The 2022 SUV crossover market seems complicated at the best of times. Telling the difference between some models seems impossible. The CR-V worked its way into the top eight best-selling vehicles in the United States. Nissan's competitor is the Rogue, a somewhat unappreciated model. The Rogue last saw a major revision in 2020.
Nissan's Rogue uses the Nissan X-Trail and Qashqai from the European market as their base. With a flashy exterior and highly equipped technology, it attracts younger buyers. Honda's sixth generation CR-V is the Japanese brand's answer to the Nissan Rogue. Refreshing the model's technology and making the exterior more angular, it fights back at Nissan's Rogue.
Find out which affordable new SUV you should buy in 2023 between the Nissan Rogue and the Honda CR-V.
Why Buy A Honda CR-V Over The Nissan Rogue
The CR-V grew from generation to generation. In its current guise for 2023, the model comes as a self-charging hybrid. Honda promises that this bolsters the car's torque figures, providing an instantaneous boost, like full EVs. The usual plethora of technological features comes equipped on the current CR-V.
About infotainment, there's a 7-inch touchscreen display with Honda connect, a marketing way of saying it comes with Car Play and Android Auto. There's also a heads-up display and a wireless charger, however, this seems to be a footnote in the car's features.
According to Honda, the new CR-V has a sportier drive. "Suspension and steering updates create a smoother, more agile ride". Lower than before and rumored to be 15% stiffer the car will put the sport back in sports utility vehicles.
Honda has now boosted power to 247lb/ft of torque with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that with electric assistance now produces over 200 horsepower. This produces more power than the Rogue, bolstering its sporty claims. Although both the CR-V and Rogue come with CVT gearboxes, neither is exactly sporting.
Not all CR-V models are hybrids, nor do they all have all-wheel drive. When it comes to options, the CR-V can get expensive quickly. With options like a heated steering wheel and leather-trimmed seats, the CR-V act as an alternative to luxury SUVs. Starting at $28,000 for a basic non-hybrid model and rising as high as $40,000 potentially.
Hybrid models come as standard with all-wheel drive and start at just over $30,000. Honda is yet to reveal the final pricing. Non-hybrid 1.5-liter, two-wheel drive models return 28 MPG city and 34 MPG highway.
Hybrid models improve economy ratings to 40 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway, due to how Honda chooses to utilize the electric motors this doesn't improve fuel consumption on the highway, but in town, the extra investment pays off. The main reason anyone buys one of these crossover SUVs is the practicality.
Honda understands this, a brief flick through the publicity materials finds photos of the near cavernous loading area. With the seats down, there's a flat loading area that totals over 2000 liters of storage space. Furthermore, the new CR-V takes its interior styling from the latest generation of Honda Civic. Simple and a generally nice place to spend time, the CR-V loses no marks here.
Is The Nissan Rogue Better Than A Honda CR-V
Nissan understands their competition is the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4, which are other best-selling cars in the country. According to Nissan USA, the Rogue bests these with front head and legroom and features technology the competition doesn't. Meaning, blind spot intervention, heads-up display, rear automatic braking, and Intelligent Around View.
Not only this but it also boasts an impressive 225lb/ft of torque, which is more than the outgoing CR-V. The Nissan Rogue's latest generation saw an introduction in 2020. Although the CR-V's sixth generation launched earlier this summer and comes as standard with Honda's Sensing Safety system, the Nissan still seems ahead regarding in-cabin technology.
Yes, the Honda has its hybrid drivetrain and a digital dashboard, but these don't come as standard. Nissan's Rogue comes with Nissan's Safety Shield, which has blind spot monitoring, automatic braking systems, and high beam assists, an equivalent to Honda's safety systems.
Starting at $27,360 the Rogue comes in marginally cheaper than Honda's 2023 model. It has just over 1000 liters of cargo space with the seats up, so it can swallow up to five suitcases and then some other general detritus with ease. This compares well with the CR-V's trunk space with the seats up which is roughly around the 1000 liter mark as well.
Although larger, it still doesn't edge out a massive victory, but enough to deter some buyers from the 2023 Nissan Rogue. Bolstering the Nissan's high-tech status comes three displays. A fully digital dashboard, a heads-up display, and a center touchscreen make it an equal match for the CR-V.
However, Nissan has withheld Car Play to the highest Platinum trim level, unlike Honda. For those that are economically minded, the base model Rogue serves customers better. Returning 30 MPG city and 37 MPG highway, marginally better than the base non-hybrid CR-V.
2023 Nissan Rogue Vs Honda CR-V: Our Pick
The outgoing CR-V fell behind the then-new Rogue, the 2023 CR-V beats the Rogue in most metrics. Honda has carefully calculated their upgrades to its best-selling SUV model. With the addition of a hybrid drivetrain and a more stylistic exterior, the CR-V looks more appealing than the Rogue for most.
Especially when considering that the new CR-V will start at only $28,000. Packing more power beneath the hood as well as a larger trunk, the CR-V seems like the all-around better deal. However, in these peculiarly economic times, saving money comes second to none. If you can live without phone connectivity and are looking at the entry-level models the Nissan will likely cost less money in the long run with its greater economy figures.
Sources: Honda, Nissan