Nissan Rogue vs Audi Q5

The 2025 Nissan Rogue is one of the main players in the highly competitive compact SUV segment. Ever since the first Rogue went on sale for the 2008 model year, Nissan has made sure to constantly update and improve what’s now the automaker’s best-selling model in the U.S.

For the 2025 model year, the Rogue gets a little off-road bravado added to its winning recipe. The Rogue Rock Creek trim is equipped with adventure gear like all-wheel drive (AWD), all-terrain tires, a tubular roof rack, a surround-view camera system, and hill-descent control. It also has trim-specific exterior design touches like red trim pieces on the alloy wheels and front grille and “Rock Creek” badges on the front seats. Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 2.1 highway driving assist system is also newly available on the Rogue.

Verdict: With its reasonable price tag and impressive array of comfort features and tech touches, the Rogue is aimed right at the heart of the compact SUV segment. This year’s improvements add a little more polish to the Rogue, particularly with the outdoorsy Rock Creek model and latest generation of Nissan’s hands-free highway driving technology. This is an extremely well-rounded choice, though not everything is perfect.

Summary: Arriving midway through the model year, the 2025 Audi Q5 compact SUV marks the first redesign of the German luxury brand’s bestselling model since model year 2018. That redesign brings Audi’s current design language and tech suite, helping the Q5 keep pace with more recently-updated rivals like the BMW X3, Lexus NX, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.

Verdict: There’s plenty to like about the new Q5, but it’s far from the definitive small luxury SUV.