2022 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2021 Nissan Rogue

The 2021 Nissan Rogue sported a handsome new styling with a more technical appearance, making it look more like an SUV than a car. Dark gray plastic cladding covered the Rogue's lower perimeter, and bold, simulated skid plates and lower door protection conveyed a ruggedness that was perhaps too audacious on the SUV's back bumper. Clean LED lighting elements, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proper proportioning lent the Rogue a modern aesthetic, with all trim levels featuring aluminum wheels up to 19 inches in diameter. Optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment gave the SUV a custom look.

Inside, the Rogue's Almond color leather interior and standard panoramic glass sunroof emphasized its improved roominess. Abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars lent a sense of quality to the cabin. Nissan arranged the controls in a clean and logical fashion, and the Platinum trim offered quilted semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting for a luxurious feel. Despite the old-school digital clock appearance of the climate control panel numbers and the presence of a CD player, the Rogue was technologically up-to-date with wireless Apple CarPlay.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban shared its exterior styling with the shorter Tahoe SUV and the Silverado 1500 pickup, giving it a supersized appearance with a tall hood, long proportions, and large wheels. Grille, fascia, and wheel designs varied by trim level, offering buyers a fair degree of customization. Our RST test vehicle featured a Cherry Red Tintcoat exterior and 22-inch bright-machined black-painted wheels, giving it a sporty look with its monochromatic black grille and RST-specific badging.

Inside, the Suburban offered a spacious cabin ranging from economically comfortable on the base LS trim to downright plush on the top-spec High Country. Leather seats were standard starting on the LT, with material quality increasing with the price. Our RST tester had 10-way power driver and front passenger seats, bright sill plates, and Jet Black perforated leather seats with Victory Red stitching. The optional Luxury package added heated second-row outboard seats. However, the predominantly black interior made the cabin feel a bit dark despite the chrome sill plates and red seat stitching.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue needed more power, with its only engine choice being a direct-injected 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 181 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 181 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. This output was adequate for typical daily-driver use, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) did a decent job of leveraging the available torque. The Rogue's ride and handling were commendable, thanks to a new, more robust architecture composed of 35% high-strength steel, a strut front, multi-link rear suspension, and various control systems.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered three engine choices: a 5.3-liter V8 producing 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, a 6.2-liter V8 producing 420 hp and 460 lb-ft, and a new-for-2022 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six producing 277 hp and 460 lb-ft. All engines mated with a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Our RST test vehicle had the 6.2-liter V8, part of the $3,815 Sport Performance package, which included Magnetic Ride Control and dual exhaust tips. The Suburban's maximum towing capacity was 8,300 pounds, and it performed admirably during an 80-mile tow test.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue featured Zero Gravity seat designs, which were comfortable and improved over the previous generation. The Rogue's interior offered generous rear-seat headroom and legroom, with rear doors opening to a nearly 90-degree angle for easy loading. The SUV could accommodate up to three child safety seats, and Nissan took strides to reduce interior noise. Storage was usefully sized and located, with a power rear liftgate and a Divide-N-Hide cargo management system in the SL and Platinum trims. The Rogue offered 31.6 to 36.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban excelled in space, with the ability to hold up to nine occupants with the optional front-row bench seat. Most Suburbans offered seven- or eight-passenger seating, with a livable third row. The Suburban had 41.5 cubic feet of space behind the third row, expanding to 144.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The second-row seats slid forward or backward up to 5.5 inches, and both rows folded flat with a lever or button. The Suburban's size and mass made it challenging to maneuver and park in tight spaces, and it might not fit in some garages due to its height.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue offered a competitive infotainment package with an 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Higher trims added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration, and a larger 9-inch touchscreen display with a Bose premium audio system. The Platinum trim included wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban featured a surprising level of tech, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster standard on LT and above. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with an 8-inch touchscreen was standard on the LS, while a 10.2-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium System was standard on LT and above. Wireless device charging and a WiFi hotspot were standard on LT and above. The Suburban LS had a basic six-speaker audio system, while the LT and above had a nine-speaker Bose audio system, with a 10-speaker Bose Surround system available on Premier and High Country.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue came equipped with a comprehensive collection 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. The Rogue also featured ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. Higher trims added ProPilot Assist with Navi-link technology, which used navigation map data and GPS coordinates to adjust speed for curves and freeway junctions.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban included the Chevy Safety Assist suite, with features such as automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, front pedestrian braking, rear park assist, and an HD rear-vision camera. For 2022, front park assist, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-departure warning were added as standard features. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, HD surround vision, rear pedestrian alert, reverse automatic braking, lane-changing assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and a head-up display. The Suburban received an overall rating of four out of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).