Compare the2025 Mercedes GLEVS 2025 Lincoln Nautilus

The GLE’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Nautilus doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the GLE’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The Nautilus doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLE has Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from other vehicles.

Both the GLE and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 18 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Lincoln.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln With 33 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Lincoln.

The GLE has more powerful engines than the Nautilus:

As tested in Car and Driver the GLE 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Lincoln Nautilus 4 cyl. hybrid gas:

On the EPA test cycle the GLE running on electricity gets better mileage than the Nautilus:

The GLE 450e can travel with zero emissions for 50 miles. The Nautilus can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The GLE’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Nautilus’ standard fuel tank (22.5 vs. 20.3 gallons).

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLE, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Nautilus.

For better stopping power the GLE’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Nautilus:

The GLE’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Nautilus are solid, not vented.

The GLE stops much shorter than the Nautilus:

For better traction, the GLE 580’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Nautilus (F:285/40R22 & R:325/35R22 vs. 255/60R19).

The GLE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Nautilus’ standard 60 series tires. The GLE 580’s optional 285/40R22 front and 325/35R22 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Nautilus’ optional 45 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the GLE can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Nautilus doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The GLE 450/580 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Lincoln doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Nautilus.

The GLE has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The GLE’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLE’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Nautilus (117.9 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GLE is .4 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Nautilus.

The GLE’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53.5% to 46.5%) than the Nautilus’ (56% to 44%). This gives the GLE more stable handling and braking.

The GLE 450 handles at .84 G’s, while the Nautilus Black Label pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLE 450 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Nautilus Black Label (27 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the GLE Airmatic has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Nautilus (9.2 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the GLE to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the GLE 450 is quieter than the Nautilus Black Label (63 vs. 66 dB).

The GLE offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Nautilus can only carry 5.

The GLE has .9 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Nautilus.

The GLE has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Nautilus with its rear seat folded (74.9 vs. 71.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GLE. The Nautilus doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GLE’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Nautilus’ (7700 vs. 0 pounds).

The engine in the GLE is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Nautilus. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Nautilus, the GLE has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLE’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Nautilus does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The GLE offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, certain gauge, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The GLE’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Intelligent Access standard on the Nautilus doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLE to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Nautilus doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The GLE’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Nautilus has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The GLE is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Mercedes GLE outsold the Lincoln Nautilus by 75% during 2024.