2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2021 Hyundai Palisade

The 2021 Nissan Rogue boasted a handsome new styling that made it look more like an SUV than a traditional car. Dark gray plastic cladding covered its lower perimeter, and bold, simulated skid plates along with lower door protection conveyed a rugged demeanor—potentially a bit too audaciously on the rear bumper. Clean LED lighting elements, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proportionate dimensions lent the Rogue a modern aesthetic. The optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment gave the SUV a custom look.

There were four versions of the new Rogue available: S, SV, SL, and the new Platinum. Prices ranged from $25,650 for the base S to $35,430 for the Platinum, excluding the $1,095 destination charge. Options such as all-wheel drive ($1,400) and premium packages for SV ($2,660) and SL ($1,320) were available. The test vehicle was a Rogue SL, fully loaded with the Premium Package, extra-cost paint, floor mats, and a cargo area protection package, totaling $35,195 with destination charges.

Inside, the Rogue featured an Almond color leather interior and a standard panoramic glass sunroof, creating a light and airy feel. The cabin exuded quality with abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars. Controls were arranged in a clean, logical manner. For a more luxurious feel, the Platinum trim offered quilted semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting. An old-school digital clock-like display for climate control and a still-included CD player did not make the Rogue technologically outdated, as wireless Apple CarPlay was also available.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy distinguished itself with a different grille pattern, added lower body trim, unique 20-inch wheels, and simulated suede interior headliner. Calligraphy trim also got additional lighting including puddle lamps on each side. In comparison, the Limited trim of the previous year adopted an exterior look similar to the Palisade SEL with either the Convenience or Premium option packages, and now came standard with LED headlights.

The Calligraphy trim made our test vehicle look fancier than other Palisades, grabbing attention with its unconventional styling. Opinions on its aesthetics varied, but overall, the Palisade Calligraphy conveyed an impression of a more expensive SUV.

Inside, the Palisade Calligraphy sported a Beige over Navy Blue color scheme with light, striated simulated wood trim, quilted and stitched premium Nappa leather, and a suede headliner. This level of interior detailing made the Palisade’s window sticker appear as a genuine bargain compared to other SUVs in the midsize three-row class, the Kia Telluride SX Prestige being the sole exception.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue, weighting nearly 3,500 pounds, powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 181 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 181 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. This power output was just adequate for daily driving. Its continuously variable transmission (CVT) did a decent job of leveraging available torque and rarely felt like a CVT due to programmed ratios and paddle shifters.

The Rogue came equipped with available all-wheel drive, 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes, making it viable for adventurous driving. Despite its off-road capabilities, the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine often felt sapped of energy in mountainous terrains.

Nissan’s commitment to performance improvements hinted at a more powerful variant likely coming soon, potentially with the variable-compression turbocharged 2.0-liter engine found in the Altima sedan and Infiniti QX50. The Rogue featured different driving modes: Standard as the default, with Sport offering more responsive dynamics, and possibly a future hybrid variant indicated by Nissan.

The front-wheel-drive test vehicle achieved 27.5 mpg on a varied road driving loop, falling short of the 29 mpg EPA rating. Thanks to a more robust architecture, the Rogue’s ride and handling were notably smooth and athletic, significantly enhanced by features like Brake-induced Intelligent Trace Control, Active Ride Control, and Vehicle Motion Control. The electric assist’s relocation to the steering rack and a quickened ratio vastly improved the steering feel over the previous generation.

In contrast, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade featured a powerful 3.8-liter V6 engine that produced 291 horsepower. It came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel-drive setup, with optional all-wheel drive. Drivers could choose between Eco, Comfort, Smart, and Sport driving modes, while AWD models added a Snow mode and a Lock function for better traction.

With a combined EPA-rated 21 mpg for AWD models, the test vehicle matched this with 21.1 mpg in Smart mode. Unlike Nissan’s suspension tuning, Hyundai opted for a firmer feel, eliminating most of the traditional SUV’s cumbersome ride features, like excessive head-toss. The Palisade’s suspension achieved excellent body-motion control, providing a communicative drive while managing the weight and pitch of the vehicle effectively.

While not exactly fun to drive, the Palisade was confident and sure-footed on twisty roads, maintaining predictability and transparency at their limits. In typical scenarios, the Palisade was undemanding, with excellent power, intuitive steering, and easy maneuverability. Moreover, the Palisade’s Highway Drive Assist technology added to its pleasurable highway cruising experience, allowing drivers to enjoy a semi-autonomous driving experience.

Nissan's Zero Gravity seat designs aimed to replicate the neutral spine position found in space, reducing stress and fatigue. These seats in the 2021 Rogue were more comfortable and better sized compared to the previous model. Depending on the trim level, seating options varied from cloth upholstery with manual height adjuster in the S trim to higher-grade leather in the Platinum trim.

Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats were available starting from the SV trim upwards. The triple-zone climate control system, equipped in SL and Platinum trims, added rear passenger control. The nearly 90-degree rear door openings, LATCH anchors, and rear air conditioning vents enhanced rear-seat comfort, while center-mounted LATCH anchors allowed for up to three child safety seats.

The Rogue SL test unit was better insulated and quieter than its predecessor, with useful in-cabin storage spaces, including an under-console storage tray and 32-ounce water bottle door pockets. It featured a power rear liftgate in most versions, with hands-free functionality in SL and Platinum trims. The cargo capacity ranged from 31.6 cubic feet in S and SV trims to 36.5 cubic feet in SL and Platinum with the Divide-N-Hide cargo system enabled, and up to 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade excelled with its nearly perfect interior size, seating, and accessibility across all three rows. Up front, it offered eight-way power-adjustable seats with adjustable thigh support for the driver and a heated steering wheel. Heated and ventilated front seats, second-row captain’s chairs, third-row climate controls, and sunshades for rear side windows enhanced passenger comfort. The second-row seats had a slide-forward function with ample legroom and support.

With a power-fold option for the second-row seats, the Palisade offered convenient access to its roomy third-row seats. It featured plenty of in-cabin storage, with a notable center console and electronic transmission controls allowing for extra storage.

Cargo volumes in the Palisade ranged from 18 cubic feet behind the third-row seats to 45.8 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and up to 86.4 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded. The hands-free Smart Liftgate, which opened automatically when detecting the key fob, could be disabled as per user preference.

Comparatively, the Palisade provided more cargo space (86.4 cubic feet) than the Rogue's (74.1 cubic feet), positioning it better suited for larger families or those with substantial cargo needs.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue's S trim included an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a free six-month trial to Nissan Concierge Personal Assistant. The system featured power/volume and tuning knobs, though they were small and not very user-friendly, along with glossy plastic surfaces.

Higher trims added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration. The SL Premium Package and Platinum trim offered a 9-inch touchscreen display, door-to-door navigation with real-time traffic, wireless Apple CarPlay, improved voice recognition, and a Bose premium audio system. The Platinum model further boasted wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade offered two infotainment systems: one with an 8-inch touchscreen and another with a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Both systems supported dual Bluetooth connectivity, but only the 8-inch one offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Palisade Calligraphy trim included advanced features like SiriusXM satellite radio, a navigation system, Blue Link connected services, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup. Voice recognition technology was robust, and wireless smartphone charging, a Driver Talk intercom system, Quiet Mode, and a HUD added to the suite of features. Despite lacking a WiFi hotspot, the surround-view camera system and high-quality sound from the Harman Kardon system fortified its stance as a tech-rich vehicle.

Safety was paramount for the 2021 Nissan Rogue, integrating a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) under the Nissan Safety Shield 360 umbrella. This included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert. With ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system, the Rogue prioritized occupant safety. Higher trims featured ProPilot Assist, enhanced for accuracy and smoothness with additional Navi-link technology in the SL Premium and Platinum trims.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade was equally impressive with its suite of standard and available safety technologies, earning high marks from IIHS and NHTSA. It featured adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping systems. Higher trims included advanced rear-occupant alert systems and camera-based blind-spot monitoring with a Blind View Monitor. Highway Drive Assist was a standout feature, providing smooth and sophisticated semi-autonomous driving.