Subaru Crosstrek Vs. Nissan Rogue: Which is Better? | GetJerry.com (2023)

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek is a subcompact crossover, while the Nissan Rogue occupies the “compact” category, one size up. Since it’s a bigger, more capable vehicle, the 2023 Nissan Rogue comes at a higher price than the Crosstrek.

While there are plenty of similarities between these little SUV models, there’s a lot that distinguishes each. For example, for about the same price as an all-gas Nissan Rogue Platinum, you can get a super-efficient Subaru Crosstrek with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Thanks to its larger size and more powerful engine, the Nissan Rogue occupies a bit higher of a price point than the Subaru Crosstrek. The Rogue starts at $28,655, but you can get a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek for only $24,870.

Here’s a more detailed look at the prices of each trim level on the two models. While both top out around the same point, note that the Crosstrek’s Hybrid upgrade adds $7,000 to the next highest Crosstrek trim.

Naturally, when you’re buying a new vehicle, you need to consider not just the initial cash price of the vehicle, but also the long-term ownership costs associated with it. We’re talking about things like fuel, maintenance, and insurance costs.

Edmunds evaluates five-year ownership costs of vehicles. While a base model 2023 Subaru Crosstrek with CVT transmission has a five-year ownership cost of $41,512, the 2022 Nissan Rogue S gets a rating of $46,353.

You’ll spend less on gas with a Nissan Rogue, but the Rogue will depreciate in value quite a bit faster than the Subaru Crosstrek.

So how much separates these two vehicles in terms of insurance costs?

Ultimately, your car insurance will cost about the same with either of these vehicles. This means that the Nissan Rogue offers a larger, more powerful package, but costs the same amount to insure as a smaller Subaru crossover.

While insurance prices for the Rogue are attractive considering it’s a size up from the Crosstrek, the Rogue’s resale value will depreciate quite a bit faster than the Crosstrek’s. According to Edmunds, you’ll lose $12,657 to depreciation over five years of owning a 2022 Nissan Rogue, while a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek will only depreciate by an estimate of $7,914.

While the Nissan Rogue is ever-so-slightly better on gas, the award for best overall affordability and value goes to the Subaru Crosstrek.

In terms of the overall package, there’s a lot to love about both the Crosstrek and the Rogue, but neither is going to be particularly impressive to driving enthusiasts. Let’s take a detailed look at how these two crossovers measure up in terms of key specs and features.

Both models have seating for up to five passengers, but passengers will have a bit more space in the Rogue. There’s also quite a bit more cargo space available in the Nissan Rogue.

Let’s look at the interior and exterior dimensions of each contender:

The Nissan Rogue’s fuel-sipping 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine manages to offer more power than any of the Subaru Crosstrek’s engine options. This engine gets 201 horsepower @ 5,600 RPM and 225 pound-feet of torque @ 2,800-4,000 rpm.

The Crosstrek gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque as its base engine. With this amount of power, the little Crosstrek is still able to tow a maximum of 1,500 pounds, the same amount as the Nissan Rogue.

Neither of these vehicles has impressive acceleration. The fastest Nissan Rogue can hit 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds, while the Crosstrek takes longer than eight seconds to get there.

Subarus aren’t exactly known for class-topping fuel economy specs. Despite being lighter and lower-powered, they still get similar fuel economy to the larger Nissan Rogue.

The most efficient Nissan Rogues are the FWD S and SV trims. These models get 30 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. AWD and higher trims only lose about one or two mpg in comparison.

The gas-only Subaru Crosstrek models are most efficient with automatic transmission. With the regular 2.0-liter engine, it gets 28 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, while the 2.5-liter engine is rated at 27/34 mpg.

However, if you opt for a Crosstrek Hybrid, you’ll have access to 17 miles of EV range at 90 MPGe, and a combined hybrid fuel economy of 35 mpg.

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek earned a 2022 Top Safety Pick award from the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but the 2022 Nissan Rogue was given a coveted Top Safety Pick+ designation (we’re still waiting on 2023 ratings).

The Nissan Rogue isn’t plagued with the same safety concerns associated with high beams on the Subaru Crosstrek, and since the manual transmission is technically standard for the Crosstrek, it only gets winning marks if it’s equipped with the CVT transmission that includes crash-prevention tech otherwise standard on a Nissan Rogue.

The Nissan Rogue comes standard with a generous offering of driver-assist safety features that are becoming ever more common on small SUVs. These include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and blind-spot monitoring.

The Crosstrek gets all of the features of Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite as long as you get a version with CVT transmission. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking are included here.

In terms of infotainment, the Subaru Crosstrek comes with a standard 6.5-inch Starlink system that can link to Apple and Android smartphones. The Rogue has the same connectivity ability, but it gets an 8-inch screen as the standard size.

On the other hand, the Crosstrek focuses less on safety features as you go up the list of options. There’s available navigation, a heated steering wheel, an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, and a power moonroof, in addition to a larger 8-inch screen.

The Crosstrek is quiet despite its CVT, and its suspension is forgiving enough for a smooth, comfort-focused ride. However, it ends up being a bit too soft when it comes to dealing with hard corners and winding roads—passengers might find themselves sliding in their seats a bit. In terms of interior quality, anything resembling “luxury,” is reserved for the highest trims, but lower trim materials are acceptable.

The Nissan Rogue offers better interior quality and more comfort overall, thanks to more supportive seats, more material choices at lower trim levels, and a more confident demeanor on tight corners. Passengers will also have more space in the Rogue. The 2023 Rogue also does a fantastic job of prioritizing cargo space.

Overall, the 2023 Nissan Rogue’s higher price tag is justified based on the full package that it offers, especially if cargo space and fuel efficiency are both priorities. The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek offers a great smaller alternative if you need the same amount of towing capability in a smaller package.

If you want a smaller, cheaper crossover, the Crosstrek will do the trick, but if we had to choose one or the other, the Nissan Rogue is a more desirable vehicle overall.

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