Compare the2022 Nissan RogueVS 2022 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Rogue have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Acura RDX doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Rogue are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RDX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Rogue Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The RDX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Rogue has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Rogue’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The RDX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Rogue and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

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

There are almost 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rogue’s warranty.

The RDX’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Rogue has a 6000 RPM redline.

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 Rogue’s reliability 16 points higher than the RDX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 26th, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 15 places higher in reliability than Acura.

On the EPA test cycle the Rogue gets better mileage than the RDX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Rogue uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Rogue higher (7 out of 10) than the Acura RDX (6). This means the Rogue produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RDX every 15,000 miles.

The Rogue has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The RDX doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Rogue’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the RDX are solid, not vented.

The Rogue stops much shorter than the RDX:

The Rogue Platinum AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Rogue’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the RDX’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The Nissan Rogue may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 400 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The Rogue is 4.4 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Rogue easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Rogue has 1.5 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more rear headroom, .1 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

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

The Rogue has a larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (31.6 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

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

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Acura RDX by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.