Edmunds compares the Lincoln Nautilus and Mercedes-Benz GLC

While Lincoln’s full-size Navigator is great for large families and towing, it has recently been redesigned Lincoln Nautilus should have broader appeal to SUV buyers. It’s a mid-size SUV that seats five and features distinctive styling, plenty of premium features and a striking curved display that spans the width of the dashboard. How does this Lincoln perform compared to the competition? To find out, Edmunds car experts compared it to the Mercedes Benz GLCa benchmark for luxury SUV excellence.

Power and fuel consumption

The Nautilus offers two engines: a turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 250 horsepower and a hybrid version of the same engine that boosts power to 310 horsepower. The non-hybrid engine delivers an EPA-estimated 24 mpg in combined city-highway driving. If you choose the hybrid, you’ll get 30 mpg combined. Those are decent numbers for a luxury SUV. However, Edmunds has found the Nautilus’s acceleration to be disappointing. At the Edmunds test track, the hybrid Nautilus accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds.

The GLC 300, the basic version, is also powered by a four-cylinder turbo engine. It produces 255 horsepower and gets an estimated 26 mpg combined. It’s also faster than the Nautilus; it reached 60 mph in a respectable 6.1 seconds. The GLC 350e, which is new for 2025, is a plug-in hybrid model with 313 hp. The EPA hasn’t released fuel economy estimates at the time of writing, but Mercedes says it can go a long 50 miles on all-electric power before switching to operating as a regular hybrid when the battery runs out. Mercedes also offers a powerful version, the 416 hp AMG GLC 43.

We like that Lincoln offers an available hybrid, but the GLC’s superior acceleration and fuel efficiency help it win this category.

Winner: GLC

Interior and technical features

A large dashboard-spanning screen dominates the interior of the Nautilus. It displays the instrument cluster and other information such as navigation directions and music. It also has full Google integration that allows you to use useful features such as the voice-activated Google Assistant while driving. But all this impressive technology is let down by functionality. The button layout on the center console is confusing and the lower touchscreen controls almost everything, including the air vents. The unlabeled steering wheel controls are also difficult to use.

The GLC offers a more elegant and luxurious interior thanks to a wide choice of leather upholstery and wood trim. The displays are smaller, but the interface they display is much easier to use. The same goes for the GLC’s button layout and navigation and voice assistance systems.

In terms of comfort, both luxury SUVs have a very quiet interior. The GLC provides a smoother ride and absorbs bumps better. Edmunds found that the Nautilus rides a little too firmly over rough surfaces.

Winner: GLC

Utility

The Nautilus is the better choice if you have to transport a lot of stuff. The cargo area offers 36.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat. That’s considerably more than the GLC can hold. In addition, the rear seats can be folded completely flat for more space. Storage space for your small personal items is also impressive, with generous storage space under the center console large enough for a handbag or bag, and large door pockets.

The GLC’s 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space is less than what the Nautilus can hold, although the rear seats also fold almost flat. Wide door pockets and a decent-sized glove box provide plenty of storage for small items, but it’s still not as much as what fits in the Nautilus.

Winner: Nautilus

Prices and value

The base Premiere version of the Nautilus starts at $53,485 (including destination), and the hybrid engine adds $2,000. The Reserve trim adds almost $10,000, and the top Black Label model balloons to $76,645. If you stick with the Premiere trim, the Nautilus offers great value as it comes equipped with a long list of features, including plenty of advanced driving aids and BlueCruise, a hands-free highway driving system. But higher finishes are pricey and offer less value.

The GLC 300 starts at $50,400 and the GLC 350e plug-in hybrid model has a starting price of $61,050. The GLC doesn’t come standard with as many features, but if you add most of the optional packages and features to a GLC 300 it will cost you around $65,000, which is about the same price as the mid-range Nautilus Reserve.

Winner: draw

says Edmunds

Lincoln has released one of its most attractive SUVs yet with the new Nautilus. It’s worth considering if you want a spacious SUV that’s also stylish. Otherwise, Edmunds thinks the GLC’s superior fuel economy, acceleration and ease of use make it the winner of this comparison.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press via the car website Edmunds.

Michael Cantu is a contributor to Edmunds.