2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2022 Wagoneer Wagoneer

The 2021 Nissan Rogue sported a handsome new styling with a more technical appearance, making it look more like an SUV than a car. Dark gray plastic cladding covered the Rogue's lower perimeter, and bold, simulated skid plates and lower door protection conveyed a ruggedness that was perhaps too audacious on the SUV's back bumper. Clean LED lighting elements, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proper proportioning lent the new Rogue a modern aesthetic, with all trim levels including aluminum wheels sized up to 19 inches in diameter. The optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment gave the SUV a custom look.

The 2022 Wagoneer Wagoneer followed the same design theme as the smaller Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L, featuring a high-mounted grille and LED headlights, a boxy profile, and trapezoidal wheel arches. It lacked retro styling and callbacks to the original Wagoneer, such as wood paneling, and instead looked like an enlarged Grand Cherokee. At launch, the Wagoneer rolled on standard 20-inch wheels, which appeared small on the super-sized SUV with its 123-inch wheelbase. Higher trim levels got 22-inch wheels, but the 20-inch rims were necessary for the all-terrain tires that came with the off-road-focused Advanced All-Terrain Group.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue needed more power, as it weighed nearly 3,500 pounds and had only one engine choice: a direct-injected 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 181 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 181 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. This output was adequate for typical daily-driver use, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) did a decent job of leveraging the available torque. The Rogue offered available all-wheel drive (AWD), up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes, making it more adept at getting off the beaten path. The tested Rogue SL with front-wheel drive (FWD) got 27.5 mpg on a driving loop with various roads and speeds, coming up 1.5 mpg short of the official EPA rating. The Rogue's new steering, with electric assist moved from the steering column to the steering rack and a quickened ratio, resulted in dramatically improved steering feel over the previous-generation Rogue.

The 2022 Wagoneer Wagoneer was offered with a V8 mild-hybrid powertrain similar to the one used in the Ram 1500 pickup truck. The 5.7-liter V8 produced 392 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque, while the eTorque mild-hybrid system used 48-volt electrical architecture to increase fuel economy. The Wagoneer had an eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a selection of four-wheel drive systems (4WD). The Quadra-Trac II system added a two-speed transfer case for greater off-road capability, while Quadra-Drive II included an electronic limited-slip differential. The optional Quadra-Lift air suspension system could raise the Wagoneer to provide up to 10 inches of ground clearance. On the road, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine was responsive, and the air suspension provided a comfortable ride, albeit with a lot of bounce and head toss over severe bumps. The Wagoneer’s body-on-frame construction created a notable shuddering sensation over bigger bumps, and the amount of body roll in corners was typical of a big SUV.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue featured Zero Gravity seat designs, which were comfortable and aimed to lessen stress on the bones and joints. The improved set of Zero Gravity seats in the new Rogue made the SUV more comfortable. The Rogue's trim levels offered various upholstery options, from cloth in the S trim to premium leather in the Platinum trim. The Rogue also featured standard air conditioning, with dual-zone automatic climate control in the SV trim and a triple-zone system in the SL and Platinum trims. Rear-seat headroom and legroom were more generous than in the previous Rogue, and the rear doors opened to a nearly 90-degree angle. The Rogue offered 31.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity in the S and SV trims, and up to 36.5 cubic feet in the SL and Platinum trims with the Divide-N-Hide cargo management system. The maximum cargo volume was 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2022 Wagoneer Wagoneer could seat up to eight people with the standard second-row bench or seven with the optional second-row captain’s chairs. The Wagoneer prioritized second- and third-row space over space for the driver and front passenger. It offered more legroom in the second and third rows than other full-size SUVs, but had the least front-seat legroom among its competitive set. The Wagoneer had 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row in place, 70.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 116.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. The Wagoneer had a maximum towing capacity of 10,000 pounds. The first and second rows both had large storage bins, and the test vehicle had a covered storage cubby below its touchscreen. Forward visibility was hindered by the tall hood, but the Wagoneer offered a digital rearview mirror and 360-degree camera system to make maneuvering easier.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue offered a competitive infotainment package. The S trim included an 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The SV and SL trims added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, and both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration. The SL Premium Package and the Rogue Platinum featured a larger 9-inch touchscreen display, a door-to-door navigation system with real-time traffic, wireless Apple CarPlay, an upgraded voice recognition system, and a Bose premium audio system. The Platinum trim also included wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The 2022 Wagoneer Wagoneer was packed with tech. The standard infotainment system included a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with 3D graphics, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, simultaneous pairing for two Bluetooth-enabled phones, and a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot that could support up to eight devices. The Wagoneer could be equipped with up to 11 USB ports and a separate 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger. Amazon Alexa connectivity linked the Wagoneer to smart-home functions, and Fire TV for Auto allowed passengers to stream movies and television shows. The Wagoneer also offered a 10-inch head-up display. The Uconnect 5 system, with an Android-based operating system and over-the-air (OTA) software updates, was easy to use, but the screen in the test vehicle was a bit slow, and the graphics for the digital gauge cluster seemed plain.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue was equipped with a comprehensive collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) under the Nissan Safety Shield 360 umbrella. These included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert. The Rogue also had ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The SV trim and above featured ProPilot Assist with adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance. The SL Premium Package and the Rogue Platinum offered an upgraded ProPilot Assist with Navi-link technology. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of the review, but the near doubling of the use of high-strength steel in the vehicle architecture boded well for the Rogue's ability to protect occupants in a collision.

The 2022 Wagoneer Wagoneer had standard driver-assist tech, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included a surround-view camera system, digital rearview mirror, traffic-sign recognition, a driver attention monitor, and night vision. Crash-test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were not available at the time of the review.