Compare the2025 Nissan RogueVS 2025 Subaru Forester

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 Forester 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 Forester doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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 Forester’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 Forester and its not available on the Base.

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 Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the Rogue and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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 around view monitors.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rogue for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rogue’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Rogue has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Forester’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Rogue has a standard 720-amp battery. The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

The Rogue’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 21 more horsepower (201 vs. 180) and 47 lbs.-ft. more torque (225 vs. 178) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Rogue is faster than the Subaru Forester:

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

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 Forester doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

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 Forester doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Rogue’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Forester (106.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

The Rogue Platinum AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Forester Sport pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume than the Forester with its rear seat up (36.5 vs. 29.6 cubic feet).

The Rogue SL/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 Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Rogue has a standard Push-Button Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring offers a Keyless Access and Start.

The Rogue’s standard 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 Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Rogue SL/Platinum’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Unlike the Subaru Forester’s fixed side view mirrors, the Nissan Rogue features foldable mirrors that offer convenience for drivers and pedestrians alike. When parked, these mirrors can be manually folded to create a smaller footprint, making it easier to walk past or park more vehicles in an area. Additionally, the Nissan Rogue’s foldable exterior mirrors are designed to absorb impact force if struck, reducing the likelihood of costly repairs.

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

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

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Subaru Forester by 78% during 2023.