Compare the2025 Audi A6 AllroadVS 2025 Lincoln Nautilus

The A6 Allroad’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 A6 Allroad’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Nautilus doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the A6 Allroad Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Nautilus doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the A6 Allroad and the Nautilus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, around view monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The A6 Allroad’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Nautilus’ (12 vs. 5 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 4 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

The A6 Allroad’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 85 more horsepower (335 vs. 250) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 280) than the Nautilus’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The A6 Allroad’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (335 vs. 310) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 295) than the Nautilus’ optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi A6 Allroad is faster than the Lincoln Nautilus:

On the EPA test cycle the A6 Allroad gets better fuel mileage than the Nautilus 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder 8-speed Auto (22 city/30 hwy vs. 21 city/29 hwy).

The A6 Allroad offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Nautilus doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A6 Allroad’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Nautilus doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the A6 Allroad’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Nautilus:

The A6 Allroad’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 A6 Allroad stops much shorter than the Nautilus:

The A6 Allroad’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Nautilus’ standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A6 Allroad has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Nautilus.

The front and rear suspension of the A6 Allroad uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Nautilus, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The A6 Allroad has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The A6 Allroad’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.

The A6 Allroad Prestige handles at .83 G’s, while the Nautilus Black Label pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A6 Allroad Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Nautilus Black Label (26.5 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The A6 Allroad is 9.3 inches shorter in height than the Nautilus, making the A6 Allroad much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the A6 Allroad. The Nautilus doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The engine in the A6 Allroad 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 A6 Allroad Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The A6 Allroad Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, 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 A6 Allroad’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, 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 nozzles are standard on the A6 Allroad to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Nautilus doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A6 Allroad has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Nautilus doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A6 Allroad’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 A6 Allroad Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Nautilus’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi A6 Allroad, based on reliability, safety and performance.