Lincoln Nautilus vs Lincoln Corsair

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair was introduced as a replacement for the Lincoln MKC, which had been around since 2014. The MKC, based on the Ford Escape platform, lacked the athleticism and modern cabin feel of its counterpart. The Corsair, however, rode on the new C2 platform, also used by the latest Escape, and managed to distinguish itself from its Ford sibling. This differentiation was something Lincoln achieved better than General Motors with their Cadillac XT4 and XT5 crossovers. The Corsair's design, featuring slab sides, blacked-out rear pillars, and straight belt- and rooflines, gave it a refined and larger appearance, similar to the Aviator and Navigator.

Inside, the Corsair shared design elements with its more expensive siblings, such as a flowing dash, floating center touchscreen, and "Piano Key" shifter buttons. However, it didn't quite match their fit and finish, with more hard-touch materials present. The black leather and dark wood interior seemed aimed at older buyers, while younger buyers might prefer the lighter palettes with tan leather. The Corsair came in Standard, Reserve, and the new Grand Touring plug-in hybrid trims, each offering a range of features from 18-inch alloy wheels and a 10-speaker stereo to a 14-speaker Revel audio system and 24-way multi-contour seats with a massaging function.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus, especially in the Black Label trim with 21-inch machined-finish wheels, was an attractive SUV with balanced styling and plenty of character. At night, the Lincoln Embrace lighting sequence greeted you, and the Black Label model offered Chalet or new-for-2022 Flight design themes. Our test vehicle's Chalet design featured light gray premium leather upholstery, while Flight offered a classy Luggage Tan color. The Black Label trim included nearly every available feature, along with a simulated suede headliner and luxury floor mats, though some chrome-plated plastic pieces looked a bit cheap.

The Nautilus had a starting MSRP of $44,225, including destination charges, with the Black Label starting at $66,825. Our Black Label test vehicle, equipped with Ultra Comfort 22-way power-adjustable front seats with Active Motion massage, was priced at $68,325. These seats were perfect for a 14-hour round-trip drive from Los Angeles to Scottsdale, Arizona, providing exceptional comfort.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair offered a base 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This engine provided adequate power, but the optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, delivered stronger acceleration. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the 2.0-liter available in FWD or AWD and the 2.3-liter exclusively in AWD. The Corsair featured unique drive modes like "Conserve" and "Excite," with the latter akin to Sport mode. The 2.3-liter engine offered brisk acceleration and confident cornering, though there was some body roll and light steering. The suspension absorbed potholes well, though road noise was noticeable.

For 2021, Lincoln introduced the Grand Touring trim with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a CVT, battery power, and two electric motors, producing a combined 266 hp. It offered 28 miles of pure EV driving, 78 MPGe in electric mode, and 33 mpg combined in hybrid mode.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus, in its standard and Reserve trims, featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. The Black Label trim included a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine with 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, requiring AWD. The Nautilus offered Comfort, Normal, and Sport driving modes, adjusting powertrain behavior, steering effort, and adaptive suspension. Comfort mode felt too soft, Sport mode made the steering too heavy, and Normal mode was just right.

During a road trip from Los Angeles to Scottsdale, the Nautilus provided a comfortable and cozy ride, with massaging and heated driver’s seats and a heated steering wheel. The twin-turbo V6 had an EPA fuel economy rating of 21 mpg combined, with a maximum range of 450 miles. Over 871.1 miles, it averaged 25 mpg. The Nautilus excelled as a road-tripper, with a quiet cabin and excellent sound quality from the 19-speaker Revel audio system. In the Santa Monica Mountains, the twin-turbo V6 and adaptive suspension made the Nautilus unexpectedly athletic, though the steering lacked engagement.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair had a spacious cabin with comfortable seats and ample storage space. However, the large lip when stepping in or out of the vehicle was a notable downside, potentially causing tripping. The test model featured reclining and sliding rear seats, providing impressive legroom for a compact SUV. The Corsair offered 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 57.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, both average for its class. A power liftgate was standard, with a hands-free option available.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label featured smooth leather, ambient lighting, and a quiet drive thanks to Active Noise Control and acoustic glass. Both front seats were heated and ventilated, with a heated power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. The optional 22-way power front seats with massage programs were exceptionally comfortable. Rear passengers had heated outboard seats and air conditioning vents, though legroom was tight for a midsize SUV. Practical storage space was adequate but not easily accessible. The hands-free power liftgate revealed 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 68.8 cubic feet with the back seat folded.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running SYNC 3, featuring a logical menu layout and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Reserve trim added wireless device charging, a 14-speaker Revel audio system, and a head-up display (HUD) with crisp graphics.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Sync 4 software. Sync 4 offered over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. The Black Label trim included connected navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a 19-speaker Revel audio system. The system had an intuitive interface, physical stereo and climate controls, and a natural voice recognition system. Phone as a Key technology allowed the smartphone to function as a digital key.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. The test model featured Lincoln CoPilot360 Plus, adding adaptive LED headlights, surround-view parking cameras, front parking sensors, speed-limit sign recognition, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, and automatic parking assist. The Corsair was an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus with high-feature headlights.

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus included Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0, with forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. The Black Label trim added Lincoln Co-Pilot360 1.0 Plus, with adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance, evasive steering assist, a surround-view camera system, and parking sensors. The Black Label also featured semi-autonomous parking assist and post-collision braking. The Nautilus earned a five-star overall rating from NHTSA, with a four-star rating for rollover resistance. IIHS had not assessed the Nautilus for safety.