2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2022 Cadillac XT5

The 2021 Nissan Rogue wore a new, handsome styling that gave it a more technical appearance, making it look more like an SUV than a car. It had dark gray plastic cladding covering its lower perimeter, along with bold, simulated skid plates and lower door protection that conveyed ruggedness—perhaps too audaciously on the SUV's back bumper. Featuring clean LED lighting elements, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proper proportioning, the Rogue boasted a modern aesthetic, with aluminum wheels sized up to 19 inches in diameter available on all trims. An optional two-tone paint job with a black roof treatment further customized its look.

The Rogue was available in four trims. The Rogue S was the entry-level model at $25,650, the Rogue SV at $27,340 was the most popular, the Rogue SL at $32,000 added a touch of luxury, and the new-for-2021 Rogue Platinum at $35,430 featured semi-aniline quilted leather and other upscale amenities. With our test Rogue SL, it included the Premium Package, extra-cost paint, floor mats, and a cargo area protection package, totaling $35,195, including destination charges.

Inside, our Rogue SL featured an Almond-colored leather interior and a standard panoramic glass sunroof, which emphasized its improved roominess. It had abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars that all lent a sense of quality to the cabin. The arrangement of controls was clean and logical. The Platinum trim offered a genuinely luxurious look with quilted semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting.

In contrast, the 2022 Cadillac XT5's styling balanced between the angularity of the Lexus NX and the more traditional looks of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It featured Cadillac's trademark design cues, including a bold grille, vertical daytime running lights, and vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Caddys. However, these cues created an odd mix with the XT5's compact footprint and tall profile, resulting in an unmistakable but somewhat ungainly look for a Cadillac.

The XT5's different trim levels—Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport—had slight variations in exterior styling. The Premium Luxury had ample bright chrome, while the Sport had darker trim and a mesh grille that signified performance. The Luxury and Premium Luxury models had 18-inch alloy wheels, whereas the Sport model came with standard 20-inch wheels. Cadillac also offered Onyx and Radiant styling packages.

Inside the XT5, the test vehicle felt luxurious, primarily due to the optional Platinum Package, which included semi-aniline leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped instrument panel and door trim, a microfiber sueded headliner, and a heated steering wheel. Without this option, the XT5's interior struggled to meet luxury-car standards. The interior design lacked a strong theme and brand-specific markers, trailing behind competitors like Volvo, Lincoln, and Genesis in this regard.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue's performance was hindered by its underpowered engine. Weighing nearly 3,500 pounds, its sole engine option was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, producing 181 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 181 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. This power output was adequate for everyday driving, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) did a decent job of managing the available torque. The CVT functioned well, with programmed ratios to make it feel more like a traditional automatic, and even included paddle shifters, though rarely used.

The Rogue's available all-wheel drive, 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes made it more suited for light adventuring. However, the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine felt lacking in mountainous regions. There were hints from Nissan that a more powerful, turbocharged engine might be in the Rogue's future. Switching driving modes to Sport made the SUV a bit more responsive, while Eco mode was available for those anticipating a hybrid version.

Fuel economy was decent but not remarkable; the front-wheel-drive Rogue SL achieved 27.5 mpg on a mixed driving loop, slightly below the EPA rating. Despite its lackluster engine, the Rogue impressed with its ride and handling, thanks to a robust new architecture made of 35% high-strength steel and advanced suspension systems like Brake-induced Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered two engine choices. The base 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine produced 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel, standard on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims. The optional 3.6-liter V6 engine, providing 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, came standard on the Sport trim and was available on the Premium Luxury trim. Both engines paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The V6-powered XT5 Premium Luxury test car felt reasonably quick, with linear power delivery and smooth, quick shifts from the nine-speed automatic. The "performance suspension" with adaptive dampers offered in the optional Platinum Package was more conducive to relaxed, traditional luxury driving, absorbing bumps and maintaining excellent body control without excessive bouncing or swaying.

The XT5's steering ratio was quick enough to make it feel nimble without constant corrections, adding to its luxury appeal. The cabin's quietness further enhanced the overall driving experience.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue attempted to replicate a neutral spine position through its Zero Gravity seat designs, which varied in effectiveness across different models. The new Rogue featured improved Zero Gravity seats that were more comfortable than those in the previous generation. In the S trim, the seats had cloth upholstery with a manual driver's height adjuster. The SV trim included eight-way power adjustment and optional leatherette upholstery. The SL had standard leather seats, and the Platinum trim offered premium leather.

Additional comfort features ascended with the trim levels, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats—minus ventilated seats, which were conspicuously absent. The SL and Platinum trims featured a triple-zone climate control system, while the SV had a dual-zone system, and all models came with air conditioning.

Rear-seat comfort improved over the previous generation, with generous headroom and legroom. The rear doors now opened nearly 90 degrees, facilitating easier passenger loading, though tight parking spaces could present a challenge. The Rogue could accommodate up to three child safety seats in the rear, thanks to new LATCH anchors and a rear-seat reminder system.

Nissan made efforts to reduce interior noise through aerodynamic improvements, acoustic front glass, and a thicker dashboard insulator. Storage spaces were practical, with a new electronic shifter freeing up space under the center console and door-panel pockets accommodating 32-ounce water bottles.

Cargo capacity varied slightly between trims. The Rogue S and SV offered 31.6 cubic feet of cargo space, while the SL and Platinum—with the Divide-N-Hide cargo management system—offered up to 36.5 cubic feet. Folding the rear seat provided a generous 74.1 cubic feet of space, making the Rogue one of the roomier options in its class.

In comparison, the 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered favorable interior space against its German luxury crossover competitors. The XT5 provided more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC but less than the BMW X3. Rear headroom was slightly less than all three German crossovers, though the XT5 had more legroom in both rows, albeit less front legroom than its American rival, the Lincoln Corsair.

The seats themselves were fairly comfortable but fell short of luxury standards, with narrow front cushions lacking padding and rear seats needing additional cushioning. Cadillac reported 30 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 63 cubic feet with them folded, beating the Q5, X3, and GLC but trailing the Infiniti QX50.

The XT5 incorporated practical storage solutions, like a small cubbyhole below the touchscreen for loose items, compensating for the limited space on the center console, which housed the rotary controller and shifter.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue provided a competitive infotainment package. The S trim included an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, with a six-month trial to Nissan Concierge Personal Assistant. The system had knobs for power/volume and tuning, but their small size and glossy plastic finishes could make them challenging to use. Menu shortcut buttons along the bottom of the display offered easy access to functions.

Upgrading to the SV or SL added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, and integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. NissanConnect Services included remote engine starting, automatic collision notification, vehicle speed and boundary alerts, and a car finder function, requiring subscription fees after trial periods. The SL Premium Package and Platinum trim featured a larger 9-inch touchscreen, door-to-door navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, upgraded voice recognition, and a Bose premium audio system.

Platinum trim added wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display. Overall, the infotainment system worked well despite the minor drawbacks of the stubby knobs.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. An 8-inch digital instrument cluster display and a head-up display were available as part of the optional Technology Package. While usability had improved over previous Cadillac systems, the XT5 still lagged behind other luxury brands in screen size, graphics quality, and voice recognition sophistication.

Despite the touchscreen's ease of navigation, the secondary controls were less user-friendly. The rotary controller and capacitive touchpads were not ideally placed and lacked physical feedback, making them difficult to use while driving. The optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system, part of the Technology Package, delivered excellent sound quality, enhanced by the XT5's quiet cabin.

Nissan prioritized safety in the 2021 Rogue, equipping every trim with a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) under the 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. Nissan's approach to including blind-spot warning on all trims was commendable, as it is one of the most effective ADAS features.

The Rogue also featured ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The Platinum trim added an airbag between the driver and front passenger to reduce injury potential. Adaptive cruise control, part of the ProPilot Assist system, was standard on the SV trim and above, improved with new radar and camera units for better accuracy and smoothness.

The upgraded ProPilot Assist with Navi-link technology, available with the SL Premium Package and Platinum trim, used navigation data to adjust speed for curves and freeway ramps, although some aspects of its behavior were less predictable. The increased use of high-strength steel in the Rogue's construction suggested good crash protection, though crash-test results were not yet available.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with standard safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear-cross traffic alert, front and rear park assist, automatic high-beam headlamps, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The Safety Alert Seat vibrated when a warning system was triggered. Optional packages added adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, rear automatic braking, rear pedestrian alert, a surround-view camera system, night vision, and automatic parking assist. However, the XT5 lacked Cadillac's advanced Super Cruise driver-assist system available on other models.

The XT5 received top scores in IIHS crash tests and a Superior rating for front-crash prevention with the optional enhanced automatic emergency braking. It received a Marginal rating for headlights and an Acceptable rating for LATCH anchor ease of use. The NHTSA awarded the XT5 a five-star overall safety rating.