The best of Lincoln, let’s hope the rest of Ford’s luxury lineup catches up
So, I expected to be uncomfortable in the Nautilus. Oh, it was comely. Kinda sexy even. Car & Driver even said it handled a (semi) treat — albeit with slightly stiff suspension — but, still, my expectations were that I would appreciate the Nautilus for 30 minutes or so and then try to figure out why my tushie and Lincoln’s seats just can’t get along.
Except that, for the first time in about almost a decade, I was fine and dandy behind the wheel of a Lincoln, no dull ache in my sacroiliac joint, not shooting pain down my right leg and no nerve numbness between kneecap and joint. I did not, in fact, have to touch the Nautilus’s many seat multi-function controls (five in all) to find a comfortable setup; just move it back a few inches from the I-have-to-be-right-up-against-the-steering-wheel position that works for my short-legged spouse. The result was no more LESS — Lincoln Excruciating Seat Syndrome — the comfort letting me enjoy the goodness that is this latest redesign of Lincoln interiors.
But that’s just me. Nadine, you loved the Nautilus, right? What stood out for you the first time you got behind the wheel?
Nadine Filion: First, I’m not short-legged. I’m 5-foot-7, barely 4 inches less than you and that’s when I’m not wearing my high-heeled boites de salope. So suck it up, sexy. And, know that my driving position is the right one: back straight and close enough to the steering wheel so you don’t have to “hold” it up. Besides, our Lincoln had three memory seat positions, so you could have made good usage of this “save-our-couple” function.
That said, I’m very happy you finally found comfort in a Lincoln. All these years I’ve heard you complaining about them, but I’ve always liked Lincoln seats so much that I wanted them as furniture in our living room. So, for me, those fantastic seats were not a surprise. I slide into them like into a hot tub, not only because of their ferocious warming elements, but because they offer some incredibly strong “recovery” massages. Also, a special bravo for the calf supports that can be raised individually — left and/or right. Voilà, a nice and welcomed break when you’re using the cruise control. I’m telling you, if Lincoln would sell a fauteuil like this as home furniture, it would be my choice.
But in the Nautilus, the system is not that sophisticated. On the same roads (always that boooooring Highway 401) and even in very good weather, it never gave me more than a couple of minutes of “hands-free” time. And when doing so, it was constantly asking me to take control of the steering wheel. I know the 1.4 version of the BlueCruise will soon be available to the Nautilus — it is already for the Navigator — and then the Nautilus will be higher on my list of new vehicles I’d consider buying. The biggest surprise to me is that, with an updated BlueCruise, I would lust after the new Lincoln as much as the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon I’m always raving about.
DB: Jeez, that’s a change of pace. Not as big a surprise, but shocking nonetheless was how much I liked the Nautilus’ ginormous gauge set/infotainment screen. Stretching from one A-pillar to the other, it’s 48-inches wide, curved generously as it follows the arc of the dashboard and bright as an interior OLEDs are probably allowed to, making this the most modern — that should be read the most digital — interior in Ford’s entire lineup and the largest such screens in any vehicle in the segment.
Instead, what Lincoln has chosen to do is separate the 48-inch expanse into five sub-sectors. The first is, of course, the gauge set. Just beside it is the GPS system’s map and then beyond are some configurable sections that can display everything from the time to the weather. I set it up so the radio system — my most frequently modified function — was front and centre, the trip meter next and then the temperature screen furthest to the right.
What made my day — besides that configurability — is that each “tile” contains minimal information. The main gauge set defaults to a digital readout of speed. The map displays, well, nothing but the map. The audio section, meanwhile, shows nothing but the channel number, artist and the song playing; the trip meter, an odometer reading, the fuel economy and the time; while the weather display shows nothing but the current temperature. Considering that each of these informational displays is about four inches square (the speedo and map are, of course, larger), it means the information displayed is obvious and the font huge which means deciphering the info is less distracting — far less, in fact — than searching for what you’re looking for on some small 10-inch, multi-functional screen. Less distracting and more attractive all in one package. Brilliantly designed and phenomenally well executed, Lincoln’s Immersive Panoramic Display is my favourite development in infotainment technology of the last few years.
NB: Indeed, that big OLED screen was the hit of the Nautilus. Even after two weeks and 1,500 kilometres of driving, it still left me completely impressed. Not only does it conveniently disclose the info, almost without ever having to take your eyes off the road, but it’s absolutely beautiful. The graphics are a masterpiece, and did you see how the edges ended with some sculpted and highlighted waves? Beautiful.
And it serves a great purpose, too. Thanks to the new Rejuvenate system, this giga-screen is participating in a five or 10-minute relaxing experience while you’re parked. All you have to do is choose if you want to feel the Earth Elements, to admire some Aurora Borealis or to listen to a Waterfall meditation. Then, you hit the right button and — ahhhhh — your seat reclines and the massage function starts to treat your poor old back, while quiet music and a carefully-selected fragrance infuses the cabin. I know that You-who-is-fully-ADHDed doesn’t give a damn about such “nonsense,” but for the ordinary mortal — who has to cope with you — it’s a must.
Other “Jeez, I love this” items in the Nautilus are the spacious cabin, as much for the passengers (front and rear) as for luggage. You know how much stuff I bring for a weekend away at my house in Quebec? Luggage, food, pillows and blankets, I-can’t-count-how-many pairs of boots, skates and other winter gear. Well, I could have brought double that and the cargo would still have some space left for, well, you.
It’s also got one of, if not the best sound-insulation in the market. Inside the Nautilus, it’s like living in a cloud, surrounded by the plush, rich, high quality material, though displayed in a “navy-style.” I truly appreciated the ergonomics of everything, starting with those six buttons near the gear controls that allows you vite-vite-vite defog your windshield or select your terrain modes. Funny names for those, by the way: Normal, Conserve, Excite, Slippery or Deep conditions.
And I know it’s old news, but I still fall for those crystalline symphonic chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Two violins and a xylophone that softly notify you that a door is open or a seat belt is unlatched, so much more serene than a stressful buzz. What a nice way to accompany one of the most “creamy” SUVs to drive — and I’ll let you tell us all about it.
What powers the Lincoln Nautilus?
DB: I was also pretty impressed with the engine. It’s a fairly standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost but, except for start-up, it proved exceptionally smooth in the Nautilus. Oh, in the mid-January’s cold snap, it sounded rough — not quite bucket of bolts loud, but it still sounded like the con-rods were a few foot-pounds short of torque-to-yield — but once warmed up, it was as silent and vibration-free as four-bangers get. The eight-speed transmission also shifts pretty darned smoothly. All told, it’s a mite more sophisticated than we’ve come to expect from small(ish) Lincolns of late.
It is also more than reasonably powerful. It peaks at 250 horsepower and the top torque spec is 275 pound-feet, both, again, reasonable numbers if not quite overwhelming. But the turbocharger reacts with minimal lag, throttle response is excellent and, since it is smooth and vibration free as I mentioned, you don’t mind keeping your foot in it. Lincoln says it take about seven seconds to get to 100 kilometres an hour; it feels faster.
And Ford must be getting the hang of this EcoBoosting stuff because it’s fairly frugal as well. Nadine, you did the most comprehensive fuel economy testing. What numbers did you bring back?
Admittedly, we were so impressed by this Nautilus that for a moment, we thought we may have had a hybrid version!
DB: Yes Nadine, there is a hybrid version of the Nautilus that is, kinda, sorta available in Canada. The good news first, thanks to its 100-kilowatt electric motor, it pumps out a total of 310-hp, making it about a second quicker to 100 kilometres an hour.
It is also more frugal, averaging 7.7 L/100 km overall, which is 2.1 L/100 km less than the gas-only version. According to Natural Resources Canada, that should save you about $650 per year at pumps, not an insubstantial amount and enough to pay back the Hybrid’s $3,500 premium in about five years.
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