2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer had an appealing aesthetic, often described as a mini version of the Chevrolet Blazer midsize crossover. Its design struck a balance between SUV toughness without veering into caricature territory, thanks to intricate headlight and taillight elements and the addition of dark chrome trim, giving it a more upscale appearance. The Activ and RS models each had unique styling features; the Activ model targeted a rugged look with a model-specific front fascia, faux skid plate for enhanced ground clearance, standard roof rails, and chunky Hankook Sport Terrain 17-inch tires. Meanwhile, the RS model focused on a sporty aesthetic with blacked-out exterior trim, a mesh grille, dual exhaust outlets with chrome tips, and an optional panoramic sunroof.

Both RS and Activ models offered standard contrasting roofs in red, black, or white, depending on the chosen exterior color, bringing a distinctive and retro look. For instance, the combination of a white roof and Nitro Yellow paint on the Trailblazer Activ tester stood out, though this feature wasn’t unique to Chevrolet as brands like Hyundai, Kia, and Nissan also offered contrasting roofs on their subcompact crossovers.

Inside, the Trailblazer Activ showcased a mix of leather-wrapped steering wheels, leatherette upholstery, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat, albeit without a power-adjustable front passenger seat. Despite a mix of copper-toned and sparkly black plastic trim with gray seat inserts, which made the interior design eclectic, it did lend a bit of personality to the otherwise predominantly black cabin. While not shouting “outdoor adventure,” the design elements like the grab handles around the center console and the creased look of the dashboard and air vents made it distinctive.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue, however, had its first major styling update since its 2021-model-year launch. The lineup of trim levels (S, SV, SL, and Platinum) remained unchanged, but it presented a new, larger grille nicely blending with the stack headlights and daytime running lights, one of the Rogue’s distinctive features. The rear fascia was subtly updated with redesigned inner taillight elements, along with satin-finish exterior badging and new wheel designs—18-inch wheels for the Rogue SV and 19-inch machined-finish wheels for the Platinum grade, which also got more black exterior trim and an optional black roof.

Internally, Nissan updated the dashboard to accommodate a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, giving the Rogue a more premium feel. The Rogue SV models received new materials across the interior, including door panels, seats, center console, and dashboard, enhancing the overall aesthetic. The upscale design of the Rogue Platinum test car felt befitting of its top-tier status, with leather seats featuring quilted stitching and a new Chestnut brown color available for 2024. Unlike some competitors, the Rogue’s leather upholstery felt high-quality and wasn’t out of place in its nicely appointed cabin.

When it came to performance, the 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX from Chevrolet’s sibling General Motors brand. It came with a standard 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, while the optional 1.3-liter turbo-three increased output to 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. The 1.2-liter engine was available only with front-wheel drive (FWD), whereas the 1.3-liter engine could be paired with either FWD or all-wheel drive (AWD). The transmissions varied based on drivetrain: FWD models had a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while AWD models featured a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Our Activ test car came with AWD, a nine-speed automatic, and the 1.3-liter engine. This combination felt more pleasant in the Trailblazer compared to the Encore GX, with the Chevy delivering a decent amount of thrust regardless of throttle input, accompanied by a satisfying exhaust note. However, the nine-speed automatic’s lack of refinement was noticeable with a few rough shifts.

Activ models were designed with dampers tuned for better performance on gravel roads, though they also worked well on paved roads. The Trailblazer exhibited the typical body roll of a high-riding vehicle not specifically tuned for sporty driving, yet it managed to feel composed and nimble. While ride quality was generally good, there was some noticeable bouncing over certain road imperfections, potentially due to the damper tuning.

In contrast, the 2024 Nissan Rogue's powertrain was built around a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that varied its compression ratio for either power or fuel economy, known as a VC-Turbo engine. Despite having one less cylinder than the competition, it delivered 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, outperforming its rivals’ non-hybrid powertrains. The engine was more powerful than the Honda CR-V’s 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the Subaru Forester’s 2.5-liter boxer-four, and even the Toyota RAV4’s 2.5-liter inline-four in terms of torque.

However, the rest of the Rogue's driving experience didn’t match the engine’s prowess. The standard continuously variable transmission (CVT) lagged in efficiency, making the vehicle slow to respond even when the engine was eager to deliver. Like most small crossovers, the Rogue came standard with front-wheel drive (FWD) and offered all-wheel drive (AWD) as an option. The Rogue's ride quality was compromised by a firmer suspension, which degraded comfort without apparent handling benefits, although it managed to maintain a quiet cabin.

In terms of form and function, the 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer was one of the smallest SUVs on the market but still substantial. It was 3.4 inches wider and an inch taller than the original 1999 Chevy S-10 Blazer four-door—the first vehicle to carry the Trailblazer name—though it was almost 10 inches shorter in overall length. Modern packaging efficiencies allowed the 2023 Trailblazer to have a wheelbase about three inches longer than the S-10 Blazer, benefiting passenger space.

The Trailblazer offered decent utility compared to rivals, matching the Kia Seltos on front and rear headroom, with mid-pack legroom. It outshone the Buick Encore GX in rear legroom and headroom. The Trailblazer's seats were generally comfortable, although long road trips in the back seats with their relatively flat cushions might be less so. With 25.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 54.4 cubic feet with the 60/40-split rear seats folded, the Trailblazer held its ground in the segment, although it fell behind the Kia Seltos and wasn’t as spacious as the Honda HR-V’s redesigned model.

For small-item storage, the Trailblazer featured a covered storage bin, a deep tray, cupholders, a phone storage tray, and a curious small carve-out above the dashboard, which seemed impractical since items could easily fly into the passenger’s face if the driver braked hard.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue, on the other hand, was a fierce competitor in the compact crossover segment, offering nearly identical passenger space across both rows compared to its rivals. The primary differentiating factor was legroom, with the Subaru Forester offering more in the first row and the Hyundai Tucson providing appreciably more in the second row.

Cargo space was another battleground. The Rogue's 36.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 74.1 cubic feet with them folded offered less space than the Honda CR-V or Hyundai Tucson but more than the Subaru Forester. Notably, the Rogue offered an optional Divide-N-Hide system, allowing drivers to choose between a flat cargo floor with hidden storage or a lower floor to maximize height. This system added flexibility for different cargo needs, complemented by a molded-in space for grocery bags and available power and motion-activated liftgates on higher trim levels.

Up front, the Rogue’s center console included a pass-through space for additional storage, and while it featured a floor-level tray for items, accessing it was a bit awkward, and items placed there could be easily forgotten.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Optional tech included an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a Bose audio system, rear-seat USB ports, and wireless phone charging. However, even with these options, tech-savvy buyers might have felt underwhelmed due to the smaller screen sizes compared to current standards.

The 8-inch touchscreen, though, fit well with the Trailblazer’s dashboard without compromising usability. The screen space provided large, easy-to-read graphics and logical menus, with most functions accessible within a few taps. The combination of an analog gauge and a smaller instrument cluster screen proved effective for conveying necessary information.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue, on the other hand, saw a more advanced technological offering. Lower-level Rogue S and SV models featured an 8-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, while higher-level SL and Platinum models sported a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Amazon Alexa connectivity, and new Google built-in apps.

The Rogue was the first Nissan to integrate Google built-in, offering Google Maps, Google Assistant voice control, and the Google Play app store within the vehicle’s system. However, connectivity was free for only five years, with third-party app downloads requiring a data plan from the start. The dual 12.3-inch screens offered a notable improvement in graphics and menu navigation, though the infotainment boot-up time in the test car was slow, likely due to it being a pre-production model.

Additionally, Nissan provided ample charging options, with two standard USB-C ports on the base model, and further charge-only USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad on higher trims. The Nissan Connect Services free trial period was extended to three years for enhanced smartphone connectivity features, aside from the base model.

In terms of safety, the 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer was well-equipped with standard features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a Teen Driver system for parental control over young drivers. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

The Trailblazer received high safety accolades, including the 2022 Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with top ratings in all crash tests and high marks for front-crash prevention tech. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded it a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover testing.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue also boasted strong safety credentials, with top IIHS ratings in small-overlap front crash tests, the moderate-overlap front test, and the original side-impact test. It received an "Acceptable" rating in the updated side-impact test, and a "Good" headlight rating. The NHTSA also gave the 2024 Rogue a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in side crash tests and four stars in frontal and rollover tests.

Standard safety features on the Rogue included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic emergency braking. Higher trims offered adaptive cruise control and ProPilot Assist, an advanced driver assistance system that added automated lane centering and proactive slowing for curves and interchanges using the navigation system.