Compare the2022 Kia SportageVS 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sportage’s standard Downhill Brake Control allow you to creep down safely. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Sportage and the Rogue Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 119 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rogue Sport has not been fully tested, yet.

The Sportage comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rogue Sport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Rogue Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rogue Sport ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Sportage has a standard 140-amp alternator (150-amp - Sportage SX Turbo AWD). The Rogue Sport’s 120-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sportage’s reliability 48 points higher than the Rogue Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage second among compact suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Rogue Sport isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 13th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

The Sportage’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (181 vs. 141) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (175 vs. 147) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 96 more horsepower (237 vs. 141) and 113 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 147) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 99 more horsepower (240 vs. 141) and 113 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 147) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Sportage 4 cyl. is faster than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

The Sportage has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rogue Sport (16.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Sportage’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rogue Sport:

The Sportage stops much shorter than the Rogue Sport:

For better traction, the Sportage has larger standard tires than the Rogue Sport (225/60R17 vs. 215/60R17). The Sportage SX Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rogue Sport (245/45R19 vs. 225/45R19).

The Sportage has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rogue Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Rogue Sport.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.8 seconds quicker than the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sportage’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Rogue Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.9 feet).

The Sportage has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rogue Sport (98.6 vs. 96).

The Sportage has .9 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom and 4.3 inches more rear hip room than the Rogue Sport.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sportage’s rear seats recline. The Rogue Sport’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume than the Rogue Sport with its rear seat up (30.7 vs. 22.9 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sportage EX/SX Turbo’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Sportage’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

The Sportage has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Rogue Sport has no towing capacity.

The Sportage has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Rogue Sport doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

The power windows standard on both the Sportage and the Rogue Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sportage is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Rogue Sport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Sportage to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Sportage’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Rogue Sport’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Sportage (except LX/Nightfall) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sportage will cost $705 less than the Rogue Sport over a five-year period.

The Sportage will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sportage will retain 45.89% to 49.54% of its original price after five years, while the Rogue Sport only retains 43.36% to 43.59%.

The Kia Sportage has won recognition from these important consumer publications: