2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer presented itself as a compact yet robust SUV, echoing the design cues of its larger sibling, the Chevrolet Blazer. It managed to strike a balance between ruggedness and sophistication, with intricate lighting elements and dark chrome trim enhancing its upscale appearance. The Activ and RS models offered unique styling touches, with the Activ model featuring a rugged front fascia and roof rails, while the RS model boasted a sportier look with blacked-out trim and dual exhaust outlets. The contrasting roof options added a distinctive flair, making the Trailblazer stand out in the subcompact crossover segment.

Inside, the Trailblazer's cabin was a mix of practicality and style. The Activ model featured a leather-wrapped steering wheel and leatherette upholstery, with a power-adjustable driver's seat. The interior design incorporated a variety of colours and textures, giving it a unique personality. While it didn't scream "outdoor adventure," the design elements like grab handles and a creased dashboard added a distinctive touch to the otherwise black interior.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue underwent its first major styling update since its 2021 launch, featuring a new, larger grille that seamlessly integrated with its distinctive stack headlights and daytime running lights. The rear fascia saw minor changes, with redesigned inner taillight elements. The Rogue's exterior was further enhanced with satin-finish badging and new wheel designs, including 18-inch wheels for the SV grade and 19-inch wheels for the Platinum grade. The top Platinum trim also offered more black exterior trim and an optional black roof, adding to its premium appeal.

Inside, the Rogue's dashboard was updated to accommodate a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, giving it a more upscale feel. The Rogue SV models received new materials throughout the interior, enhancing the overall premium experience. The Platinum trim featured leather seats with quilted stitching and a new Chestnut brown colour option. The Rogue's interior design and materials contributed to a cabin that felt well-appointed and comfortable, aligning with its position as the highest trim level in the lineup.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX, offering a standard 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. An optional 1.3-litre turbo-three engine increased output to 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 1.2-litre engine was available only with front-wheel drive (FWD), while the 1.3-litre engine could be paired with either FWD or all-wheel drive (AWD). FWD models featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while AWD models came with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Trailblazer Activ test car, equipped with AWD and the 1.3-litre engine, offered a decent amount of power and a pleasing exhaust note, although the nine-speed automatic exhibited some rough shifts. The Activ model's dampers were tuned for better performance on gravel roads, providing a composed and nimble ride on pavement, despite some body roll and occasional bouncing over road imperfections.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue's powertrain was a standout feature, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine that utilized Nissan's VC-Turbo technology to vary its compression ratio for optimal power or fuel economy. This engine delivered an impressive 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, outperforming many competitors in its class. However, the Rogue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) was slow to transfer power to the wheels, detracting from the engine's performance. The Rogue's suspension felt firmer than expected, impacting ride quality without providing significant handling benefits. While the Rogue was quiet, the droning exhaust note was less impressive.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, despite being one of the smallest SUVs available, offered a substantial presence. It was wider and taller than the original 1999 Chevy S-10 Blazer, with a longer wheelbase that improved passenger space. The Trailblazer provided generous headroom in both front and rear seats, although legroom was average. The rear seats were comfortable for short trips, but the flat cushions made long journeys less appealing. The Trailblazer's cargo space was respectable, with 716 litres available with the rear seats up and 1,540 litres with them folded. However, it fell short of some competitors in terms of cargo capacity. The Trailblazer's towing capacity was limited to 454 kilograms (1,000 pounds). Up front, the Trailblazer offered practical storage solutions, including a covered storage bin, a deep tray, and cupholders, although the small dashboard carve-out's purpose was unclear.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue offered competitive passenger space, with nearly identical dimensions to rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The Rogue's cargo space was slightly less than the CR-V and Tucson but more than the Forester, with a maximum of 1,033 litres with the rear seats in place and 2,098 litres with them folded. The optional Divide-N-Hide system allowed for flexible cargo configurations, and the Rogue featured a molded-in space for grocery bags. The Rogue was available with a power liftgate and a motion-activated liftgate on higher trims. The centre console offered a pass-through space for added flexibility, although accessing the floor-level storage tray was somewhat awkward.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Optional features included an 8-inch touchscreen, a 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen, navigation, a Bose audio system, rear-seat USB ports, and wireless phone charging. While the Trailblazer's tech offerings were adequate for most buyers, the optional touchscreen was relatively small by current standards, and a fully digital instrument cluster was not available. The 8-inch touchscreen was well-sized for the dashboard, with easy-to-read graphics and logical menus. The combination of a smaller instrument cluster screen and analog gauges effectively conveyed information.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue offered an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity on lower trims, while SL and Platinum models featured a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Amazon Alexa, and Google built-in apps. The Rogue was the first Nissan to offer Google built-in software, integrating Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play app store directly with the infotainment system. However, connectivity was only free for five years, and a vehicle data plan was required for third-party apps. The dual 12.3-inch screen setup was a significant improvement, with modern graphics and easy-to-navigate menus. The Rogue also provided ample charging options, with USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad on higher trims. Nissan extended the free trial period for its Nissan Connect Services to three years, offering features like remote door lock/unlock and vehicle health reports.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came equipped with standard safety features such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer received a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, with top "Good" scores in all crash tests and high marks for front-crash prevention tech. The NHTSA awarded the Trailblazer a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover testing.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue received top "Good" ratings from the IIHS in several crash tests, including the small-overlap front and original side-impact tests. It also received an "Acceptable" rating in the updated side-impact test and a "Good" headlight rating. The Rogue earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side crash tests and four stars in rollover and frontal crash tests. Standard driver assist features included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic emergency braking. Higher trims offered ProPilot Assist, an advanced driver assistance system with automated lane centring and navigation-based speed adjustments.