2025 Cadillac Escalade vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2024 Nissan Rogue underwent its first major styling update since the 2021 model year, offering a refreshed look across its Canadian trim levels: S, SV Moonroof, SV Premium, SL, and Platinum. The new design featured a larger grille that seamlessly integrated with the stack headlights and daytime running lights, which were signature elements of the Rogue. While Nissan claimed updates to the rear fascia, the changes were subtle, primarily involving redesigned inner taillight elements. The Rogue SV received a new 18-inch wheel design, while the Platinum model boasted a 19-inch machined-finish look and additional black exterior trim. Inside, the Rogue's dashboard was updated to accommodate a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, enhancing the vehicle's premium feel. The Rogue Platinum trim offered leather seats with quilted stitching and a new Chestnut brown colour, contributing to an upscale interior ambiance.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, known for its embodiment of old-school Cadillac luxury, received a significant design update that further distinguished it from its Chevrolet and GMC counterparts. The most notable exterior change was a new front end that aligned the gasoline Escalade stylistically with Cadillac's EV lineup. The headlights were redesigned as large vertical bars, complemented by smaller horizontal daytime running lights. The Escalade retained its tall, vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillac tailfins, and for the first time, 24-inch wheels were available. Cadillac offered both standard-wheelbase and long-wheelbase Escalade ESV body styles, with various trim levels including Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, and Sport Platinum. Inside, Cadillac focused on a screen-centric interior design, replacing the previous 38-inch OLED curved display with an impressive 55-inch display spanning the dashboard. The Escalade's interior featured a range of leather options and curated motifs, enhancing its luxurious appeal.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured a unique powertrain with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, part of Nissan's VC-Turbo lineup. This engine could vary its compression ratio to optimize power or fuel economy, delivering 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. It outperformed competitors like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester in terms of power, and even surpassed the Toyota RAV4's torque figures. However, the Rogue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) was less impressive, as it was slow to transfer power to the wheels. The Rogue's suspension was firmer than expected, affecting ride quality without enhancing handling. Despite these drawbacks, the engine's performance was commendable, although the exhaust note was less appealing.

For the 2025 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac dropped the Duramax turbodiesel inline-six engine, leaving the naturally aspirated gasoline 6.2-litre V8 as the primary option. This engine produced 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, while the Escalade-V variant boasted a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 with 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. All Escalade models featured a 10-speed automatic transmission, providing a balance of low and high ratios for efficient driving. In Canada, four-wheel drive was standard on most models, with the Escalade-V offering a performance-oriented all-wheel drive system. The Escalade's Magnetic Ride Control damping system, combined with optional air suspension, provided a comfortable ride, although it couldn't match the handling of luxury competitors like the BMW X7. The Escalade's V8 power ensured quick acceleration, but the brakes lacked confidence, prompting the recommendation of the Performance Upgrade Package for enhanced braking performance.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue offered competitive passenger space in the compact crossover segment, with differences primarily in legroom compared to rivals like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. 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 the seats folded. The optional Divide-N-Hide system allowed for flexible cargo configurations, and the Rogue featured a molded-in space for grocery bags. The centre console provided additional storage, although accessing the floor-level tray was somewhat awkward.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, available in both standard and long-wheelbase configurations, offered ample interior space. The long-wheelbase Escalade ESV provided increased cargo space and third-row legroom, while seating for up to eight was available. The Escalade boasted the most first-row headroom in its class, although second and third-row headroom were slightly less than competitors. Cargo space was generous, with the standard-length model offering 722 litres behind the rear seats and 3,412 litres behind the front seats. ESV models further expanded cargo capacity, surpassing the Lincoln Navigator L. The Escalade's towing capacity met segment expectations, although it lacked some towing features offered by competitors like Lincoln.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on lower trims, while SL and Platinum models received a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity. The Rogue was the first Nissan to offer Google built-in software, integrating Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play app store. 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 improved the infotainment experience, although the touchscreen was occasionally slow to boot up. Nissan Connect Services extended its free trial period to three years, offering features like remote door lock/unlock and vehicle health reports.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade combined traditional engineering with a high-tech interface, featuring a 55-inch door-to-door display that incorporated a digital instrument cluster, central infotainment touchscreen, and front-passenger touchscreen. A 19-speaker AKG audio system was standard, with a 36-speaker version available. The Escalade retained standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Cadillac's voice recognition system, while not as advanced as competitors, was user-friendly. The optional Executive Second Row Package added luxury features for rear passengers, including 12.6-inch screens and massage seats, enhancing the Escalade's appeal as a luxury vehicle.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue received favourable safety ratings, earning top "Good" scores in several IIHS crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard driver assist features included automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning. ProPilot Assist, available on higher trims, offered advanced driver assistance capabilities, although it was not as advanced as some competitors' systems.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade came equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assist features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, and a 360-degree camera system. GM's Safety Alert Seat provided additional warnings through vibrations. Super Cruise, Cadillac's hands-free driving system, allowed for hands-free driving on mapped roads, although it required driver attention. Current crash test ratings were not available at the time of writing.