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Caraganza Review 2024 Lincoln Nautilus: The Evolution of Elegance

Imagine this: You’re about to embark on a long journey out of state, and your trusty steed for the adventure is a 2022 Lincoln Nautilus—a rental, no less. Now, renting a car is a bit like meeting someone for the first time at the airport. You’re polite, you get along, but deep down, you know this is a short-term fling. You’ll be together for a bit, but you’re not fooling anyone—you’re counting down the miles until you part ways.

And to be honest I had a pretty good idea what this week would consist of. After all, as a reviewer of cars I had already spent a week with a Nautilus, a 2021, so I sort of knew what to expect.

The Nautilus is not a bad car —actually, an SUV. It’s comfortable, reliable, and it’s got just enough luxury to remind you that you’re driving a Lincoln and not just some generic rental fleet throwaway. But at the end of it all it is a rental; the automotive equivalent of your girlfriend opting for sweats and one of your old, oversized T-shirts as cute as the girl next door. It’s comfortable, it’s familiar, but it’s not exactly turning heads. The dashboard is a landscape of hard plastics that were probably inspired by a Tupperware party, and the infotainment system feels like it was designed by someone who still remembers dial-up internet. The engine—adequate, but not exactly inspiring—hums along with all the enthusiasm of a teenager doing chores. In short, it’s a car that’s just there, not making waves, not breaking hearts, just getting the job done.

And indeed, the rental version of the Nautilus delivered me home without fuss, or fanfare. Waiting for me though was my weekly press fleet vehicle, and in an ironic twist, it was the 2024 version of the Lincoln Nautilus. Now, in the interest of fairness manufacturers don’t put rental versions of cars they want a positive review on into a press fleet. Instead, it’s usually a top-of-the-line version will all the bells and appropriate whistles.

So, I would be transitioning from a rental version of the Nautilus to a top tier Black Label, which comes with such things as free car washes and ironically, rental car benefits when traveling.  But I didn’t except too much in the way of change.

I was so wrong.

You see the 2024 model of the Nautilus marks the debut of the next generation. And let me tell you, this isn’t just an update—it’s a revelation. The 2024 Nautilus is like seeing that same girlfriend show up in a Christian Dior gown, with her makeup done by a Hollywood pro. She’s no longer the girl next door: she’s the woman who’s about to steal the show on the red carpet at the Oscars.

The redesign is stunning. Lincoln has taken the 2024 Nautilus and turned it into something truly special. The exterior is sharp, with a grille that says, “I’m here to impress,” and the interior—oh, the interior. It’s like stepping into a first-class lounge. It’s an interior that could make a Bentley blush. The materials are rich, the seats are as comfortable as your favorite armchair, and the technology is cutting-edge.

The infotainment system? It’s as if someone took the old one, threw it out the window, and replaced it with a tablet straight out of a sci-fi movie. It, and all the tech is contained in a screen that stretches 48 inches across the entire dash. It’s a symphony of modernity and so advanced you half expect the car to start making decisions for you. And the seats—they’re not just seats, they’re thrones. Comfortable, supportive, and make the 2021 Nautilus feel like it was upholstered in sandpaper by comparison. And being the Black Label, the front seats were massaging, but not skimped on like others. I almost felt like I had a professional masseuse riding behind me.

As for the drive, the 2021 Nautilus did its job, sure, but the 2024 Nautilus feels like it’s been engineered by someone who actually cares about driving. The engine is responsive, the ride is buttery smooth, with just the right amount of road feedback to remind you that you’re behind the wheel of something designed to impress. And when you pull up somewhere in this, people notice. They don’t just see a car; they see style, they see luxury, they see the kind of craftsmanship that turns heads.

This isn’t just a car you drive; it’s a car you experience. It makes you want to take the long way home—just for the thrill of it.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. It’s like I’d been living in black and white and suddenly discovered color. The 2024 Nautilus isn’t just an upgrade: it’s a complete reinvention. It’s as if Lincoln decided to take everything that was good about the Nautilus and turn it up to eleven.

This isn’t just a tale of old versus new, of yesterday’s rental versus today’s Black Label luxury. It’s a testament to how far Lincoln has come. The 2024 Nautilus doesn’t just make the 2021 model look dated—it makes it feel like a relic from another era. And after spending time with both, there’s no question which one I’d rather be driving. The 2021 version might get you from point A to point B, but the 2024 Nautilus makes you wonder why you’d ever settle for anything less.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label
MSRP: $74,250
MSRP (as teste): $80,845
Engine: 2.0 liter inline 4 250 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm, 280 lb-ft torque @ 3,000 rpm
Fuel Mileage (EPA): 21 city, 29 highway, 24 combined
Fuel Mileage as tested (mixed conditions): 26 mpg
Curb Weight: 4,349 lbs.

Exterior Dimensions
Length: 193.2 in.
Overall width with mirrors: 85.4 in.
Height: 68.2 in.
Wheelbase: 114.2 in.

Interior Dimensions
Front head room: 39.1 in.
Front leg room: 43.5 in.
Front shoulder room: 58.9 in.
Front hip room: 56.8 in.
Rear head room: 38.4 in.
Rear leg room: 43.1 in.
Rear shoulder room: 58.0 in.
Rear hip room: 56.3 in.
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 35.2 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity: 68.8 cu.ft.

Warranty
Basic: 4 yr./ 50,000 mi.
Drivetrain: 6 yr./ 70,000 mi.
Rust: 5 yr./ unlimited mi.
Roadside assistance: Unlimited yr./ unlimited mi.
Free maintenance: 4 yr./ 50,000 mi.

Greg Engle
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