2020 Nissan Rogue vs 2019 Toyota RAV4

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 impressed with its bold, chunky exterior, reminiscent of the Toyota Tacoma pickup. Its aggressive and futuristic design conveyed strength, which was evident in the sharp edges and taillights inspired by Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus. The side profile maintained this robust aesthetic, but the character line breaking up the rear C-pillar often seemed like an unnecessary visual element. The contrasting-color roof options added a touch of customization, although the monotone color schemes didn't benefit much from this segment. The interior of the RAV4, in contrast, offered a simpler, more elegant design with a floating touchscreen and centralized control “pod” that streamlined the dashboard.

The 2020 Nissan Rogue, while maintaining an attractive overall appearance, faced criticism for its aging design. The V-Motion grille and exaggerated fender swells gave it a bold front-end look, particularly highlighted by the 19-inch aluminum wheels on the SL trim. However, step inside and the dated waterfall control panel, along with rounded forms, exposed its older styling themes in a world that had moved towards wide, horizontal and angular motifs.

For the 2019 Toyota RAV4, every trim featured a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission. Whether equipped with front-wheel drive or one of two all-wheel-drive systems, the RAV4 offered decent highway performance but struggled with low-end power, making it somewhat sluggish in stop-and-go traffic. The torque-vectoring AWD available in the Adventure and Limited trims enhanced its off-road capabilities. Despite good fuel economy, with the AWD test model averaging 27 mpg city and 34 highway, the ride quality had some drawbacks, including twitchy steering and body roll.

The 2020 Nissan Rogue came with a single powertrain—a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a CVT. While the CVT maximized the engine's power output, the vehicle felt underpowered, particularly during freeway merging, passing maneuvers, and uphill climbs. The advertised fuel economy of 29 mpg combined for FWD models did not hold up during testing, where it returned just 24.9 mpg. Although the Rogue featured Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control to enhance handling, it offered a lifeless driving experience with uninspired steering and occasional CVT drone.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 provided a clean, upscale cabin with practical design elements. The center stack featured a blend of climate controls, a large tray for small items, drive-mode controls, and a compact shifter. Interior storage was ample, with deep center-console trays and door bins. Cargo capacity stood at 37.6 cubic feet with the seats up, expanding to 69.8 cubic feet when folded, which was competitive yet slightly lesser compared to leading rivals like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester.

In the 2020 Nissan Rogue, seating comfort became an issue for taller drivers, with the seat adjustments unable to accommodate both seat height and legroom needs. However, rear-seat passengers benefited from a higher seating position, ample thigh support, and good visibility, especially with the panoramic sunroof. While in-cabin storage was limited to a spacious glove compartment, cargo space was a standout feature with 39 cubic feet behind the rear seats and useful underfloor compartments alongside the standard Divide-n-Hide cargo management system.

Standard technology in the 2019 Toyota RAV4 included a 7-inch touchscreen with Toyota’s Entune 3.0 system, offering user-friendly navigation and Apple CarPlay (though not Android Auto). Higher trims added multiple USB ports, panoramic camera systems, and larger infotainment displays. The new interface maintained physical dials for volume and tuning, striking a balance between touchscreen functionality and traditional controls. Despite the lack of Android Auto, the overall system integration was smooth and intuitive.

The 2020 Nissan Rogue equipped its base model with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a hands-free text messaging assistant. Higher trims offered additional features like SiriusXM, navigation, Bose premium sound, and NissanConnect Services, which included remote access and safe teen driver settings. However, the 7-inch touchscreen felt outdated, with sluggish response times and subpar voice recognition, diminishing the overall tech experience.

Toyota endowed the 2019 RAV4 with a comprehensive suite of safety features through Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, and adaptive cruise control. Additional features such as traffic-sign detection and Lane-Tracing Assist further enhanced driving safety.

The 2020 Nissan Rogue also included an impressive array of safety technologies under the Safety Shield 360 package, which featured pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning. The addition of Rear Door Alert and Tire Fill Alert systems were thoughtful touches, while advanced options such as a surround-view camera and ProPilot Assist adaptive cruise control with lane-centering showed an effort to provide comprehensive safety. However, the Rogue's aging design impacted its crash-test ratings, with only a 4-star overall rating from NHTSA and insufficient results from IIHS due to headlight and impact protection deficiencies.