2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2022 Nissan Rogue

The 2022 Nissan Rogue, a staple in Nissan's lineup since 2007, continued to impress with its mature and sophisticated design. The exterior featured Nissan’s V-motion grille, multi-level LED headlights, and a sleek floating roof illusion. Inside, the Rogue boasted a layered dash with contrasting colors and surfaces, an electronic gear selector lever, and a spacious center console. The Zero Gravity bucket-style front seats and roomy second row added to its appeal, making it a comfortable choice for families and commuters alike.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe maintained a more conservative exterior design, with its wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights being the most distinctive elements. The Calligraphy AWD trim, with its black-on-black interior, offered a high-quality look and feel, though it was somewhat dark and monotone. The Nappa leather seats were both comfortable and attractive, with heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats adding to the overall comfort. The Santa Fe's cabin was well-equipped, but the black interior could benefit from a bit more visual contrast.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue saw a significant performance boost with its new 1.5-liter VC-Turbo engine, producing 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. This was an 11% increase in horsepower and a 24% increase in torque compared to the previous model. The engine's variable compression technology allowed for a balance between power and efficiency, achieving an impressive 30 mpg city/37 mpg highway/33 mpg combined. The new CVT transmission provided smooth acceleration and responsive passing power, while the chassis and suspension delivered a controlled ride with minimal body roll.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine with 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged version with 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged engine, paired with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission, provided brisk acceleration and smooth performance. The Santa Fe's drive-mode selector allowed for customizable driving experiences, and the handling was smooth with minimal body lean. The turbocharged version could tow up to 3,500 pounds, making it a versatile choice for those needing extra power and towing capability.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue excelled in interior space and storage options. The front cabin featured numerous storage compartments, including bottle holders, cupholders, a glove compartment, a center console bin, and more. Rear-seat passengers had ample legroom and storage options, with USB-A and USB-C charge-only ports. The cargo area offered 31.6-36.5 cubic feet of space, expandable to 74.1 cubic feet with the second row folded flat.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, provided generous rear-seat legroom of 41.7 inches and a competitive 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. Folding the second row down expanded the cargo space to 72.1 cubic feet. The Santa Fe's cabin featured comfortable seats, dual-zone climate control, a hands-free smart liftgate, and a panoramic sunroof. However, the wide center console slightly reduced driver leg and hip space, and the high seating position could push drivers closer to the steering wheel.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue came equipped with advanced technology, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 9-inch center infotainment touchscreen, and a 10.8-inch head-up display on upper trims. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, with wireless Apple CarPlay available on higher trims. ProPilot Assist, Nissan’s hands-on driver-assist technology, was available and integrated with the navigation system for predictive speed control.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, offering a 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims. The base SE trim featured an 8-inch display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims had a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. The voice-recognition system had mixed results, but the infotainment system's customization capabilities were impressive.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue featured the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of safety technologies, including automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking. ProPilot Assist provided advanced driver-assist capabilities, and the Rogue received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for the 2021 model.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and more. Highway Driving Assist was standard on SEL and above trims. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for the 2022 calendar year.