2022 Nissan Rogue vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was a nostalgic throwback to older car designs, emphasizing styling details to differentiate its various trim levels. This approach resembled Chevy's past strategy with models like the Impala and Caprice.

The Traverse’s exterior depicted a generic SUV design with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille, embodying what most buyers sought in an SUV. While its design was cleaner and more handsome than the Toyota Highlander or Hyundai Palisade, the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride showed more personality. Additionally, the Mazda CX-9’s streamlined look stood out more.

The restrained styling highlighted the cosmetic elements distinguishing different trim levels. For instance, the RS model had blacked-out trim, while the High Country featured chrome accents. The vehicle offered various appearance packages like Redline, Sport, and Midnight for lower trims. Higher trims received 20-inch wheels, while the base Traverse L got 18-inch wheels.

Underneath, the Traverse shared a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, but it maintained a more blue-collar feel compared to these premium siblings. The Traverse used a unibody construction, unlike the larger Chevy Tahoe, which was body-on-frame and related to the Chevy Silverado pickup truck.

Inside, the Traverse continued its restrained styling, with the standout feature being an optional Dual SkyScape two-panel sunroof. Higher-level trims like the RS offered fairly good materials, though not quite justifying its $50,000 MSRP.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue displayed a matured and refined exterior, carrying forward the transformation from its 2021 redesign. Its styling transitioned from cute to grown-up, with no new flourishes but consistent design improvements.

The Rogue showcased several exterior design elements similar to other current-generation Nissan vehicles, including a V-motion grille, multi-level LED headlights with DRLs above, and LED foglamps on higher trims. Active grille shutters and underbody covers enhanced airflow, while the floating roof effect, assisted by dark supporting pillars, and a slightly bulging liftgate contributed to its sleek look.

Inside, the Rogue embraced a layered dash design with distinct horizontal layers. This sophisticated and detailed look was present in all models, with some trims featuring contrasting colors. The center console highlighted an electronic gear selector lever, which freed up space in the console for practical use. Additional features included a wireless charging pad, large storage cubby, and a 9-inch center infotainment display positioned near the driver’s eye line. The instrument panel varied, offering a 7-inch center display on lower trims and a 12.3-inch digital screen on upper trims.

Nissan’s Zero Gravity front seats were attractive and comfortable, fitting well within the Rogue. The roomy second row provided good legroom and ample space for two adults or three passengers in a pinch. Fit and finish were exemplary, especially on the top-of-the-line Platinum model, with excellent material selection.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was powered by a single engine option: a 3.6-liter V6 producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Chevy had previously offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, but it was no longer available.

From behind the wheel, the Traverse's V6 didn't feel as powerful as its specs suggested, but the power was there when needed. It lacked strong off-the-line performance but provided sufficient power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic performed well, though occasional rough shifts were noticeable.

The Traverse excelled on the highway, combining a quiet cabin, thanks to standard active noise cancellation, with a bump-absorbing suspension and precise steering. However, it lacked agility on twisty roads compared to competitors like the Subaru Ascent, partly due to its AWD system.

The AWD system, which required manual activation, could send varying torque to the front or rear wheels, known as torque vectoring. However, this capability wasn't easily felt, indicating potential underutilization.

The Traverse also featured off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, average for the segment. Competitors like the Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Explorer offered higher towing capacities.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue received a significant boost from its new 1.5-liter VC-Turbo engine, part of the Variable Compression (VC) Turbo family. The engine, mechanically adjusting the combustion chamber size, allowed for variable compression ratios to optimize power and efficiency. It delivered 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque, an 11% and 24% increase, respectively, over the previous 2.5-liter four-cylinder.

The new engine significantly enhanced the Rogue's performance, offering lively character and increased power in all driving situations. Fuel economy also improved, with EPA estimates of 30 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined.

A new CVT replaced the previous transmission, offering wider gear ratios for improved acceleration and responsiveness. The CVT drone often noted by enthusiasts was less pronounced, providing a smoother driving experience. However, a manual transmission option was not available.

The Rogue's chassis and suspension comfortably handled the new engine and transmission, delivering a smooth and controlled ride with minimal body roll. The electric power-assisted steering offered good feel, and a tight 35.4-foot turning diameter.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, depending on whether a second-row bench seat or captain’s chairs were chosen. Headroom and legroom in all three rows were above average but not segment-leading. The RS trim featured standard heated front seats, with ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats available on higher trims.

A significant advantage for the Traverse was its cargo space. With 23.0 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded, it surpassed many competitors in cargo capacity. Optional and standard features on higher trims included a power liftgate and a gesture-activated liftgate on the Premier and High Country models. The RS and higher trims also featured a power 60/40 split-folding third row.

Despite its large size, the Traverse offered limited interior storage options, typical for midsize three-row crossovers. In contrast, a minivan in a similar footprint provided better practicality for carrying passengers and cargo.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue demonstrated Nissan's attention to detail with smart storage solutions throughout the vehicle. The front cabin featured numerous places to stash items, including bottle holders, a center console bin, a tray beneath the console, cubbies in the dash, and USB-A/USB-C/12-volt outlets above the wireless charging pad.

Rear-seat passengers also had access to storage in the doors, seatbacks, and center armrest, along with USB-A and USB-C charge-only ports. The second-row seat was a 60/40 split reclining bench.

In terms of cargo space, the Rogue could hold 31.6-36.5 cubic feet of luggage with the rear seats up, depending on the configuration. With the second row folded flat, it offered 74.1 cubic feet, though still less than the Traverse.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system.

Despite some rivals offering larger screens, the Traverse's 8-inch screen was user-friendly with large smartphone-like icons. Chevy also retained analog controls for audio volume and climate control, appreciated for their simplicity.

The Traverse featured a rearview camera mirror, enhancing visibility by switching between a standard mirror view and a camera feed. An optional HD surround-view camera system made parking easier. Two USB ports for each row were standard across all trims, but wireless phone charging was only available on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue benefited from a technology upgrade with its 2021 redesign, carrying over the updates. Upper trim levels featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 9-inch center infotainment touchscreen, and a 10.8-inch head-up display. Navigation utilized Google Maps and Waze with voice commands, with wireless Apple CarPlay available on higher trims.

ProPilot Assist, a hands-on driver-assist technology, was optionally available and integrated with the navigation system to adjust speed proactively based on road conditions. This feature signified a step towards autonomous driving capabilities.

The Rogue's Intelligent Key allowed unlocking the rear doors by double-tapping the rear door handle button, a small but useful convenience feature for families.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores in all crash tests from the IIHS, along with a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention. However, it received "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings based on trim, and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave it a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars for frontal and rollover crashes and five stars for side impacts.

Standard driver-assist features were limited, with many advanced features only available on higher trims. Adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and other features were optional on lower trims but standard on some rival SUVs.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue featured Nissan Safety Shield 360 across all trims, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking. It also offered ten airbags and extended crumple zones for passive safety measures.

ProPilot Assist added advanced driver-assist capabilities, combining steering-assist and adaptive cruise control to manage acceleration, braking, and steering, particularly useful in heavy traffic. The enhanced ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link further integrated these features with navigation for predictive speed control.

The 2022 Rogue earned a four-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, and the 2021 model received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, expected to carry over.