2026 Nautilus Release Date & Nautilus vs Lexus RX?

[AutoBuff]

We're considering a Nautilus purchase. But, being close to the 2026 Model Year, we would rather wait for 26's. What is the ETA's for 26's to begin arriving at dealers, & when can '26's be ordered?

Between our Lexus ownership since 2005 and currently with a 2006 RX330 and a 2020 RX450h, we're debating on a Nautilus, or a new '26 RX350h (to replace our 2020 RX). This is mainly because we're interested in something new; not because we're unhappy with our Lexus ownership (i.e. '05, '06, 2016, 2020 [from '06 to '16, we had a Nissan Altima & a Honda Accord]).

Anyone here, move from a fairly recent Lexus to a Lincoln? Your thoughts and those of current '24 & '25 Nautilus owners would be appreciated.

 

[Lincolnguy2]

The first ship of 26 MY Nautilus will start arriving at dealerships this month.
You can order one now.

 

[AutoBuff]

The first ship of 26 MY Nautilus will start arriving at dealerships this month.
You can order one now.

Thanks @Lincolnguy2!

 

[markfm]

@ExLexus may have thoughts, comparison to their prior 2023 RX.

We've had 5 RX in a row, starting with a '99 original RX300. We still have our '17 RX350, but switched to a Nautilus this year, just didn't find the Gen 5 RX compelling - too cramped, didn't like the engine, too many issues that have run across multiple years now.

Our Reserve 2 Hybrid drives beautifully, rock solid MPG (not as good as a 350H, but IMO the better engine performance is a very reasonable trade to me), turns out I really like BlueCruise (and a '26 will have an even better BC version), great cruising range on a tank of gas, and noticeably more useable interior space.

HW-wise, as of the '25 Nautilus there is still a front brake "grunt" (sounds kind of like a honk to me) issue being worked by Ford/Lincoln. They've done a couple of fix attempts related to replacement rotors, another update expected late this year (0-cost warranty item for those with the problem). Not a safety issue, it may pop up after not having heard it for hundreds or thousands of miles, more prevalent when the brakes are cold.

SW-wise. the Nautilus can still use improvement as can ANY modern, high-computer-count vehicle, though honestly they seem to have been working through bugs (faster than Lexus has come out with updates).

The Nautilus is < 1" longer, < 1" taller, about 6" wider (with mirrors value), and weighs about 100lb more than a '25 RX 350H. The Nautilus does only have half the towing capacity of an RX, but after getting a tow package with our '17 RX we have used it 0 times HP, torque, 0-60 are better on the Nautilus than a 350 or 350h, consistent with my own experience (I've driven several Gen 5 RX as loaners while getting our '17 serviced, plus formal test drives).

Other than the '26 getting the sensor updates needed to support BC 1.5 (the '25 can update to BC 1.4, though it hasn't happened yet - we're on BC 1.2, which I already like), I'd treat it as a price shootout. The other changes in '26 are some different interior/exterior color schemes and extending the trial in-car (AT&T) WiFi hotspot subscription to 4 years (from 90 days - again, something I've never used).

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[AutoBuff]

Thanks for the comments markfm! Because you still have your '17 RX350 & have been a RX owner, that provides an interesting comparison between the two SUV's. From your comments I'm assuming you prefer the Nautilus over the '17RX and perhaps even over those newer RX loaners that you're driven. Is that true? If so, how so?

Reliability and resale, remain concerns for us re Lincoln vs Lexus. Lincoln appears to be the lessor of the 2 in both areas. But as far as the Nautilus is concerned in its current iteration, it's hard to find such detailed information. So, our debate continues.

 

[markfm]

We still really like our '17 Gen 4 RX, would have bought a new Gen 5 (first Gen 5 year was '23) RX if it had more room, better engine implementation, fewer of the ongoing issues that I keep reading about.

The '17 continues to be my general daily driver, for miscellaneous more local driving, but I prefer the Nautilus for longer trips - much better fuel economy, better acceleration for passing, a superbly comfortable ride, really nice sound system, more space for pets and luggage/stuff on trips, Blue Cruise,...

The Gen 5 RX would only get better MPG, and I really dislike the more cockpit-like interior - it simply feels cramped compared to the Nautilus.

With some time I expect the Nautilus to become my daily driver, '17 will be backup, and we'll hopefully get rid of our older '11 Honda CR-V. Only 2 drivers and, while the Honda only has about 37K miles on it, it's running into some issues due to pure age and insufficient use. Our cars are outdoors, not garaged - probably getting a 1 car garage next year, after adding a '14 x '22 new parking pad this year, adjacent to the driveway.

 

[AutoBuff]

Good to know, markfm...Thanks!

 

[AutoBuff]

Reading through the posts, the software, adaptive cruise, brake issues etc., are unlike what we experienced as RX owners, or seen in the Lexus forum I've frequented for years.

Our 2020 RX hybrid hasn't had any issues. We sold our 2016 RX350 to our son. We had zero issues and his ownership has been likewise. And our 2006 RX330 remains a dependable 2nd. car which we infrequently need and usually drive just to keep it from sitting too long. Yet, everything works in the '06 SUV, with not much more than routine maintenance & no downtime over its 120,000 miles. The dash (& its cracks) is another story, but one that's well known with RX's of that age. But the leather seats and the rest of the '06's interior have held-up quite well.

I realize that our positive experiences are anecdotal at best. But when coupled with reliability ratings, the niggling issues expressed in the forum by '24 & '25 Nautilus owners are concerning. While we prefer the cabin's aesthetics of the Nautilus over the Lexus, that essentially is the only pro trait for us and the Lincoln. Most all other traits of the Nautilus are either similar to the Lexus or lessor when compared to the Lexus, at least for our needs.

While we wanted to like the Nautilus, we're now leaning towards the 2026 RX350h, vs the 2026 Nautilus Hybrid. In any case, it is a tough decision and one that has had me seriously scratching my head. Seeing as how for us, the Nautilus beat the BMW X5, the Genesis GV70 & GV80 and the Acura MDX, the Nautilus beat-out some fine company.

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[markfm]

What you're saying is entirely reasonable. Your '20 RX is Gen 4 like our '17 (the '20 has the mid-Gen4 facelift, but is the same core platform). Gen 5 RX, which was introduced with the '23 RX, is a new platform - a new combination of body, powertrain, electronics. ... It is based on things introduced in the latest generation NX, which came out the prior year ('22) IIRC.

If Lexus had stayed with the Gen 4 baseline, same basic body/powertrain (the 3.5l V6 engine had enough margin to easily get bumped a bit for performance), focused on an electronics refresh, we would in all likelihood now have a '24 RX350.

The '26 RX350 is essentially the same as a '23 - '25, based on what I've heard. If you like the '25 RX you should like a '26. I expect a Gen 6 won't be out until somewhere in the '28 - '30 model year; that one will likely have the new Toyota hybrid implementation that's been getting some fairly positive press (a powertrain change isn't something that is done as a mid-generation upgrade).

Best of luck with whatever you choose, hope you enjoy it!

 

[AutoBuff]

You've echoed my findings and conclusions about recent Lexus RX's.

The change from our '20's V6 hybrid (we own) to the '25 (26) 2.5L four-cylinder hybrid system was a concern before our test drives. The 2.5L four isn't the V6, but for our purposes it works, as does the transparently performing hybrid system. In fact, with our '20 RX, it was a while before I actually recognized that the engine was shutting down when stopped, the process was that seamless. Prior to that, I swore I never wanted a vehicle that did that.

As to be expected, the 26 BMW X5 we drove was another animal entirely. If performance and handling were priorities and an approx. $10K price increase was OK, we wouldn't be talking Lexus or Lincoln, nor would we have trialed Acura, Genesis & considered testing an Audi, Mercedes, or Porsche. They latter 3 were analyzed and considered. The Audi's predicted reliability was a concern and the Mercedes & Porsche weren't as practical from a service perspective as we would like, with the Porsche being a bit too extravagent price-wise for our sensibilities. But if time was of no concern, it may have been fun trialing all 3.

Thanks for your assistance and well-wishes.

 

[ExLexus]

@AutoBuff
After owning several Lexus vehicles over the years, we’re now 100% sold on the Lincoln Nautilus—and honestly, there's no going back. Our most recent Lexus was a 2023 RX350. We had moved from sportier models like the RC350 F Sport and the RC-F to the RX350 now that we hit 50 and started needing something more practical for the grandkids.

Some close friends had a 2022 RX350 and absolutely loved it. We rode in it several times and, naturally, we wanted to stick with Lexus. So, we went for the 2023 RX350—and what a disappointment in their redesign. The switch from the tried-and-true 3.5-liter V6 (in the 2022) to the new 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder in the 2023 was a real letdown in terms of performance. The steering wheel controls still felt overly busy, and the seats were surprisingly uncomfortable. The interior felt more cramped to me, and my wife wasn’t a fan either of the vehicle. The final straw came when Lexus botched a service — it left a really bad experience.

Exactly a year later after buying the RX, we started shopping around. We test-drove the BMW X4 and X5 but they seemed "meh" —style, comfort, and even the warranty just didn’t measure up. Then we checked out the Lincoln Nautilus and immediately fell in love. It beat out the RX in every category that mattered to us—comfort, controls, performance, and overall space.

To be fair, the Lincoln service experience isn’t quite on par with what we had at Lexus, but I’ve been using their valet service and have been impressed so far.

All in all, we truly enjoy driving the Nautilus—both around town and on road trips. No regrets.

Details
2024 AWD Premiere II
Diamond Red
Jet Appearance
Equip Group 102A

 

[AutoBuff]

We just had our 2nd. Nautilus test drive. Unfortunately, our conclusions were a bit different than our first test drive.

The Nautilus needed to be adjusted to my wife. That is, where she adjusted the seat and was comfortable, the speedometer wasn't 100% visible. So, she needed to re-adjust the seat to fit the car's design. I had a similar problem in the Genesis GV70. But it allowed the option of also viewing the MPH to the right of center. Perhaps the Nautilus did likewise, but our sales associate didn't mention it, when my wife did.

We drove both a gas version and a hybrid Nautilus. The former's brakes were noisy. Not surprisingly, this comported with several posts I've seen on the forum. That problem has been known and from our test Nautilus, I can only conclude that it hasn't been fixed. Thus, either it's unknown how to fix it (which I find hard to believe), or it's of little concern to Lincoln, with neither boding well for what's supposed to be a luxury Make.

However the good news is that what prompted us to perform another test drive was the luxuriousness of the interior of the Nautilus. The 2nd. time around, looking into the front seat & rear and then sitting in the Nautilus, provided the same very positive impressions as our first test drive! Lincoln has done a great job there. The Genesis is similarly aesthetically pleasing, but NOT as much to our liking, as the Nautilus. However, for our interior tastes, the Nautilus & BMW X5 were pretty much equal & our favorites when compared to the Genesis, Acura MDX and the Lexus RX.

Nevertheless, as much as we didn't want it to, the Lexus RX has won. I agree however, the Lexus move from the 6-cylinder to the 4-cylinder wasn't a home run. That's where the Nautilus exceeds the RX. But for "us & our driving", the 2-drivetrains remain close. For performance & handling that's where the BMW (among the SUV's we tested) historically has shined & it remains the champ.

Add in reliability & resale for the Lexus & a bit of drive-train advantage for the Lincoln, with handling, ride, comfort and noise being a tug-of-war toss-up, that's why we've ended preferring the RX. But, I can definitely understand the Nautilus' allure.

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[markfm]

Options are always good. With the Nautilus you have raising/lowering the seat as well as front/back/lumbar/tilt..., and the steering wheel itself has both in/out and tilt adjustments.

For me I have it set perfectly (principal driver). I'm confident that my wife could also get it set properly (she has the passenger's seat set to her liking), but completely understand someone choosing to go with an RX.

I expect the front brake noise will get fixed fairly soon (finally), appreciate that when/if it does occur it's annoying. Lincoln's redone the rotor part previously, has another round due end of this year; the new '26 Nautilus may already have the new part.

Good luck!

 

[AutoBuff]

Thanks markfm. It was a pleasure test diving the Lincoln. With the SUV's we test drove, coming in a slight 2nd. was a positive commentary on a Make and Model we had never considered before now. Although I may have made the decision sound more easy than it was, it was anything but.