2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia presented a bold and commanding presence, drawing inspiration from the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. Its redesigned exterior featured a traditional grille and front bumper, which distinguished it from the Tundra's more aggressive styling. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, offering an industrial yet luxurious feel, especially in the upscale Capstone trim. The interior boasted a massive 14-inch infotainment system and a two-tone color scheme, though some materials reminded drivers of its pickup truck origins. The Sequoia lineup included various trims, with prices starting at $59,895 for the base SR5 and reaching $79,895 for the Capstone with 4WD. Off-road enthusiasts could opt for the TRD Pro or equip the SR5 and Limited trims with a TRD Off-Road Package for enhanced capability.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue underwent its first major styling update since its 2021 launch, maintaining its lineup of S, SV, SL, and Platinum trims. The Rogue's new, larger grille seamlessly integrated with its distinctive stack headlights and daytime running lights. While the rear fascia received minor updates, the Rogue's exterior featured satin-finish badging and new wheel designs. Inside, the Rogue's dashboard accommodated a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, enhancing its premium feel. The Rogue SV models received upgraded materials throughout the interior, and the Platinum trim offered leather seats with quilted stitching. The Rogue's interior design and features contributed to its reputation as a well-appointed vehicle in its segment.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a powerful hybrid powertrain, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator, and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This setup delivered an impressive 437 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. The Sequoia's towing capacity increased to 9,520 pounds, and its payload capacity improved to 1,730 pounds. Fuel efficiency also saw significant gains, with the new Sequoia achieving 20 mpg with 4WD and 22 mpg with RWD. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, allowing drivers to tailor their experience. However, the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive, and the steering was slow, requiring effort in tight spaces.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, part of Nissan's VC-Turbo lineup, which allowed it to vary its compression ratio for optimal power or fuel economy. With 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, the Rogue's engine outperformed many competitors in its class. However, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) was slow to transfer power to the wheels, affecting the overall driving experience. The Rogue's suspension felt firmer than expected, impacting ride quality without enhancing handling. While the engine impressed with its performance, the exhaust note was less appealing. The Rogue offered front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable cabin with soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium sound system, and a triple-zone automatic climate control system. The Sequoia's interior featured power-deploying running boards, a panoramic glass sunroof, and second-row captain's chairs with separate climate controls. However, the third-row seat was less comfortable due to its high floor and low roof. Cargo space was limited, with only 11.5 cubic feet available behind the third row, expandable to 22.3 cubic feet by sliding the seat forward. The Sequoia's maximum cargo capacity was 86.9 cubic feet, significantly less than its predecessor and competitors.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue offered competitive passenger space, with differences mainly in legroom compared to rivals. The Rogue's cargo space measured 36.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 74.1 cubic feet with them folded, providing more space than some competitors. The optional Divide-N-Hide system allowed for flexible cargo configurations, and the Rogue featured a molded-in space for grocery bags. The Rogue's center console offered additional storage options, though accessing the lower tray was awkward. The Rogue was available with a power liftgate and a motion-activated liftgate on higher trims.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with an 8-inch touchscreen on the base SR5 trim and a 14-inch touchscreen on higher trims. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though glare was an issue on the display. The Intelligent Assistant responded to voice commands, but some functionality was inconsistent. The Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system. The Sequoia's parking sensors and automatic rear braking system effectively prevented accidents.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue offered an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on lower trims, while SL and Platinum models received a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity. The Rogue was the first Nissan to feature Google built-in software, integrating Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play app store. The dual 12.3-inch screen setup improved the infotainment experience, though the system was occasionally slow to boot up. The Rogue included multiple 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 Toyota Sequoia came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, and road sign recognition. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. The Sequoia's adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist systems enhanced highway driving, though the lane-departure warning system was occasionally irritating. While crash test ratings were not available, the Sequoia's platform shared with the Tundra, which received high ratings from the IIHS.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue received top safety scores from the IIHS, with "Good" ratings in various crash tests and an "Acceptable" rating in the updated side-impact test. The Rogue also earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard driver-assist features included automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic emergency braking. ProPilot Assist, available on higher trims, added automated lane centering for highway driving, though it required driver attention. The advanced version of ProPilot Assist used the navigation system to help slow for curves and interchanges.