2020 Lincoln Corsair vs 2021 Nissan Rogue

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair distinguished itself by exuding elegance and sophistication, ensuring it never felt like its more affordable Ford counterpart. Despite sharing its chassis and some powertrains with the Ford Escape, the Corsair featured entirely unique body panels and trim, distinguishing it as a true luxury vehicle. The low hood line and restrained chrome grille blended seamlessly with teardrop headlights, resulting in a design refined enough to be compared to a Jaguar’s running lamps from a distance. Up close, the sloping roof and Land Rover-like edge tailgate were particularly eye-catching.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue, meanwhile, adopted a more rugged, technical appearance that also embraced a modern SUV aesthetic. It featured dark gray plastic cladding along its lower perimeter and bold skid plates, creating an impression of toughness. Clean LED lighting, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proper proportioning added to its appeal. Different trims offered striking aluminum wheels up to 19 inches in diameter, with optional two-tone paint further enhancing its custom look.

Inside the Corsair, the dashboard came close to rivaling Mercedes-Benz's GLC in its elegance, with rich materials, curved matte-finish wood, and detailed chrome trim. The Corsair’s design extended into every nook of the cabin, ensuring a luxurious experience punctuated by unique elements like the gear-selector buttons and two-tone steering wheel.

In contrast, the 2021 Rogue's interior, especially in its higher trims, aimed to balance comfort and functionality. The plush Almond color leather, panoramic sunroof, and stylistic fabric-wrapped windshield pillars contributed to a bright, spacious cabin. The Rogue's trims offered increasing levels of luxury with the Platinum trim providing semi-aniline quilted leather and contrasting stitching.

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair came equipped with two turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. The 2.0-liter engine produced 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, while the 2.3-liter variant offered 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Corsair's engines provided a smooth driving experience, although the transmission occasionally stumbled in lower gears.

The Rogue's single-engine option—a 2.5-liter four-cylinder delivering 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque—felt underpowered compared to the Corsair. With a curb weight of nearly 3,500 pounds, this engine’s output was adequate for everyday driving but left the vehicle wanting more when handling more demanding conditions. However, the Rogue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) performed well, contributing to a smoother drive with its programmed ratios, which mimicked a traditional automatic.

The Corsair addressed high-speed stability with its composed suspension system, providing rock-solid control closer to what one would expect from German engineering. Adaptive dampers on the 2.3T trim enhanced its comfort, especially over long commutes. Fuel economy figures for the Corsair were respectable, with the 2.3T achieving 21 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 combined.

On the other hand, the 2021 Rogue handled impressively thanks to its new, stiffer architecture and refined steering. New driving modes and systems like Vehicle Motion Control resulted in a smooth and predictable driving experience. Fuel economy for the tested Rogue SL with FWD was around 27.5 mpg.

Inside the 2020 Lincoln Corsair, comfort was prioritized with features like 24-way adjustable Perfect Position seats and an airy driving position. The rear seats offered ample space, adjustable settings, and a pleasant ride enhanced by optional heated seats and a panoramic moonroof. However, cargo space in the Corsair was modest, with 28 cubic feet with all seats in place and 58 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

Meanwhile, the Rogue's interior focused on comfort and ease of use. Its Zero Gravity seats improved upon previous iterations, especially in higher trims with better materials and technological features. The rear-seat room was generous, and features like the triple-zone climate control and nearly 90-degree-opening rear doors made it practical. The Rogue excelled in cargo capacity, boasting 31.6 cubic feet in S and SV trims, extending to 36.5 in SL and Platinum trims with the Divide-N-Hide cargo management system. The maximum capacity reached an impressive 74.1 cubic feet.

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair included cutting-edge tech, such as the option to use a smartphone as an ignition key via the Lincoln Way app. The HUD was among the best in its class, and the Co-Pilot360 Plus system provided a suite of advanced safety features. However, software updates required an external WiFi connection, which seemed outdated given the car’s built-in cellular modem.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue's infotainment system featured an 8-inch touchscreen in the base S trim, expanding to 9 inches in higher trims. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and NissanConnect Services, with options for wireless functionality and a Bose sound system in top trims. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.8-inch HUD in the Rogue Platinum provided a sophisticated tech experience.

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair earned high marks from the IIHS as a Top Safety Pick, though it missed out on the "+" designation due to headlight performance. It came standard with the Co-Pilot360 safety suite, which included features like adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and lane-departure warning. The Corsair also had rear side airbags and knee airbags for both front seats.

Nissan emphasized safety with the 2021 Rogue, equipping it with the Safety Shield 360 suite, which included automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. Notably, Nissan provided adaptive cruise control starting from the SV trim, enhanced with the latest ProPilot Assist system. Additional safety features like rear pre-tensioning seatbelts and a rear-seat reminder system added further protection. While crash-test results were pending, the vehicle’s robust architecture suggested strong safety performance.