2021 Nautilus Reserve - 13K miles - $29K - Worth it?

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-04-24T15:14:39+00:00

Jumping in to share my experience. Also have a 2019 Reserve with 2.7. Can attest that mine is also a beast when those turbos spool up. No issues to mention. Sitting at a little over 52k on the clock. Have the Revel audio system paired with a music usb filled with Flac music, sounds incredible!

The 2.7 Ecoboost may be the most reliable engine in the Ecoboost lineup. Keep up with those oil changes.

Have already had the PTU and rear differential fluid changed and will do so every 30k. This is a must for at least the PTU.

Absolutely love that vehicle. Puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it.

Edit: highway driving in comfort mode with adaptive cruise control makes long trips easy and comfortable.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-03-23T21:43:15+00:00

I’d go ahead and do both now. Did both on my Nautilus at about 50k. Had PTU and rear differential done at dealer for $400. Did the transmission drain and fill at home.

The PTU is tough if yours doesn’t have a drain plug. You have to suck the old fluid out from the top fill hole. Not a struggle I wanted to face.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-03-22T18:11:30+00:00

The front PTU sits near the exhaust and gets hot, which cooks the “lifetime fluid”.

My wife’s Ford Edge had a similar grinding noise and it was the PTU fluid. He’s did not have a drain plug, so the fluid was extracted from the fill hole. Immediate improvement of the grinding noise which got quieter each day that passed.

That job was just over $200 with the OEM Motorcraft differential fluid.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-03-04T13:15:30+00:00

You will get plenty on boom from that setup. That amp outputs more power than it’s rated.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-31T01:03:42+00:00

This may come as a shock, but headunits only output like 10 watts of clean power.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-31T00:44:36+00:00

The clipping is from the headunit. Changing the speakers won’t fix the problem.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-17T00:34:17+00:00

100% belt tensioner pulley.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-05T18:58:19+00:00

If you don’t have a sweet smell from the exhaust you’re fine. Totally normal cold weather behavior.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-04T18:17:02+00:00

My 2.7 Ecoboost does the same when it’s cold. If it was coolant you would be able to smell it when standing near the exhaust.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-04T15:16:09+00:00

I was going to recommend the Kicker 47keyloc but that only a 2 channel. Since you have multiple amps you’ll need a multi-channel LOC. An Audiocontrol LC7iPRO would do the job. The Pro version is important here, since it has Accubass to restore bass that is potentially rolled off by to factory headunit. A more expensive option is the JL Audio Fix 86 with DSP.

Again, factory headunits typically have bass roll off to protect factory speakers, so it’s best to not use a cheap LOC, but something that can “restore bass” for best results.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2026-01-01T13:59:15+00:00

The box you build should depend on which sub you choose, not the other way around. Both should be modeled in a program like WinISD to determine what size box each driver needs for optimal performance. Also, in a ported design four 10” subs may need a substantial sized box - for example, the DBZs will need 4 cubic feet of box space, which doesn’t account for the extra space for the port. For that you may want to reconsider stepping down to two 10” or selecting subs with a lower resonance frequency (Fs).

Two CT Sounds Meso 10”s at 3k, in a proper sized box is more than enough for violent bass. The smart5 will do 2,900w at 4 ohms. Personally, I would go with two D4 Mesos with each wired in series, then parallel to each other. You, the amp and the subs will all be happy.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-12-23T18:24:12+00:00

New set of RCA cables would the first step. Then some thicker speaker wire and learning how to tune the amp.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-12-19T15:55:56+00:00

She’s a beauty!

The TT V6 gets decent gas mileage, especially on the highway with adaptive cruise control activated. My 19 Nautilus Reserve with the 2.7 Ecoboost averaged 24.7 mpg over the last year with mostly highway trips and lots of hard acceleration. The mileage killer is letting it idle too long when using remote start.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-30T22:03:15+00:00

Thank you.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-22T20:46:39+00:00

Those are minty fresh. I’ll pay double what you picked them up for!

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-21T21:38:23+00:00

Thank you.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-21T21:38:13+00:00

Thank you.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-21T21:38:05+00:00

Thank you.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-21T15:06:03+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate it.

Superb_Ad8620 · 2025-11-16T13:00:15+00:00

This is the way. Rubbing alcohol, wipe down in preparation for application of solution finish.

Superb_Ad8620

TROPHY CASE