Compare the2023 Nissan RogueVS 2023 Subaru Crosstrek

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

Safety

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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 Subaru Crosstrek doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Nissan Rogue 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Rogue SL/Platinum has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Crosstrek 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 has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 Crosstrek’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Rogue has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Crosstrek and its not available on the Base/Manual.

Compared to metal, the Rogue’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Crosstrek has a metal gas tank.

Both the Rogue and the Crosstrek have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras 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 is safer than the Subaru Crosstrek:

	Rogue	Crosstrek
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	33%	36%
Leg Forces (l/r)	70/234 lbs.	252/363 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	44.6%
Neck Stress	193 lbs.	195 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 is safer than the Subaru Crosstrek:

	Rogue	Crosstrek
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	95	138
Chest Movement	.4 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	99 lbs.	196 lbs.
Hip Force	339 lbs.	346 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	162	303
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	58 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
HIC	162	201
Hip Force	398 lbs.	824 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Rogue is much safer than the Crosstrek:

	Rogue	Crosstrek
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	245 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.89 in
Shoulder Force	245 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	803 lbs.	1116 lbs.
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.22 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	379 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.87 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	535 lbs.	825 lbs.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rogue the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Crosstrek last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

There are over 69 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rogue’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Subaru With 21 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Subaru.

Engine

The Rogue’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 49 more horsepower (201 vs. 152) and 80 lbs.-ft. more torque (225 vs. 145) than the Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Rogue’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (201 vs. 182) and 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (225 vs. 176) than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Nissan Rogue is faster than the Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	Rogue	Crosstrek
Zero to 30 MPH	3.5 sec	4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	10.2 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.9 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	17.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87 MPH	82 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Rogue
FWD	Auto	S/SV 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	30 city/37 hwy
		SL/Platinum 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/36 hwy
AWD	Auto	S/SV 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	28 city/35 hwy
		SL/Platinum 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
Crosstrek
AWD	Manual	2.0 DOHC flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 DOHC flat-4	28 city/33 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/34 hwy

The Rogue has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Nissan Rogue comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Crosstrek.

Brakes and Stopping

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 Crosstrek are solid, not vented.

The Rogue stops much shorter than the Crosstrek:

	Rogue	Crosstrek
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Rogue has larger tires than the Crosstrek (235/65R17 vs. 225/60R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rogue SL/Platinum has standard 19-inch wheels. The Crosstrek’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Rogue 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Rogue has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Rogue’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Crosstrek (106.5 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Rogue is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Crosstrek.

The Rogue Platinum AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Crosstrek Premium pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Rogue Platinum AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Crosstrek Limited (27.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Rogue has 4.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Crosstrek (105.4 vs. 100.9).

The Rogue has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Crosstrek.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Crosstrek with its rear seat up (31.6 vs. 20.8 cubic feet). The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Crosstrek with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 55.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Rogue easier. The Rogue’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.4 inches, while the Crosstrek’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

The Rogue’s cargo area is larger than the Crosstrek’s in almost every dimension:

	Rogue	Crosstrek
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.5”/70.5”	32.3”/64.2”
Max Width	51.3”	53”
Min Width	43”	43”
Height	32.7”	30”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Rogue SL/Platinum’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Rogue (except S) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Rogue SL/Platinum, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Rogue SL/Platinum, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Rogue SL/Platinum’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Rogue Platinum offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Rogue’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Crosstrek has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Rogue’s 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 Crosstrek’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Rogue’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Crosstrek’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Rogue’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Crosstrek’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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

The Rogue has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Crosstrek has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Rogue to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Rogue SL/Platinum is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Crosstrek’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Rogue and the Crosstrek offer available heated front seats. The Rogue Platinum also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Crosstrek.

On extremely cold winter days, the Rogue’s optional (except S) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Rogue SV/SL/Platinum’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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Rogue Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Rogue is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Rogue and the Subaru Crosstrek, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Subaru Crosstrek by 20% during 2022.