2023 Dodge Durango vs 2023 Nissan Rogue

The 2023 Nissan Rogue was a testament to the brand's commitment to maintaining a balance between ruggedness and style. Its design featured proper proportions and chiseled styling, which gave it a rugged yet appealing look. This was crucial, as aesthetics play a significant role in consumer decisions. The Rogue's lineup included various trims, with the Platinum trim offering upscale features like diamond-pattern leather seats and soft-touch materials, enhancing the overall quality feel of the vehicle.

In contrast, the 2023 Dodge Durango, despite entering its 12th model year without a redesign, maintained its attractiveness with clean, car-like styling. It avoided the trend of oversized grilles, opting for a slim design with forward-leaning headlights and a distinctive rear with Dodge's signature "racetrack" taillights. The SRT models added subtle yet unique styling features, such as a Viper-like hood and unique wheels, enhancing its sporty appeal. The Durango also offered a variety of appearance packages, allowing for customization, and nearly doubled its colour palette for 2023.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue featured a new turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with a variable compression design, producing 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. This engine, paired with a CVT, aimed to deliver both performance and fuel efficiency. The Rogue offered multiple driving modes, including Eco, Auto, and Sport, with additional Off-Road and Snow modes for AWD versions. While the VC-Turbo powertrain was responsive in urban settings, it lacked highway passing power and had some refinement issues, such as engine noise and vibration. Fuel economy was slightly below expectations, averaging 8.1 L/100 km in combined driving.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered a range of powertrains, starting with a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine producing up to 295 horsepower. The 5.7-litre Hemi V8, standard on the R/T trim, delivered 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The SRT 392 model boasted a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 with 475 hp, while the SRT Hellcat featured a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 with 710 hp. The Hellcat's performance was particularly impressive, achieving 0-100 km/h in approximately 3.5 seconds. Despite its size, the Durango Hellcat offered thrilling acceleration and a dynamic driving experience, supported by adaptive-damping suspension and Brembo brakes.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue served as a practical family vehicle, offering ample space for four adults and a fifth passenger when needed. The Platinum trim featured premium amenities like a triple-zone climate control system, panoramic sunroof, and Zero Gravity seats for comfort. However, the rear seat comfort was lacking, with low-mounted cushions and uncomfortable quilted pleats. The Rogue provided generous cargo space, with up to 1,028 litres behind the rear seats and 2,064 litres with the seats folded. Storage was plentiful, though unlined compartments could cause noise.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered both seven-seat and six-seat configurations, with the latter featuring second-row captain's chairs. Interior space was competitive with other midsize SUVs, though cargo space was less than some rivals, offering 487 litres with all seats in place and 2,409 litres with the second and third rows folded. The Durango excelled in towing capacity, with V6 models capable of towing up to 2,812 kg and V8 models up to 3,946 kg. While a power liftgate was available, the lack of a power-folding third row was a drawback for higher trims.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue featured an older infotainment system with an 8-inch or 9-inch touchscreen, offering Bluetooth, satellite radio, and smartphone integration. The test vehicle included a 9-inch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and a Bose audio system. However, voice recognition was limited, struggling with specific requests. The Rogue also had a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a head-up display, though the latter was not tested with polarized sunglasses.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired smartphone integration on lower trims, while higher trims featured a 10.1-inch screen with wireless connectivity. The Uconnect 5 system was responsive and user-friendly, with added personality for SRT models. The Performance Pages app provided performance data, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was available on higher trims, enhancing the overall tech experience.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue came equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including 10 airbags, Safety Shield 360, and ProPilot Assist with Navi-link. The latter combined adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assistance, performing well during testing. The Rogue earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, though it received lower scores in specific crash tests.

The 2023 Dodge Durango received mixed safety ratings, with "Good" marks in some IIHS tests but a "Marginal" score in the driver-side small overlap front test. The NHTSA awarded it a four-star overall rating, with five stars in the side crash test. Standard driver-assist features were limited, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert included, but other technologies were optional.