How the Lincoln Nautilus surprisingly won me over with its ride, huge screen

How I stopped worrying and learned to love the big screen.

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[MTSkibum]

Funny enough just today, I am shopping for a new SUV for my wife and we eliminated the Pilot and Highlander because all of the radio controls are stuck behind the screen. At least they have climate control button's, but that is not enough.

The mazda CX-90 has an awesome layout with many buttons and has some other features I want, but it has captains chairs in the middle row which my wife hates.

The hyundai palisade has the radio controls and climate controls in button format. That is the leading contender right now, just because both my wife and I HATE THE GIANT SCREEN.

 

[JustAnotherNobody]

No. I just couldn't deal with this. too much light just below my line of vision. too much would be moving around that would attract my eye (our eyes/brain system is sensitive to light and motion).

 

[Xelas]

How much of an impact does the huge screen have on night vision? I've found that to be an issue when I've rented Teslas - the screen cannot be made dim enough when driving in dark, rural, locations. I have a 2020 Ford Fusion (fleet), and it's screen cannot be made dark enough, either, but at least it's not a very big screen and it's low enough to not affect things too much.

 

[tetrapyloctomy]

It is amazing to see the contrast between the shots of the hypermodern-appearing cockpit and of the positively drab-appearing second row.

 

[Scotsdezmond]

Given the size of the display, the observation that a lot of the functions are not information-dense does bring into question what the practicality of such a large display is. My personal taste would be for a smaller screen, and for many more buttons, as manufacturers appear to have forgotten about the benefits of tactile controls.

 

[thekaj]

My sister just got one of these. Screens seem a bit small.

Actually, it felt like you were booting up into the Matrix when she turned it on. I suppose if the far right screen is more for the passenger, it’s fine, but yeah, that screen is WAY out of the normal sight lines of the driver. The passenger seat also had a massage function, which was both enjoyable yet slightly disturbing. The whole experience was like if the original Sharper Image store had made a car.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

The whole experience was like if the original Sharper Image store had made a car.

And suddenly a bunch of 80s kids are now interested.

 

[mbrubeck]

A two-tonne gas-powered SUV that in practice doesn't even get 30mpg should not be praised as "quite efficient." We urgently need to do a lot better than this.

 

[mikestew]

“It's quite efficient, too. The EPA rates the hybrid Nautilus at a combined 30 mpg.”

From where I stand, 30mpg for a hybrid is kind of pathetic, not “quite efficient”. Yeah, I see that’s it is an SUV, but that doesn’t make it efficient, it just makes it a big ass car that gets poor fuel mileage even with an electric motor.

 

[poochyena]

The large vehicle size mean you won't even notice the pedestrian you run over while being distracted by the multiple giant screens in the car.

 

[fenris_uy]

Given the size of the display, the observation that a lot of the functions are not information-dense does bring into question what the practicality of such a large display is. My personal taste would be for a smaller screen, and for many more buttons, as manufacturers appear to have forgotten about the benefits of tactile controls.

You aren't going to be putting buttons where that screen is under the windshield. The second screen that the writer complains about is where you would put the buttons.

And there appears to be a lot of buttons in that car.

 

[raxadian]

Honesty I think screens have no place in a car because they are a huge distraction but this is the "future" so whatever.

 

[transorbs]

A two-tonne gas-powered SUV that in practice doesn't even get 30mpg should not be praised as "quite efficient." We urgently need to do a lot better than this.

Fully agreed. I just purchased a rav4 prime (which I only purchased because I do a lot of climbing, hiking, and biking in remote areas with challenging road conditions) and it gets 38mpg while being just a smidge lighter, but with about the same power.

Absolutely ridiculous that 30mpg is being called efficient, and that such a large car is being praised for.. driving around an urban city. Disappointing journalism ars.

 

[tetrapyloctomy]

Honesty I think screens have no place in a car because they are a huge distraction but this is the "future" so whatever.

It's just more of the same, we're plucking the dumbest shit out of all available future dystopias, so naturally we have cars with flashy four-foot screens but the cars themselves are heavy and bloated.

 

[some guy in San Diego]

Fully agreed. I just purchased a rav4 prime (which I only purchased because I do a lot of climbing, hiking, and biking in remote areas with challenging road conditions) and it gets 38mpg while being just a smidge lighter, but with about the same power.

A Nautilus is much closer in size to a Highlander than a RAV4, and basically no one else's hybrids are as efficient as Toyota's.

Though a Highlander Hybrid does get 35 mpg.

 

[glogloglo]

And suddenly a bunch of 80s kids are now interested.

I hear they have an Ionic Breeze Quadra setting on the climate control

 

[TheOldChevy]

The screen is large... but how large is the "car" ?

 

[sword_9mm]

What's a digital scent? Is that when that dumb screen malfunctions and the magic smoke comes out to the tune of whatever 4 digit a replacement costs?

 

[poochyena]

A two-tonne gas-powered SUV that in practice doesn't even get 30mpg should not be praised as "quite efficient." We urgently need to do a lot better than this.

Right? I'm I reading that right? Its a hybrid and only gets 30mpg? The Mitsubishi Mirage is nearly 40mpg and is 100% gasoline

https://www.cars.com/articles/what-are-the-most-fuel-efficient-cars-466904/

 

[Fred Duck]

I remember hearing some people refer to certain vehicles as "handling like boats." Does the Nautilus handle like a submarine?

 

[el_oscuro]

A two-tonne gas-powered SUV that in practice doesn't even get 30mpg should not be praised as "quite efficient." We urgently need to do a lot better than this.

20 years ago, I was looking for a new small pickup truck. Hybrids were well established tech back then, and a pickup would benefit most from one. But none were offered. Now finally, we have the Ford Maverick, and that is it. About 20 years late.

 

[Hichung]

Thankfully and with some luck, I won’t need to go vehicle shopping for another 5 to 10 years (hopefully closer to 10 than 5).

I look at what’s out there and there just isn’t anything that “does it” for me on the current market anymore.

 

[nzeid]

I saw not one but two of these right here in Brooklyn. I can confirm that the front looks like a TV show spaceship control room.

 

[caffemocha]

Looks pretty cool but seems like a big distraction. I think HUD is a better solution that keeps the driver's eyes on the road.

 

[betam4x]

Is adaptive cruise control/lane keeping geofenced as well? One of the things I like about my hyundai is it works anywhere and it works well. The only drawback is lanekeeping requires speeds to be at least 40mph. The car spoils me on long trips.

 

[TylerH]

The mazda CX-90 has an awesome layout with many buttons and has some other features I want, but it has captains chairs in the middle row which my wife hates.

How often is she going to be sitting in the back seat of her own car? And, just looking at the CX-90, it has the same seats as nearly all three-row vehicles, doesn't it? The difference is they're placed together with a fold-down arm rest, withe 'aisle' on one side, rather than the aisle in between the two seats.

 

[Lorribot]

the problem with tech in cars is that it ages quicker than the car. Any one still using that 20 year old Mac Book pro?
That big screen will likely still cost the x2 the value of the car when it needs replacing in 5-10 years, assuming you can get one, so the car becomes worthless or just scrap.
Car prices have rocketed in the last 5 years, parts for older cars are scarce so they have built in obsolescence based on things like minor sensors being unavailable or extortionate to buy.
I fear the car manufactures are driving them selves down a long cul-de-sac of oblivion.

 

[Spud Spudly]

That steering wheel screams 1969.

 

[MisdemeanorMatt]

Only a matter of time before there are ads on there.

 

[ingramm]

Giant, heavy, expensive, gas guzzling, polluting, resource consuming, death machine .... stupid large screens that cause drivers to take their attention off the road where it should be.

 

[MTSkibum]

How often is she going to be sitting in the back seat of her own car? And, just looking at the CX-90, it has the same seats as nearly all three-row vehicles, doesn't it? The difference is they're placed together with a fold-down arm rest, withe 'aisle' on one side, rather than the aisle in between the two seats.

The captain chairs are a little different to a 2nd row bench seat, and it is not an argument i can win. I think the captain chairs are superior and the kids would like them more, but.......

As a car nerd i appreciate that the CX-90 has a transfer case 4wd system as opposed to a differential based AWD system.

 

[plectrum]

When I got my Prius I downloaded an app called PriiDash that put up a display of all sorts of information about how the car was performing. But then I realized I don't actually care, all I want to know while driving is the speed (and nav, which is on my phone).

Do people actually want to know Thursday's weather forecast and see their album cover art while driving along?

This is all very Starship Enterprise but that's a movie set, not actually designed for ergonomics.

 

[HiWayne!]

I don't drive Lincolns because someone paid me to. I just like em'

 

[deviateyeti]

“It's quite efficient, too. The EPA rates the hybrid Nautilus at a combined 30 mpg.”

From where I stand, 30mpg for a hybrid is kind of pathetic, not “quite efficient”. Yeah, I see that’s it is an SUV, but that doesn’t make it efficient, it just makes it a big ass car that gets poor fuel mileage even with an electric motor.

Yeah, considering I drive a similar-weight gas engine V8 Challenger that can get 30mpg on the freeway... 30mpg for a hybrid seems downright embarrassing.

 

[kingjj]

And people ask "why do you cling to a 12-year-old Nissan cube???"

This is why.
I've been doing 30mpg for a decade. And a month ago, the driver's side window control stopped functioning.

Five minutes and a penny's worth of solder later...

And it may actually be LESS dumb looking

 

[ralphnobody]

How much of an impact does the huge screen have on night vision? I've found that to be an issue when I've rented Teslas - the screen cannot be made dim enough when driving in dark, rural, locations. I have a 2020 Ford Fusion (fleet), and it's screen cannot be made dark enough, either, but at least it's not a very big screen and it's low enough to not affect things too much.

I don’t get why this is downvoted by anyone. I thought ad night vision was going with age, until I blacked-out the ipad sizedscreen console.

It’s truly hazardous when it obscures street lamp lighting and pedestrians.

Not a Tesla, but I blame them for the trend.

 

[ScifiGeek]

Right? I'm I reading that right? Its a hybrid and only gets 30mpg? The Mitsubishi Mirage is nearly 40mpg and is 100% gasoline

https://www.cars.com/articles/what-are-the-most-fuel-efficient-cars-466904/

Hybrid isn't a magic wand. Size and weight still matter.

 

[BitingGoatGruff]

As usual the number of rows is not listed. This is two rows only, which actually gives significant credence to the “large SUV” complaints.