Compare the2022 Nissan Rogue SportVS 2021 Mazda CX-3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission and Drivetrain
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Sport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 CX-3 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Rogue Sport has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The CX-3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 CX-3 only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Rogue Sport (except S)’s optional 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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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 Mazda CX-3 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Rogue Sport and the CX-3 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 Mazda CX-3:

	Rogue Sport	CX-3
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	132	157
Neck Injury Risk	35.3%	39%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	198 lbs.
Neck Compression	34 lbs.	39 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 Mazda CX-3:

	Rogue Sport	CX-3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	106	183
Abdominal Force	156 lbs.	199 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	211	241
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	85 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	590 lbs.	629 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 2 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rogue Sport’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Rogue Sport has a standard 120-amp alternator. The CX-3’s 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Rogue Sport has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 AWD’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Rogue Sport has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 12.7 gallons).

Transmission and Drivetrain

The Rogue Sport 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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Rogue Sport has a true all-wheel drive system, which uses a four-wheel traction control system to redirect engine power to the axle and wheel that still has traction to keep the Rogue Sport moving if even only one wheel still has traction. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a true all-wheel drive system; it could get stuck while one or more wheels still have traction.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Rogue Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-3:

	Rogue Sport	CX-3	CX-3 AWD
Front Rotors	11.65 inches	11 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	11.5 inches	11.1 inches	11.1 inches

The Rogue Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CX-3 are solid, not vented.

The Rogue Sport stops shorter than the CX-3:

	Rogue Sport	CX-3
60 to 0 MPH	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Rogue Sport SL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-3 (225/45R19 vs. 215/60R16).

The Rogue Sport SL’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-3’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rogue Sport S/SV has standard 17-inch wheels. Only 16-inch wheels are available on the CX-3. The Rogue Sport SL has standard 19-inch wheels.

The Rogue Sport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The CX-3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Nissan Rogue Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-3 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Rogue Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Rogue Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Rogue Sport’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the CX-3 (104.2 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Rogue Sport is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the CX-3.

For greater off-road capability the Rogue Sport has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-3 (7.4 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Rogue Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Rogue Sport has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-3 (96 vs. 87.6).

The Rogue Sport has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom and 5.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-3.

Cargo Capacity

The Rogue Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-3 with its rear seat up (22.9 vs. 17.8 cubic feet). The Rogue Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-3 with its rear seat folded (61.1 vs. 42.7 cubic feet).

The Rogue Sport’s cargo area is larger than the CX-3’s in every dimension:

	Rogue Sport	CX-3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	33.3”/62.3”	30.9”/58”
Max Width	54.2”	n/a
Min Width	43.5”	39.4”
Height	33.3”	26.6”

Ergonomics

The Rogue Sport SV/SL has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When different drivers share the Rogue Sport SV/SL, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Intelligent Key standard on the Rogue Sport SV/SL allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Mazda CX-3’s Pushbutton Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the cargo door.

The Rogue Sport’s driver power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-3’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Rogue Sport SV/SL’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The CX-3 doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

The Rogue Sport SV/SL has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the CX-3.

On extremely cold winter days, the Rogue Sport SV/SL’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Rogue Sport SV/SL’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The CX-3 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Rogue Sport and the CX-3 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rogue Sport has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-3 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Rogue Sport and the Mazda CX-3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Mazda CX-3 by almost 46 to one during the 2021 model year.