2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2022 Lincoln Navigator

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 new Rogue a modern aesthetic, with all trim levels featuring aluminum wheels up to 19 inches in diameter. The optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment gave the SUV a custom look.

Four versions of the new Rogue were available, starting with the Rogue S at $25,650 and going up to the Rogue Platinum at $35,430, which included semi-aniline quilted leather and other upscale amenities. Our test vehicle, a Rogue SL, came with the Premium Package, extra-cost paint, floor mats, and a cargo area protection package, totaling $35,195. The interior featured an Almond color leather and a standard panoramic glass sunroof, emphasizing its improved roominess. Abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars lent a sense of quality to the cabin. The Platinum trim offered a luxurious look with quilted semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator received subtle styling changes, including new headlights and taillights, different wheel designs with a 20-inch design now standard, and an updated Lincoln Embrace nighttime welcome illumination sequence. The front end was restyled, featuring an Audi-esque grille with the Lincoln star and chrome detailing, which resulted in less elegance and presence than before. Despite this, the remainder of the Navigator’s changes for 2022 rendered the new grille a footnote to an otherwise successful update.

Inside, the Navigator dazzled occupants with quality materials and mid-century modern design, featuring Lincoln’s Constellation instrumentation and infotainment display theme. The new Sync 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen display, digital instrumentation, and widescreen HUD kept the Navigator competitive in the screen size race. The Navigator continued in standard and long-wheelbase styles with Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trim levels, starting at $78,405. Our test vehicle, a Navigator Black Label in the new Central Park theme, had a total sticker price of $106,530, including destination charges.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue needed more power, as its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produced 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, which was adequate for daily driving but felt sapped of energy during adventurous drives. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) did a decent job of leveraging the available torque, and the SUV offered all-wheel drive, up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes. The tested Rogue SL with front-wheel drive achieved 27.5 mpg, slightly below the official EPA rating.

Nissan's new architecture, composed of 35% high-strength steel, provided a robust foundation for the Rogue, which used a strut front and multi-link rear suspension. Brake-induced Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control systems enhanced the suspension, while Vehicle Motion Control debuted to predictively anticipate ways to improve the drive. The Rogue's new steering, with electric assist moved to the steering rack and a quickened ratio, resulted in dramatically improved steering feel over the previous generation.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator retained its twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and available in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. The Navigator's towing capacity ranged between 8,100 and 8,700 pounds, depending on wheelbase and drivetrain selections. The new Road Preview feature identified bumps and potholes ahead, preparing the suspension for appropriate damping forces.

The Navigator's adaptive-damping suspension and new electronic brake booster improved ride quality and brake response. During a drive from Scottsdale to Payson, the Navigator's twin-turbo effortlessly climbed past the snow line, and the SUV handled snow and mud conditions with ease due to its four-wheel drive, 9.7 inches of ground clearance, and appropriate driving mode. The Navigator 4WD achieved 18.6 mpg during the test drive, slightly above the EPA rating.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue featured Zero Gravity seat designs, which were comfortable and varied in effectiveness depending on the vehicle. The new Rogue had improved Zero Gravity seats, with cloth upholstery and manual driver's height adjuster in S trim, eight-way power adjustment and leatherette upholstery in SV trim, standard leather in SL trim, and premium leather in Platinum trim. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats were available, but ventilated seats were not offered.

The Rogue's interior was quieter due to aerodynamic improvements, acoustic front glass, and a thicker dashboard insulator. Storage was usefully sized and located, with a new electronic shifter freeing up space under the center console and door-panel pockets accommodating 32-ounce water bottles. The Rogue offered 31.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity in S and SV trims, and up to 36.5 cubic feet with the Divide-N-Hide cargo management system in SL and Platinum trims. The maximum cargo volume was 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator's 30-way power-adjustable front seats were exceptionally comfortable, with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. The second-row captain’s chairs were also heated, ventilated, and massaging, with an updated Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system. Third-row passengers enjoyed roomy accommodations on a supportive seat, with the Navigator offering a habitable third-row seat since 2005.

Storage and cargo space were generous, with the Navigator carrying 19.3 cubic feet of cargo behind the third-row seat (34.3 cubic feet for Navigator L). Folding the third-row seat down provided 57.5 cubic feet of cargo volume (73.3 in Navigator L), and the maximum volume with the second-row seats collapsed was 103.3 cubic feet (120.2 cubic feet in Navigator L).

The 2021 Nissan Rogue offered a competitive infotainment package, with an 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto in S trim. The SV and SL trims added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, and Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration. The SL Premium Package and Platinum trim included a 9-inch touchscreen display, door-to-door navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, an upgraded voice recognition system, and a Bose premium audio system. The Platinum trim also featured wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator received a new Sync 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen display, supporting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The system featured two data panels for viewing navigation and music details simultaneously. The Navigator also had a new 28-speaker Revel 3D high-end audio system and an upgraded Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system with Amazon Fire TV, providing access to streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue came equipped with a comprehensive collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) under the Nissan Safety Shield 360 umbrella, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert. The Rogue also had ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The SV trim and above included ProPilot Assist with adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance, with an upgraded version available in the SL Premium Package and Platinum trim.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator introduced several new driver assistance systems, including Intersection Assist, Road Edge Detection, Active Park Assist 2.0, and ActiveGlide. Intersection Assist could automatically brake during unsafe movements, while Road Edge Detection steered the SUV away from the road edge. Active Park Assist 2.0 took complete control of the SUV for parking, and ActiveGlide provided semi-autonomous, hands-free driving on approved highways. The Navigator also featured a surround-view camera system.