2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid was positioned as an affordable yet electrified SUV, with its base model, the Sport Hybrid, starting at $33,700. The Sport-L Hybrid, an upgrade with a more luxurious interior, was listed at $36,700, while the range-topping Sport Touring Hybrid came in at $39,850. Our test of the Sport Touring Hybrid, characterized by its Canyon River Blue paint and lack of optional accessories, culminated in a pricier MSRP of $41,175 after adding the $1,325 destination charge.

This CR-V featured a design that leaned towards conservative with a technical front resembling an "angry robot," though some might have considered it visually heavy around the front wheels. Notably, the "tusks" framing the lower air intake detracted from its aesthetic appeal. The best visual aspect of the CR-V was arguably from the rear quarter, where its Volvo-esque taillights and a clean design lent it an upscale appearance. However, despite some exclusive details like the 19-inch gloss black wheels, these features could seem understated against darker paint colors.

Inside, the Sport Touring Hybrid exuded sophistication, featuring leather seats with orange contrast stitching and numerous quality details. The cabin’s quality could be felt in everything from the sound of the doors shutting to the soft-touch upper dashboard, metal mesh over the air vents, and the knurled metallic trim on the knobs.

Conversely, the first major styling update for the current-generation 2024 Nissan Rogue brought a distinctive look. Starting from a new, larger grille that blended well with its stack headlights and daytime running lights, the Rogue's façade was attention-grabbing. The updates extended to the rear fascia, which featured redesigned inner taillight elements. Top trims like the Rogue Platinum received additional black exterior trim, an optional black roof, and a new machined-finish for the 19-inch wheels.

Inside, the Rogue Platinum offered a significantly premium feel. New-for-2024, this trim included a revamped dashboard to house a larger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, complemented by thoughtful design touches like new interior materials across various surfaces. Features like quilted leather seats in a new Chestnut brown color added to its sense of luxury.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid ran on Honda’s fourth-generation two-motor hybrid drive system, featuring a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors. This system was complicated, with the gasoline engine sometimes working as a generator, sometimes powering the SUV directly. Despite the complexity, it delivered 204 horsepower efficiently to the front or all four wheels.

However, real-world performance did not match the EPA's promise of 37 mpg in combined driving. On a mountainous Southern California testing loop, our CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid managed only 32.4 mpg. Comparatively, the non-hybrid CR-V EX-L we tested previously got 29.1 mpg on the same route. Nonetheless, the CR-V Hybrid offered a comfortable ride quality, predictable handling, and strong braking though the steering effort felt unusually heavy even in normal mode.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue’s powertrain featured a unique 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with VC-Turbo technology, allowing it to vary its compression ratio. This engine produced an impressive 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, outperforming many of its competitors' engines in terms of power and torque.

However, the Rogue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) detracted from this powerful engine’s potential. The CVT was sluggish at delivering power to the wheels. Despite being equipped as an all-wheel or front-wheel drive, the vehicle's overall driving dynamics left much to be desired. The Rogue’s suspension felt stiffer than usual without providing any handling advantage. But it remained quiet on the road, which contributed to a more pleasant driving experience.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid excelled in interior functionality. The CR-V Sport Hybrid featured high-quality materials and a well-laid-out cabin. The 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat offered excellent support, mimicking a baseball mitt's cradle. The front passenger seat mirrored this design but lacked the same range of adjustments in lower trims. The test vehicle also included heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, with dual-zone climate control available on all hybrid models.

The wide-opening rear doors facilitated easy entry and exit, and the comfortable back seats made it a practical choice for families, especially those with young children using car seats. The rear offered 36.3 cu-ft of cargo space, expandable to 76.5 cu-ft with the seats folded, making for ample storage capacity.

In comparison, the Nissan Rogue offered nearly identical passenger space to other competitors in its class, with some variations in legroom. The Rogue’s maximum cargo capacity was slightly lower at 36.5 cu-ft with seats in place and 74.1 cu-ft with seats folded. However, it featured the practical Divide-N-Hide system allowing drivers to configure cargo space between a flat floor with hidden storage or a lowered floor for more vertical space. The cargo area also incorporated useful design features like a space for grocery bags and an accessible power liftgate.

Upfront, the Rogue's center console provided additional storage flexibility, but its lower-level storage tray felt awkward to access and prone to causing items to be forgotten.

Honda equipped the CR-V Sport Hybrid with a 7-inch digital instrument panel and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, both of which fell short of being impressive. Fans of larger screens could opt for a 9-inch display but only in upper trims. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a competitive sound system were reserved for the Sport-L and Sport Touring trims. The infotainment system on the Sport Touring test vehicle performed well, especially in pairing with Apple CarPlay, and came with a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. However, its voice recognition system felt dated and struggled with conversational commands.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue, however, took strides in integrating advanced technology. Lower-level S and SV models came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The higher SL and Platinum trims featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen and instrument cluster, Google built-in apps, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Platinum trim introduced a dual 12.3-inch screen setup, making navigation and control much more intuitive.

In addition, the Rogue boasted plenty of charging options, including two standard USB-C ports, additional rear charging ports on higher trims, and a standard wireless device charging pad on the SL and Platinum models. Free trial access to Nissan Connect Services, extended to three years, enabled features such as remote door lock/unlock, remote engine start/stop, and vehicle health reports.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid came loaded with Honda Sensing, a package of advanced driving assistance systems. This included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, and a driver monitoring system, among other features. Added safety rested in the inclusion of blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors, and automatic high-beam headlights.

In real-world testing, Honda Sensing proved remarkably effective. Adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist performed smoothly and accurately. The system's only falter was on a specific curved section of a freeway, but otherwise, it was consistently reliable.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue earned solid safety ratings. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) granted it top ratings in several crash tests and an "Acceptable" rating in the updated side-impact test. It also earned a top headlight rating. The NHTSA awarded the Rogue a five-star overall safety rating, including five stars in side crash tests.

The Rogue boasted a comprehensive suite of driver assist features including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, which provided adaptive cruise control together with automated lane centering.