2021 Dodge Durango vs 2022 Nissan Rogue

The 2021 Dodge Durango retained much of its exterior styling from its 2011 debut, maintaining a muscular stance and athletic design that aligned it with Dodge's Charger and Challenger models. The 2021 update included a new SRT Hellcat model featuring a cold-air scoop, twin-pipe exhaust, LED headlamps, rear spoiler, and a revised front end. The Durango offered a variety of wheel options and came in 11 exterior colors with six interior color schemes. Inside, the Durango featured a new instrument panel and either an 8.4-inch or 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system. The interior materials ranged from cloth to premium leathers, with contrast stitching and unique seat belt colors adding a funky flavor.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue continued its mature styling from the previous year's redesign, featuring a V-motion grille, multi-level LED headlights, and a floating roof design. The SL and Platinum trims included LED fog lamps and active grille shutters for improved airflow. Inside, the Rogue showcased a layered dash design with contrasting colors and surfaces, an electronic gear selector lever, and ample storage space. The center console featured large cupholders, a wireless charging pad, and a spacious storage cubby. The Rogue's 9-inch infotainment display and digital instrument panel varied by trim level, with upper trims offering a 12.3-inch digital screen.

The 2021 Dodge Durango offered four engine options: a 3.6-liter V6, a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, a 392 HEMI V8, and a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8. The V6 produced 293-295 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, while the 5.7-liter V8 delivered 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The 392 HEMI V8 generated 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, and the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 in the SRT Hellcat produced 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. All engines were paired with eight-speed automatic transmissions, with rear-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive optional. The Durango's steering was responsive, but the chassis showed its age, with a reactionary suspension that transmitted bumps to the cabin. The SRT models offered SRT Performance Pages for track days, and the R/T model featured a Tow N Go Package with a towing capacity of 8,700 pounds.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue featured a new 1.5-liter VC-Turbo engine with three cylinders, producing 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. This engine offered an 11 percent increase in horsepower and 24 percent more torque compared to the previous 2.5-liter engine. The Rogue's fuel economy was impressive, with EPA estimates of 30 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. The new CVT transmission provided a wider range of gear ratios, improving acceleration and responsiveness. The Rogue's chassis and suspension delivered a smooth, controlled ride with minimal body roll, and the electric power-assisted steering offered good feel and a tight turning diameter.

The 2021 Dodge Durango excelled as a family hauler, offering comfortable seating, ample storage space, and family entertainment options. It could seat up to seven passengers across three rows, with spacious front and second-row seats and a more accommodating third row compared to many competitors. The Durango offered 21 seat options and had average cargo space for its class. The fit and finish of the Durango had improved significantly, standing out from earlier models like the Dodge Journey and Grand Caravan.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue provided a well-thought-out interior with numerous storage options, including bottle holders, cupholders, a glove compartment, a center console bin, and more. Rear-seat passengers had storage options in the doors, seatbacks, and center armrest, along with USB-A and USB-C charge-only ports. The second-row seat was a 60/40 split reclining bench. The Rogue's cargo area offered 31.6-36.5 cubic feet of space, expandable to 74.1 cubic feet with the second row folded flat.

The 2021 Dodge Durango featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen on the SXT and GT trims, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen on higher trims running the new Uconnect 5 system. Uconnect 5 was five times faster than its predecessor and offered user profiles, connected services, dual Bluetooth connections, Amazon Alexa, TomTom navigation, SiriusXM with 360L, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air updates. The Durango also offered a family entertainment system with a Blu-ray and DVD player and two 9-inch screens. The gauge cluster had a small, half-circle analog speedometer, making it difficult to read exact speeds. The TomTom navigation system was user-friendly and responsive.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue's technology upgrades included a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 9-inch center infotainment touchscreen, and a 10.8-inch head-up display on upper trims. The Rogue used Google Maps and Waze for navigation, with voice commands, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto as standard features. Wireless Apple CarPlay was available on upper trims. ProPilot Assist, Nissan's hands-on driver-assist technology, was available and integrated with the navigation system on models with ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link, allowing for predictive speed control based on road conditions.

The 2021 Dodge Durango's safety features were limited compared to its rivals. It came standard with a rearview camera, airbags, and electronic stability control. Optional safety features included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, rear-cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and forward-collision warning. The NHTSA gave the Durango a five-star side crash-test rating and a four-star rollover rating, but front crash testing ratings were not yet available.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue came standard with the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking. The Rogue also featured ten supplemental airbags, extended crumple zones, Intelligent Driver Alertness technology, and rear door alert. ProPilot Assist offered advanced driver-assist features, and the enhanced ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link added predictive speed control. The NHTSA gave the Rogue a four-star overall safety rating, and the 2021 model received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.