Compare the2025 Lincoln NautilusVS 2025 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Nautilus are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Nautilus and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Nautilus has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X3’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Nautilus are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nautilus has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The X3 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Nautilus and X3 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Nautilus has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The X3’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

The Nautilus’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The X3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Nautilus and the X3 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Lincoln Nautilus has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The X3 has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Nautilus 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 53 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Nautilus’ warranty.

The Nautilus has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The X3 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The Nautilus’ optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 55 more horsepower (310 vs. 255) than the X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Nautilus gets better mileage than the X3:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Nautilus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X3 M50 xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Nautilus Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (20.1 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Nautilus’ standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (20.3 vs. 17.2 gallons).

The Nautilus has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Nautilus higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW X3 (6 to 7). This means the Nautilus produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X3 every 15,000 miles.

The Nautilus has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The X3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Nautilus’ standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

For better traction, the Nautilus has larger tires than the X3 (255/60R19 vs. 245/50R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Nautilus offers optional 22-inch wheels. The X3’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Nautilus’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The X3 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Nautilus’ wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the X3 (114.2 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Nautilus is 1.5 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

For better maneuverability, the Nautilus’ turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the X3’s (37.5 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Nautilus uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Nautilus has 12.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (113.5 vs. 101.4).

The Nautilus has 3.3 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 6.8 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 31.5 cubic feet). The Nautilus has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (71.3 vs. 67.1 cubic feet).

The Nautilus Hybrid can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Nautilus can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X3 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Nautilus’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Nautilus’ exterior PIN entry system. The X3 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist eCall can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Nautilus has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Nautilus has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the X3.

The Nautilus Reserve/Black Label has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the X3.

The Nautilus has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the X3.

The Nautilus’ standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The X3 doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

The Nautilus offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Motor Trend selected the Nautilus as their 2025 Sport Utility of the Year. The X3 has never been chosen.