Walk into a luxury SUV showroom with sixty thousand dollars and a simple request — quiet, comfortable, and easy to live with every day — and two very different salespeople will make their case. The Lincoln salesperson will walk you straight to the dashboard, where a 48-inch screen stretches across the entire cabin like a piece of architecture. The Lexus salesperson will not point at anything at all. They will hand you the keys, let the door close with a soft thunk, and trust that the silence and the reputation do the selling.
That is the real choice between the 2025 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve and the 2025 Lexus RX 350 Premium. Both are two-row midsize luxury SUVs aimed at buyers who have outgrown the mainstream brands but have no interest in a German badge or a German repair bill. The early verdict: the Lincoln is the bolder, roomier, more theatrical SUV — and it costs about ten thousand dollars more in these trims. The Lexus is the calmer, cheaper, more proven one.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
| Interior space | Lincoln Nautilus Reserve | 43.1 inches of rear legroom and 68.8 cu ft max cargo dwarf the Lexus |
| Technology | Lincoln Nautilus Reserve | The 48-inch panoramic display has no rival at this price |
| Performance | Lexus RX 350 Premium | More torque (317 lb-ft) and a quicker-feeling 7.6-second 0–60 run |
| Fuel economy | Tie (gas models) | Both rate 24 mpg combined; the Nautilus hybrid (30 mpg) is the efficiency pick |
| Towing | Lexus RX 350 Premium | 3,500 lbs vs 1,750 lbs for the Lincoln |
| Value | Lexus RX 350 Premium | About $10,250 cheaper as tested, with stronger resale history |
| Best for long trips | Lincoln Nautilus Reserve | Adaptive suspension, bigger cabin, quieter ride at highway speed |
At a Glance
| Spec | 2025 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve | 2025 Lexus RX 350 Premium |
| Engine | 2.0L turbocharged I-4 (hybrid optional) | 2.4L turbocharged I-4 |
| Power | 250 hp / 275 lb-ft (hybrid: 310 hp / 295 lb-ft) | 275 hp / 317 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic (CVT on hybrid) | 8-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | AWD standard | FWD standard, AWD available |
| Fuel economy (EPA) | 21 city / 29 hwy / 24 combined (hybrid: 30 / 31 / 30) | 22 / 29 / 25 (FWD); 21 / 28 / 24 (AWD) |
| 0–60 mph | Mid-7 seconds (est.); hybrid ~6.8 sec | ~7.6 seconds |
| Towing | 1,750 lbs max (Class I package) | 3,500 lbs max (tow prep package) |
| Cargo | 35.2 cu ft behind 2nd row; 68.8 cu ft max | 29.6 cu ft behind 2nd row; 46.2 cu ft max |
| Starting price | $63,180 + $1,395 destination | $54,325 (Premium trim, KBB list price) |
Design & Exterior
Parked side by side, these two SUVs read like different answers to the same question. The Nautilus is long, low, and deliberate — 193.2 inches from nose to tail, with 21-inch wheels standard on the Reserve. Lincoln redesigned the Nautilus for 2024, and the current car still looks fresh: clean surfacing, a restrained grille, and proportions that make it look more expensive than it is.
The RX is the quieter design. The current RX, redesigned for 2023, wears the spindle grille in its most restrained form yet, with a floating roofline and sharp character lines. At 192.5 inches long it is nearly identical in footprint to the Lincoln, but it reads smaller and more upright. Nothing about it is ugly, and nothing about it is daring — for a lot of buyers, that is exactly the point.
Interior, Comfort & Technology
This is where the Nautilus earns its price premium. Open the Lincoln's door and the cabin is dominated by a 48-inch panoramic display that runs the full width of the dashboard — the largest screen in any vehicle at this price. The display is configurable, the 11.1-inch center touchscreen below it handles the controls, and the Lincoln Digital Experience software runs Google built-in. The Reserve adds leather upholstery, an adaptive suspension, and a 14-speaker Revel audio system, with a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D setup available.
Space is the Lincoln's other trump card. Rear passengers get 43.1 inches of legroom — more than most full-size sedans — against 37.4 in the Lexus. Cargo follows the same pattern: 35.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 68.8 with the seats folded, against 29.6 and 46.2 for the Lexus. If you haul golf clubs, strollers, or a month of Costco runs, the difference is the difference between everything fitting and one bag riding on somebody's lap.
The Lexus answers with restraint and polish. The RX cabin is beautifully assembled, with soft-touch materials in all the right places and a 14-inch Lexus Interface touchscreen that is a huge improvement over the old trackpad system. The Premium trim adds leather-trimmed upholstery over the base RX 350, and the driving position is excellent. But the RX feels like a very nice SUV interior. The Nautilus feels like a lounge that happens to have wheels, and once you have sat in both back to back, that impression is hard to forget.
One honest caveat: the Lincoln's giant screen divides opinion. Some love the theater; others find 48 inches is simply more screen than a dashboard needs. The Lexus's approach is calmer and easier to live with on day one. Test-drive both before you decide which camp you are in.
Performance & Driving Feel
Neither SUV pretends to be a sports car — their buyers want effortless, not exciting. The numbers favor the Lexus: its 2.4-liter turbo four makes 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, against the Lincoln's 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet. The Lexus hits 60 mph in about 7.6 seconds, and its torque peaks at just 1,700 rpm, so it feels strong pulling away from a light or merging onto I-71.
The Lincoln is not slow, just less eager. Around town it feels perfectly adequate; on a highway on-ramp you will notice the 25-horsepower deficit, but you will not resent it. The real fix is the hybrid: the same 2.0-liter turbo paired with an electric motor for 310 horsepower combined, cutting the 0–60 run to roughly 6.8 seconds for about $2,000 more. That hybrid is the powertrain we would choose in the Nautilus — suddenly the Lincoln is both quicker and more efficient.
Ride quality is where the Lincoln pulls ahead. The Reserve's adaptive suspension irons out broken Ohio pavement with a fluency the Lexus cannot quite match, and the cabin stays hushed at 70 mph. The RX is no punishment — its ride is composed and its steering is light and accurate — but it transmits more of the road than the Lincoln does. Both handle competently for tall two-row SUVs; neither will tempt you into a canyon run.
Fuel Economy
On the standard gasoline engines, this category is a dead heat: the Nautilus rates 21 city, 29 highway, and 24 combined, while the all-wheel-drive RX rates 21, 28, and 24. The front-wheel-drive RX does a little better at 22/29/25, but most Ohio buyers will choose all-wheel drive for winter, which erases the advantage. In real-world Ohio driving, expect low-20s from either SUV.
The Lincoln's hybrid is the efficiency story here. At 30 city, 31 highway, and 30 combined, it beats both gasoline models by roughly a quarter, and its range approaches 600 miles on a tank. For a daily commuter, the hybrid pays for its roughly $2,000 premium in about two to three years of fuel savings — and it is quicker while doing it, which is a rare combination.
Safety & Driver Assistance
Both SUVs come well equipped, and both earned strong crash-test results in their class. The Nautilus carries Lincoln Co-Pilot360 as standard, with blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. BlueCruise, Lincoln's hands-free highway driving system, is available and works well on divided highways — genuinely useful on the long, straight run down I-75.
The RX answers with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, standard on every trim, which bundles pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. The Premium trim can be optioned with the features most buyers actually want — a panoramic-view monitor and traffic jam assist among them — and Lexus's systems are tuned conservatively, intervening smoothly rather than startling the driver.
Neither SUV embarrasses itself here. If hands-free highway driving matters to you, the Lincoln's BlueCruise is the more advanced system. If you want the most proven, least intrusive set of driver aids, the Lexus's suite is hard to fault.
Features & Technology
Beyond the headline screens, the details tell you who each SUV is for. The Nautilus Reserve piles on the theater: ambient lighting, a fragrance system, massaging front seats on option, and that enormous configurable display that can show navigation on one side and audio on the other. It is a car that wants to impress you every time you sit in it. The Lexus counters with the things you notice after a year: a panoramic moonroof that opens without drama, a power liftgate with a kick sensor, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a cabin that still feels new after 30,000 miles.
Connectivity is a wash — both offer wireless smartphone integration and built-in navigation — but the Lincoln's Google built-in system feels a generation newer, with faster responses and better voice recognition. The trade-off in one sentence: the Lincoln gives you more technology, and the Lexus gives you more certainty that it will still work perfectly in 2030.
Pricing, Trims & Value
Here is where the comparison gets uncomfortable for the Lincoln. The Nautilus Reserve starts at $63,180 plus a $1,395 destination charge — $64,575 before a single option. The RX 350 Premium lists from $54,325. That is a gap of about $10,250, and it buys the Lincoln's bigger cabin, bigger screen, and adaptive suspension.
The value math shifts when you look past the sticker. Lexus holds its value better than Lincoln — a decade of resale data, not opinion — so the RX will likely return more of your money at trade-in time, and Lexus reliability is the industry benchmark. On the other side, the Nautilus Reserve is well equipped: all-wheel drive is standard (a $1,000-plus option on the Lexus), the adaptive suspension is standard, and the 21-inch wheels are standard. Option the RX up to the same level and the gap narrows, though it never closes.
If you are leasing for three years, the Lincoln's higher payment is partly offset by strong lease support, and you get the nicer cabin for the whole term. If you are buying to keep for eight years, the Lexus's resale value and reliability record make the cheaper car the smarter money.
Pros and Cons
2025 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve
Pros: Stunning 48-inch panoramic display; best-in-class rear legroom and cargo space; quiet, cosseting ride with adaptive suspension; available 310-hp hybrid is quicker and far more efficient; standard all-wheel drive.
Cons: About $10,250 more expensive than the RX 350 Premium in these trims; weak 1,750-lb towing capacity; unproven long-term reliability for the new generation; the giant screen is not for everyone.
2025 Lexus RX 350 Premium
Pros: Strong 275-hp engine with 317 lb-ft of torque; 3,500-lb towing; lower price and stronger resale value; benchmark reliability; calm, proven technology that simply works.
Cons: Noticeably less rear legroom and cargo space; cabin feels conventional next to the Lincoln; all-wheel drive costs extra; ride is firmer and less isolating than the Nautilus.
Who Should Buy Which?
Buy the Lincoln Nautilus Reserve if you carry adult passengers in the back seat regularly, you want the most impressive cabin in the class, you take long highway trips and value a quiet ride, or you plan to choose the hybrid — the 310-hp version is the best Nautilus, full stop. It is also the pick if you simply want your luxury SUV to feel special every time you open the door.
Buy the Lexus RX 350 Premium if you want the lowest cost of ownership, you tow a small boat or camper, you keep cars for a long time and care about resale value, or you prefer technology that stays out of your way. It is the rational choice, and there is nothing boring about a rational choice that also happens to be a very good SUV.
Final Verdict
The Lincoln Nautilus Reserve is the more impressive SUV: a bigger, quieter, more dramatic cabin, technology a generation ahead, and — with the hybrid — quicker and more efficient too. The Lexus RX 350 Premium is the smarter purchase: about ten thousand dollars less, twice the towing, better resale value, and the most trusted reliability record in the luxury business.
The one we would take home? For most Ohio buyers, the Lexus — ten thousand dollars is real money, and the RX does everything a luxury SUV needs to do without asking you to pay for theater. But if the Nautilus's cabin makes you smile on the test drive, and you plan to keep the car three years rather than eight, buy the Lincoln and do not look back.
Which one would you choose — the Lincoln's theater or the Lexus's track record? Tell us in the comments, and tell us what you tow, carry, and commute in. The best answer is always the one that fits your driveway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2025 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve bigger than the 2025 Lexus RX 350 Premium?
Yes. The Nautilus offers 43.1 inches of rear legroom against 37.4 for the Lexus, and 68.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo space against 46.2. If interior space is your priority, the Lincoln wins clearly.
Which is more fuel efficient, the Nautilus Reserve or the RX 350 Premium?
On gasoline engines they tie at 24 mpg combined. The Nautilus offers an optional hybrid that jumps to 30 mpg combined and adds 60 horsepower, making it both the quicker and the more efficient choice — for about $2,000 more.
Can the Lincoln Nautilus tow as much as the Lexus RX 350?
No. The RX 350 tows up to 3,500 pounds with the tow prep package, while the Nautilus is limited to 1,750 pounds with the Class I Trailer Tow Package. Buyers who tow a boat or camper should choose the Lexus.
Is the Lincoln Nautilus Reserve worth $10,000 more than the RX 350 Premium?
It depends on what you value. The premium buys a much larger cabin, the 48-inch panoramic display, adaptive suspension, and standard all-wheel drive. If value, resale, and towing matter more, the Lexus is the better buy.
Does the 2025 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve come with all-wheel drive?
Yes, all-wheel drive is standard on every 2025 Nautilus, including the Reserve, with both the gasoline and hybrid powertrains. On the RX 350 Premium, all-wheel drive is an available option over standard front-wheel drive.
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— Stefany Aurora, ABBOhio editorial
