The Nissan Rogue Sport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
The Rogue Sport (except S) offers an optional Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Forester only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.
The Rogue Sport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Rogue Sport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Forester and isn't available on the not available.
Compared to metal, the Rogue Sport’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.
Both the Rogue Sport and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and driver alert 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 Sport is safer than the Subaru Forester:
|
Rogue Sport |
Forester |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
132 |
293 |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.7 inches |
Neck Stress |
189 lbs. |
213 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
34 lbs. |
103 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Rogue Sport is safer than the Subaru Forester:
|
Rogue Sport |
Forester |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
211 |
246 |
Spine Acceleration |
38 G’s |
56 G’s |
Hip Force |
504 lbs. |
670 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
14 inches |
16 inches |
Hip Force |
590 lbs. |
673 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.