2022 Nissan Rogue vs 2021 Nissan Armada

The 2021 Nissan Armada underwent a significant facelift, aligning its exterior design with Nissan's new signature look. The SUV featured a new grille, front fenders, bumpers, and LED headlights and taillights, giving it a modern appearance while retaining its traditional beefy and athletic body styling. The Armada was available in S, SV, SL, and Platinum grades, with the Midnight Edition Package exclusive to the SL trim. The Platinum trim, which was tested in prototype form, showcased body-color over fenders, dark-painted roof rails, and an acoustic windshield and front side windows. Depending on the trim level, the Armada rode on 18-, 20-, or 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels wrapped in all-season tires.

In contrast, the 2022 Nissan Rogue carried forward the mature and sophisticated look introduced in the previous year's redesign. The Rogue featured Nissan’s V-motion grille, multi-level LED headlights, and a floating roof design. The SL and Platinum trims came with LED fog lamps, and the vehicle included active grille shutters and underbody covers to improve airflow. The interior of the Rogue followed a layered dash design with contrasting colors and surfaces, creating a sophisticated and detailed look. The center console was highlighted by an electronic gear selector lever, freeing up space for additional storage. The Rogue's 9-inch center infotainment display and Zero Gravity bucket-style front seats added to its appeal.

The 2021 Nissan Armada was equipped with a 5.6-liter V8 engine, delivering 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque when running on premium fuel. Paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the Armada offered rear-wheel drive as standard, with automatic four-wheel drive available. Despite its hefty weight of over 6,000 pounds, the Armada was a capable off-roader with a skid plate, double-wishbone suspension, and Hitachi twin-tube shock absorbers. However, its fuel economy was less impressive, with RWD models achieving 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined, while 4WD models managed 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. The Armada's towing capacity was a best-in-class 8,500 pounds when properly equipped.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue, on the other hand, benefited from a new 1.5-liter VC-Turbo engine, producing 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. This engine featured Variable Compression technology, allowing it to adjust the compression ratio for improved performance and efficiency. The Rogue's fuel economy was significantly better, 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, enhancing acceleration and responsiveness. The Rogue's chassis and suspension delivered a smooth and controlled ride, with minimal body roll and a tight 35.4-foot turning diameter.

The 2021 Nissan Armada offered a spacious and practical interior, with standard running boards and in-cabin handles for easy access. The dashboard featured a new 12.3-inch touchscreen, though some controls were a bit of a reach. The front seats were power-adjustable, with the driver’s seat offering 10-way adjustments and the passenger’s seat six-way adjustments. The second row could be configured with captain’s chairs or a 60/40 split-folding bench seat, while the third row was less comfortable for adults. Cargo space was 16.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 49.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and 95.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. However, the high load floor made loading and unloading challenging.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue excelled in interior storage and practicality. The front cabin featured numerous storage options, including bottle holders, cupholders, a glove compartment, a center console bin, and a tray beneath the center console. Rear-seat passengers had storage options in the doors, seatbacks, and center armrest, along with USB-A and USB-C charge-only ports. The Rogue's cargo area offered 31.6-36.5 cubic feet of space, depending on configuration, and 74.1 cubic feet with the second row folded flat.

The 2021 Nissan Armada boasted a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, the largest in its class, with navigation, a six-speaker stereo system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB ports, a WiFi hotspot, NissanConnect Services, keyless entry with push-button start, Android Auto, and wireless Apple CarPlay as standard. Optional features included a wireless charging pad, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, a rearview camera mirror, and a second-row entertainment system. The Platinum trim came with all these features as standard.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue continued the technology upgrades from the previous year, featuring 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, and offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, with wireless Apple CarPlay available on higher 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, providing predictive speed control based on road conditions.

The 2021 Nissan Armada came with Nissan Safety Shield 360, which included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic braking. Additional standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear door alert. Optional features included a rear camera mirror and a surround-view camera system. However, the Armada lacked advanced driving assist technologies like ProPilot Assist.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue featured the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite across all trim levels, with standard features such as 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 had ten supplemental airbags, extended crumple zones, Intelligent Driver Alertness technology, and rear door alert. ProPilot Assist was available, offering Level 2 advanced driver-assist capabilities, and the enhanced ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link provided predictive speed control. The 2022 Rogue received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for the 2021 model.