2024 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a significant addition to Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, positioned between the Highlander and the Sequoia. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. The Grand Highlander was notably large, measuring 5,115 millimetres in length with a 2,950 mm wheelbase, offering a spacious interior. Its design was more conservative and blockier compared to the smaller Highlander, drawing inspiration from rugged vehicles like the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride. The interior featured black Softex synthetic leather on the XLE trim, with real leather available on the Limited and Platinum trims. The Grand Highlander was praised for its comfortable and well-built interior, making it an excellent choice for road trips.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, available exclusively in Reserve trim in Canada, debuted with a sophisticated and streamlined exterior design. Its new grille, reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz's bifurcated design, featured LED lighting that extended through the grille, illuminating the Lincoln star logo. The horizontal aesthetic continued at the rear with a full-width animated LED light bar and dual exhaust ports. The interior was the highlight, featuring a full-width screen and high-quality materials like open-pore wood and fine leather. The Jet Appearance Package offered additional customization options, including two-tone paint, black exterior trim, and 22-inch wheels. The Nautilus's interior was praised for its excellent quality and attention to detail, making it a standout in the mid-size luxury SUV class.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options. The base model featured a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. At the top of the range, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max powertrain combined a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with electric motors, producing 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All powertrains came with all-wheel drive in Canada. The Grand Highlander was not a sports car, but the Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The vehicle's size made it less maneuverable than the smaller Highlander, but its brakes were solid, and acceleration was adequate. Three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—were available, with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus came standard with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid setup, available for an additional $3,500, offered 310 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, with an estimated fuel consumption of 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. The gas-only engine consumed 9.8 L/100 km combined. The hybrid's range exceeded 950 kilometres, making it a practical choice for long drives. The Nautilus featured all-wheel drive and five drive modes, with an adaptive suspension available for enhanced performance. The hybrid's continuously variable transmission (CVT) was well-tuned, avoiding the typical drawbacks of CVTs. While not a driver's car, the Nautilus offered a satisfying driving experience with its Excite mode, which tightened steering and reduced body roll.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its primary rivals, including the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride. Its length of over 5 metres and 2,950 mm wheelbase translated to ample storage space, with a total cargo capacity of 2,761 litres. With the second-row seats up, it offered 1,640 litres of space, and with all three rows up, 583 litres were available. The Grand Highlander provided a comfortable and spacious interior, with good visibility and plenty of headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row. Even the third row could accommodate a six-foot adult comfortably.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus offered power-adjustable, heated, and cooled front seats, with the option for Lincoln's 24-way Perfect Position front seats, which were among the most comfortable in the mid-size luxury SUV class. The rear seats provided 1,095 millimetres of legroom, surpassing competitors like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Nautilus featured the Lincoln Rejuvenate feature, combining massage, lighting, and screen images to create different moods. Cargo space was generous, with 997 litres behind the second row and 1,947 litres with the seats folded down. The Nautilus was available only with seating for five, prioritizing cargo space over a third row.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a visually stunning interface. An intelligent assistant, available via a connected-services subscription, responded to voice commands for tasks like adjusting the temperature or changing radio stations. The subscription also included cloud-based navigation and 24/7 live agent assistance. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo, providing a balanced audio experience. While Toyota's tech offering had improved, careful consideration of subscription options was recommended.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus featured a massive 48-inch curved display, with a digital dash for the driver and customizable sections for weather, audio, fuel economy, and more. The centre console housed an 11.1-inch touchscreen for basic infotainment duties, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. HVAC controls were accessible via permanent icons, but adjusting vents required navigating menus. Unlabelled steering wheel controls were a distraction, but the inclusion of Google Maps and Alexa Built-in for voice controls was appreciated. Gaming and web browsing were available when the car was stopped, and over-the-air updates ensured the system remained current. Wireless charging and USB-A and -C charge ports were standard throughout the cabin.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested or rated by the NHTSA or IIHS. However, it came with an impressive list of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as standard equipment. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) included features like automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The updated lane-departure alert could identify three-dimensional objects, reducing false warnings. Traffic jam assist and a head-up display were exclusive to the Platinum grade. Adaptive cruise control was standard, offering four following-distance settings.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus featured the Lincoln CoPilot 360 suite of ADAS features, including lane-keeping assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and emergency braking. The hands-free/eyes-up Blue Cruise 1.2 technology was offered on every Nautilus, with a four-year package included before transitioning to an annual subscription model. Blue Cruise combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist on pre-mapped highways, with automatic lane-change assist and In-Lane Repositioning for added safety. The 2024 Nautilus had not yet been rated by the NHTSA, but the 2023 model received high scores for crash protection. The IIHS gave the 2024 Nautilus a top score of "Good" in crashworthiness.