2023 Jeep Wrangler vs 2023 Nissan Rogue

, take-no-prisoners design aesthetic, reminiscent of driving a brick with barely a curve in sight. Jeep offered the Wrangler in both two-door and four-door Unlimited configurations. Adventurous souls had the option to remove the doors and the foldable windshield for an immersive outdoor experience. Jeep added features like the Dual-Door Group with half doors for a mix of visibility and safety. Standard options included wide fenders, iconic seven-slot grille, round headlights, and old-school exterior hood latches. The tailgate swung out and the rear glass lifted effortlessly to access the cargo area. Jeep introduced bold colors like limited-edition Reign purple and the new Earl color—a gray shade tinged with aquamarine. The Wrangler's interior mirrored its exterior with practical, easy-to-clean floor mats and seats, straight lines, and minimalistic doodads, presenting a no-nonsense yet functional cabin.

Contrastingly, the 2023 Nissan Rogue featured a design aimed at broad appeal, striking a balance between ruggedness and sophisticated charm. The Rogue was available in four trims: S, SV, SL, and Platinum, offering anything from standard to premium features. The lineup maintained proper proportions and chiseled styling, ensuring that it looked the part of a modern SUV. The Platinum trim boasted luxurious touches with soft, diamond-patterned leather seats and upscale materials. The Platinum model’s two-tone paint, frameless rearview mirror, and extensive lighting options added a hint of entry-luxury sophistication.

-road prowess with solid front and rear axles, optional differential lockers, and a range of engine options. Standard Wrangler models featured a V6 engine generating 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, or a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Both engines provided the choice of an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission. Off-road aficionados might favor the 3.0-liter Ecodiesel V6 producing 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque or the exhilarating Wrangler Rubicon 392 with its 6.4-liter V8 engine unleashing 470 horsepower and torque alike. The hybrid option, Wrangler 4xe, packed 21 miles of all-electric range, thanks to its 17.3 kWh battery pack and two electric motors. Our V8-powered 392 tester lunged from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds but fell short on-road with its vague steering and insufficient brakes.

By contrast, the 2023 Nissan Rogue's current-generation model, equipped with Nissan's 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder VC-Turbo engine, provided 201 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 225 pound-feet of torque from 2,800 rpm to 4,000 rpm. It featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and several driving modes, including Eco, Sport, and Auto. AWD models added Off-Road and Snow modes. The VC-Turbo powertrain trumped its predecessor in responsiveness, though drivers noted its peculiar engine note and intermittent pedal vibration. Despite its promising EPA rating of 31 mpg, practical use topped out at 28.9 mpg. The Rogue's brake-induced cornering enhancements, Intelligent Trace Control, and Active Ride Control contributed to stable and compliant driving, although its steering lacked the precision of an engaging driver experience.

Inside the 2023 Jeep Wrangler, the front seats offered satisfactory comfort, with optional heated seats available in specific trims or packages. The rear seat, accommodating three in the four-door model, felt cramped, and tight rear door openings made ingress and egress challenging. Interior storage lacked spaciousness, with small glove boxes, center consoles, and no substantial cubby space on the flat dash. Cargo capacity was 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Various top options provided freedom ranging from a complete hard-top removal to the Sky One-Touch power soft top, which opened in 17 seconds. For connectivity, the Wrangler featured two USB-A and USB-C ports both front and rear, multiple 12-volt outlets, and a 115-volt outlet in the center console.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue, designed as a practical family SUV, impressed with its roomy and user-friendly interior. Four people fit comfortably, and five if needed. The Platinum trim provided luxurious touches like heated seats with Zero Gravity design, a heated steering wheel, and diamond-stitched semi-aniline leather seats. Visibility was improved with large mirrors and thin windshield pillars, though some ergonomic quirks, like the key fob's obscure button identifiers, detracted from convenience. Rear seats provided ample space and featured air vents, climate controls, and USB ports. Cargo capacity stood at 36.5 cubic feet with the seats up and expanded to 74.1 cubic feet with seats down, enhanced by the Divide-N-Hide system, underfloor storage, and remote fold-down levers.

-inch touchscreen and the Uconnect system, but our tester sported an 8.4-inch screen. The system, while initially overwhelming, offered intuitive navigation with various off-road pages providing critical vehicle data. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrated smoothly, and the off-road dedicated camera and auxiliary switches added functional value. However, no digital key or comprehensive over-the-air updates for vehicle performance were present.

Conversely, the 2023 Nissan Rogue stuck with a slightly older infotainment system featuring a standard 8-inch or an optional 9-inch touchscreen. The Platinum trim included Bluetooth, satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and an app-connected navigation system, although Alexa Built-in struggled with voice recognition accuracy during tests. The Rogue also came with a wireless charging pad, a robust Bose audio system, and a 12.3-inch digital display paired with an effective HUD. Future updates to incorporate wide-screen technology seemed necessary to keep the Rogue competitive in the tech-smart segment.

Safety features on the 2023 Jeep Wrangler were sparse outside mandatory equipment like a rearview camera, roll mitigation, and stability control. Advanced safety options such as blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control came standard only on the 392 model. Jeep allowed customization for warning settings, but lane-keeping assist remained absent. The IIHS awarded some trims Good and others Marginal ratings, with a Poor rating for specific headlights. The NHTSA rated the Wrangler four stars for frontal crash and three for rollover but hadn’t rated it for side crashes.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue excelled in safety with standard features like 10 airbags, Safety Shield 360 suite, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure warning. Enhanced safety measures included ProPilot Assist with Navi-link, providing adaptive cruise control with lane-centering. Notably, the Rogue earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, despite a Marginal score in updated small overlap frontal tests and an Acceptable score in side impacts. The NHTSA awarded the Rogue a five-star overall rating, with four-star ratings for driver and passenger frontal impacts.