moonshot (with nits to pick)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – It was only a decade ago when Lincoln seemed destined to go the way of Oldsmobile and Mercury. Odd styling, cheap retro interiors and blatant parts sharing with supporting Ford vehicles had this storied American luxury brand trailing the competition by a significant margin. Then things started turning around with the reborn Continental sedan in 2017, followed by the massive and massively improved Navigator the following year. In hindsight, I equate those to the Mercury and Gemini space programs that led to Apollo and the game-changing moonshot. After driving the all-new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus throughout the Palm Springs area, it could very well deserve the accolades and ticker tape parades bestowed upon NASA in 1969.
Starting with the new styling, this second-generation Nautilus manages to stand out from the crowd without shouting. There's a quiet resolve in the rounded-over corners and subtle sculpting. The appropriately sized grille has suggestions of woven Bentley rods while a distinctive horizontal bar connects the Lincoln emblem to the narrow LED headlights. Below, two brushed metal accents anchor the fascia with a classy foundation.
Down the sides, a distinctive flourish spans almost the entire length of the front doors, and the absence of traditional door handles gives the profile an unusually clean look. Those door handles are integrated into the window frame in the same manner as the Continental, further emphasizing the way reflections and shadows dance across the gentle curves of the bodywork.
Around back, there are echoes of Audi or Porsche, but not in a derivative way since it integrates well with the rest of the Nautilus. To my hyper-critical styling eye, I can only find the slightest of nitpicks in a series of horizontal stripes present in the rearmost side window that are repeated in the edges of the headlights and taillights. My nitpicking is typically a good omen, as it means there isn't anything significant to fault it for, and that could very well be the theme of this review.
While the exterior is suitably attractive, the interior is downright stunning. The biggest attention-getter is the 48-inch curved panoramic display that spans the entire length of the dashboard. It's the type of design element expected of a concept or prohibitively expensive luxury vehicle, not a production SUV starting in the low $50,000 range. Even better, it works.
It's positioned atop the dash, just behind the hood cowl, placing the instrument panel well within the driver's sightline. In many ways, this positioning splits the difference between traditional gauges and a head-up display, though it can pack so much more information across the span than either. The other screens can easily be configured via the central touchscreen by simply moving them around as puzzle tiles. If you prefer less information, that's no problem, as you can have them blank.
The oblong steering wheel permits an almost unimpeded view of the instrument panel, and its minimal design is reminiscent of the elegant simplicity of a Volvo or Polestar. I typically loathe odd-shaped wheels, but in this case, it's rounded over enough to not register on the nitpick meter. The same holds true for the capacitive touchpads, as they don't suffer from inadvertent pushes or swipes, the way lesser controllers do.
Then there are the front seats. They're similar to the split-adjustable thrones found throughout the Lincoln lineup since the Continental and are just as comfortable, with 24-way adjustments. They're heated and ventilated, but the real star is the massage function. Unlike the timid pressure exhibited by other seats, you can get a real kneading that runs down each side of your tired spine. It's somewhere between a Swedish and deep-tissue massage and is oh-so-wonderful when you're road-tripping. Add in the new Digital Scent that perfumes the air in the same way Mercedes' Air Balance system does, and it's easy to forget you're in a Lincoln.
A rubberized phone tray with a wireless charger keeps your phone securely in place while the other bins, pockets, and cupholders provide ample storage for the rest of your personal effects. There's also a large bin under the center console that keeps items out of view of prying eyes. Overall, it's a rousing success, but of course, I can't let it go at that.
