2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2020 Honda Pilot

The 2020 Honda Pilot sported dynamic styling akin to the rest of Honda's lineup at the time. Its thin LED headlights and multi-tiered grille were distinct design elements. The subtle rise in the belt-line around the rear side windows cleverly masked the Pilot's size, making it appear more refined and agile. Inside, the Pilot's cabin was modern and featured a semi-digital instrument panel, though it retained analog gauges for fuel and engine temperature. While the cabin felt comfortable and spacious with a reasonable level of refinement, it still employed hard plastics in various places. Competitors like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, and Mazda CX-9 boasted more upscale interiors.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue, on the other hand, arrived with handsome new styling that presented a more technical appearance. Dark gray plastic cladding along its lower perimeter, bold simulated skid plates, and lower door protection lent an air of ruggedness. Clean LED lighting, a prominent V-Motion grille, and well-proportioned design gave the Rogue a modern aesthetic. Optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment offered a custom look. The Rogue presented its range through its trim levels: the base S, popular SV, luxury-oriented SL, and the top-tier Platinum with high-end touches like semi-aniline quilted leather.

The 2020 Honda Pilot was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, available in either FWD or AWD configurations. The engine was matched with a 6-speed automatic transmission on the LX, EX, and EX-L trims. The Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims used a more refined 9-speed automatic transmission. Despite the non-traditional shifter setup, the V6 provided robust acceleration and was suitable for real-world driving. However, the Pilot's ride prioritized comfort over athleticism. Drive modes—Normal, Snow, Mud, and Sand—via the Intelligent Traction Management System, offered some adaptability to different conditions, though it wasn’t a rock-crawler.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue, however, needed more power. Its direct-injected 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produced 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Although adequate for daily driving, this engine felt underpowered for more adventurous endeavors. The CVT managed the available torque well, and simulated ratios made it feel somewhat like a traditional automatic. The Rogue made up for its lack of brute power with its AWD option, up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes. The platform and suspension upgrades, coupled with Brake-induced Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control, provided a predictable, smooth, and athletic driving experience. Nissan also introduced Vehicle Motion Control, predicting ways to enhance the driving experience based on the driver's inputs. The standout was the Rogue's improved steering feel, offering a more engaging drive compared to its predecessor.

Inside, the 2020 Honda Pilot offered a spacious 8-passenger cabin with second-row bench seating, or 7-passenger seating with second-row captain’s chairs on higher trims. Its third row was adult-friendly, and the EX trims and higher included one-touch fold-down rear seats for easier third-row access. With the second and third rows folded down, the Pilot had 83.9 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly less than some competitors but more than the upscale Mazda CX-9. Higher trims included a power liftgate, with the Touring and above offering a hands-free power tailgate. Practicality was key, with ample storage for family essentials and clever features like a conversation mirror.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue introduced enhanced comfort with its refined Zero Gravity seats, which were more supportive than the previous generation’s. The Rogue's trims stepped up in luxury, with upgrades to leather and premium materials as you moved up the range. Significant interior highlights included improved roominess, rear doors that opened almost 90 degrees, making ingress and egress easier, and multiple child safety seat provisions, including a new center LATCH anchor. Nissan addressed noise reduction through aerodynamic enhancements and acoustic materials. The Rogue’s cargo capacities were adequate, with standard models offering 31.6 cubic feet and higher trims featuring the Divide-N-Hide system, expanding it to 36.5 cubic feet. Folding the rear seats provided up to 74.1 cubic feet of cargo space.

The 2020 Honda Pilot featured different levels of infotainment across its trims. The base LX had a 5-inch color LCD screen with a 215-watt, 7-speaker stereo. In contrast, higher trims sported an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although the interface was criticized for its confusing layout and lack of a tuning knob. Features like HD Radio, SiriusXM, and a Cabin Control Remote Capability were standard from EX trim and above. Optional or standard on higher trims were navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a 590-watt, 10-speaker premium audio system, with the Elite and Black Edition including a wireless charging pad.

In comparison, the 2021 Nissan Rogue offered a competitive suite of infotainment features. The base S trim included an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The system had helpful knob controls for volume and tuning, although their design was less user-friendly. Moving up the trims added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, and integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Higher trims like the SL Premium Package and the Platinum had a larger 9-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, door-to-door navigation, and a Bose premium audio system. The top-tier Platinum also featured a wireless smartphone charger, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

Standard safety features for the 2020 Honda Pilot included the HondaSensing suite, which comprised forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Front and side-impact airbags, child-seat anchors, Vehicle Stability Assist, and traction control were standard across all trims. Optional features included parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts. The Pilot received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and top scores from IIHS.

Every 2021 Nissan Rogue came with the Nissan Safety Shield 360, offering a comprehensive range of driver assistance systems like automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and lane-departure warning. Unlike many competitors, the Rogue included a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert instead of standard adaptive cruise control, which came into play from the SV trim with ProPilot Assist. Additional safety features included ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The Rogue also introduced rear pre-tensioning and load-limiting seatbelts, with Platinum trims adding an inter-seat airbag. Though crash test results weren’t available at the time, the new architecture’s emphasis on high-strength steel and crash energy deflection suggested strong safety performance.