Subaru Forester vs Nissan Rogue Comparison: Finding Mass Appeal

Mike, it is time for a rematch. A few years ago we got together pretty much every vehicle in the

small mid-size-ish SUV segment and the Nissan Rogue beat the Forester coming in third place

but things are a little bit different now. Yeah, back then we had the last generation Forester and

it was pretty much in its final year and it still came mid-pack, but a lot's changed. It is completely

new and has new styling and it has a new interior and the Rogue's also been updated so although it

seems very specific these are sort of the vehicles that sell in high numbers for these manufacturers

because they don't have hybrid options like pretty much every other competitor yet yes

so before the plug-in and the hybrid show up it's time to get them together and see what is the best

non-hybrid mid-size compact that's a lot of adjectives how about we just t-powered yeah

this one has a turbo all right let's let's just hit the road four cylinders

now the rogue did come in for a facelift last year but it is a subtle one unless you're a huge

rogue fan those exist right there's not a whole lot to really tell it apart from the previous model

now the big tell is the grille of course and it's different mike doesn't necessarily enjoy this uh

this new treatment i like it i feel like it's a little more modern it's a little more subtle

than the original big thick bar v that was going on before and then down here in the lower section

of the bumper it is redesigned as well nissan has given up on even pretending that this is really an

off-roader so it's gotten rid of the faux skid plate of course now there's a rock creek edition

which is more rough and tumble so that's the one you get if you want that sort of thing. I also

can't forget that well these are the headlights not these. Nissan kind of pioneered this trend and

what do you know the Forester is now doing it too. You have 19 inch alloy wheels which are really

really nice looking two-tone multi-spoke deal. They're gonna be a pain to clean but uh that's

not my problem right now. And then of course I mentioned the Rock Creek earlier and this takes

the Rock Creek's new Baja Storm paint and applies it to the platinum and you get the two-tone roof

which is a nice classy touch too just a little bit of chrome up here just to kind of set it apart

and of course it keeps this little chrome garnish down on the lower door. I really appreciate that

Nissan stretches the door sills all the way down and around the bottom of the vehicle so when I

open the door like so when I get in I'm not getting the back of my pants all dirty that's a nice touch

It's not really a design feature per se, but I really want to point out that Nissan is one of the few brands that has rear doors that open almost a full 90 degrees

It just makes it easier to get in and out of. If you appreciated how subtle the changes were to the design up front, well, boy, do I have good news for you, because it's almost entirely the same in the back, too

Now, the Rogue has a pretty identifiable back end because it's kept the same basic shapes for two generations now

They're a little more tighter and angular than the previous generation, but I mean, you know, largely, it's an SUV

It's a two-box design. Nissan's not going wild with it, and that's fine because this is its bestseller

It says Rogue, Platinum, so everyone knows you bought the top model

And yeah, that's about it. Subaru is one to never really radically redesign things

Their styling refreshers are always very conservative, But this new Forester has one of the biggest departures from the brand styling in quite some time

Starting with the headlights, that C-shaped headlight, it's gone. There's a solid LED bar here, then the bulb beneath and the fog light down there

The grille with its multi-slots, that's very different as well. Down here in the bumper they have these little inserts which have shown up in other vehicles

I'm not a big fan because you can actually see the different pieces of plastic and

they're just obviously inserts like I said because they could be different colors and styles depending on trim, but it doesn't look

of high quality mesh together, but forget about that. Moving to the side, although this is an all new Forester

you can see from its profile, it's very similar to previous models

It's still built on the same platform, just heavily, heavily updated. So the shell is very similar, but to even break that up

if I added this little plastic strip that goes on top of the pillar to look like it's breaking up the fender and the pillar

same thing in the back. They have one here that's doing the same sort of function

and it actually has a symmetrical all wheel drive badge. Instead of having one on the trunk

there's now one on either side because it's symmetrical. So the back end of the Forester is a mix of new and old

So things that are familiar, the spoiler. Every Forester has had a spoiler or at least the option of one And a couple generations ago it started to have these side sills that help with aerodynamics The tail lights though those are completely new New design new style

They're connected by a plastic bar that has the Subaru logo in the middle. And then Forrester is actually imprinted

in the liftgate giant lettering. The only thing I don't like has to do with the exhaust

I like that Subaru has a real proper exhaust with a proper tip exposed

No fake exhaust here, that's great. But the styling around it and the mimic on the other side, it gets to be symmetrical, but it's the plastic on top of

plastic on top of plastic. And I'm not a huge fan. And Subaru used to have a cutout cover on the

Forester when it had a dual exhaust option. So it kind of reminds me of that. And I just don't

really like it. I think they could have done away with that sort of trim and just had a nice solid

bumper with a single cutout. Now, both of these are CVTs and they're pretty good examples of

CVTs but when you really need it the Rogue simply has more power. That being

said it is actually noisier when you're really gunning it. Throughout regular

day-to-day activities it is the more refined quieter engine because while it

is just a three-cylinder it is turbocharged so it has a thick wad of

torque low down but here on the highway when I have to push it

It's a little noisy. But the trade-off with that noise is that it is better when the time comes for passing because, well, it has 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, which are both better figures than the Subaru

In the case of the torque, you're looking at almost 50 pound-feet more. CVT otherwise does a really good job, though

It stays as low as the rev range really needs for whatever you're doing at the time

and so it just maintains that quiet equilibrium that the Rogue does so well

Now Subaru does make the most of what it has out of its powertrain. Yes, there is two less horsepower this year, so you're looking at just 180 horsepower

which is one of the lowest figures in the class. And then torque is up two pound-feet, so it's 178

you don't notice that deficit as much as it might seem when you're driving these two vehicles in

the city again because they both have cbt's they're pretty darn responsive now i'd be remiss

if i didn't mention that while the rogues powertrain is the preferred one for both of us

in this week-long comparison the nhtsa does have an ongoing investigation into nissan's variable

compression engines including the 1.5 liter three-cylinder in here. There have been some

owner complaints and so it's something to keep in mind if you are considering a Rogue

So a lot's always been said about how great Subarus are in the snow and luckily we have some

snow here so we're going to test it out. We're going to put the Forester up against the Rogue

in a sort of mini little straight line test. I'll be in X mode, Kyle will be in snow mode

So are you ready Kyle? I'm ready. All right. So inside, the Forester and the Rogue go about the same mission in very different ways

So let's start with the Forester since that's what I'm in right now. The interior is a lot like the exterior and there's new and old

So starting with things that are familiar is the center screen. It is the giant vertical rectangle screen that's in pretty much every other Subaru product

And the Forester is one of the last holdouts not to have it. And now it does

Kyle doesn't like this system or software much. I don't really have a problem with it

He prefers the one in the Rogue, which also uses a rectangular screen, but it's horizontal

And personally, I don't like that one as much. We can both agree, though, that neither of these systems are exactly class leading

What this new screen and system does bring to the Forester is some more modern touches

For example, the toggle seat heater switches are now gone. It's now built into the screen

And it does have a couple physical buttons for a volume knob and a tuning knob

which is a huge plus, as well as temperature controls. And in the Rogue, you don't have that tuning knob

I would say the positioning of Nissan's screen compared to Subaru's looks a little more elegant and a little more modern

Subaru does a good job fully incorporating it into the dash, which a lot of manufacturers don't do, especially one this size

And the way the vents are situated around it, there's a cool little style piece across the dash in front of the passenger

And there some full wood underneath It a nice looking interior But the robes does just feel a little nicer looking a little nicer feeling and just a little more premium

Now I'd love to tell you that braking performance is very different between these two

but I'd be lying. The pedal feel is largely the same. They're very smooth and progressive and easy

to learn. It's not going to be a problem for anybody getting into either of these cars

There is one important difference that should be pointed out, though, and that has to do with both vehicles' start-stop systems

Now, the Nissan's is pretty traditional. You come to a stop, you put your foot on the brake for a reasonable amount of pressure, definitely enough to keep the car at a stop, right

And then the engine turns off. Done. The Forester is just a little different because it seems to need two different levels of pressure

depending on what you want, which could be a positive or a negative depending on how you look

at this. So for me, I don't apply a ton of pressure when I'm at a stop. It's just enough to

keep the vehicle still. That works for the Rogue and then when I lift off, the engine starts back

up and I get going. With the Forester, you actually have to make a concerted effort to push further

down to get the start stop to actually function. Now again sort of like the transmission you'll

probably get used to it if you own it and I know some people don't even like start stop

So maybe it's not too much of a problem for you. I live in a big city I spend a lot of time stuck

at lights or just in traffic so I want that working and it's just a little odd for me because

no other vehicle really does it except Subaru. Also I should point out that if you are using the

Forester start-stop system, Subaru's is one of the more dramatic, so you definitely hear and feel the

engine start up every single time. As far as seat comfort, well it depends on who's driving in which

vehicle. I think it's pretty close. I might give the edge to Subaru though because I feel more

confident from a mental standpoint, and that's because as I say in pretty much every Subaru review

the greenhouses are so giant in these vehicles because of the boxer engine allowing the hood and

cowl to be low i can see everything so easy which makes driving it so easy which puts you more

comfort in the rogue forward sight lines are good but the ones out the side in three quarters and

rear aren't nearly as good and when driving in unfamiliar areas especially at night you just

don't feel as confident as to what's around the vehicle i mean it's it's a minor thing in the

difference, but it's something you notice. Now, Nissan wins the tech game handedly. It has a fully

digital configurable gauge cluster. Subaru has a little digital screen in the middle, but otherwise

it's og gauges. I mean, that's a preference thing, but there's more you could customize and

what you want to see with the Rogue. The Rogue also has options that you can't get on any level

of Forester. This is the Limited, which is the second from the highest. In Canada, Premier

US it's the Touring. But the Rogue we have on hand is the Platinum which is the highest

It has features like a third zone climate control for rear seat passengers and window shades and

things that just don't come on the Forester no matter what trim or package you buy. Also it has

a proper panoramic moonroof and not this one and a half sunroof that's in the Forester and it has a

power reclining cover whereas this has a manual cover. The features that I find are pretty

important for this segment. They are included in this trim of the Forester. That includes things

like heated rear seats, memory seats up front, you have the power lockable rear lift gate. This has a

driver monitor system, navigation, things like that. But like I said, if you max this out, it's still not

going to go option to option with the road. From a safety standpoint, they're both fully loaded with

all the latest technology. Now I do have to give Subaru props. No word of a lie. The Forester is

much quieter inside than before. And of course, one of the great Subaru strengths is that it has

this limber, loose, easy to get along with daily ride that the Rogue just can't quite match

They're both very similar on the highway, but in the city with these larger wheels

The Rogue is just a little bit more stiff. It's totally acceptable for a daily driver

but driving them back to back, you do notice these things. The highway is where both of these SUVs excel

and let's be honest, it's where a lot of time is gonna be spent in either one for most people

Now, up at highway speeds, the Rogue is a little bit quieter than the Forester You get some road noise but there very little in the shape of wind noise or I guess sound of wind noise whereas the Forester gets a little

well, noisy right around the side mirrors and just at the top of its A-pillar. Now look

neither one of these are particularly sporty, and that's fine. That's the goal of this segment. If

you want sporty, Mazda will sell you a CX-5 or a CX-50. The Rogue is a little bit more aloof. It

feels a little bigger than the Forester. Both of them have very light steering. It's very quick and

easy and accurate, so there's not a lot of difference there, but you just feel a little more

up and away from what's going on in the Rogue, and maybe that's a good thing for you. Maybe you

want that isolation, maybe it feels a little more premium, luxurious, but that is the case where the

Forester just feels a little closer and in tune with the road. You may have caught onto a theme

that the Rogue seems to have more of everything. Well, it does, and that includes price. If we stick

just to the Forester I'm driving, the Limited, with the upgrade radio package, it is $6,000

cheaper than the platinum Rogue. And that Rogue could still have more options on top. That's a

significant gap. Now, if you go up to the touring, which adds some more features that are missing from

here that the Rogue has, you're still talking about a $3,000 gap. So it comes down to a matter of

is the extra technology and refinement in the Rogue worth it? In Canada, that gap shrinks a bit

As tested, this limited versus that platinum. We're talking about a $3,000 difference. And if

we got the fully loaded Premier Forester. The gap would shrink to about a thousand

So we kind of joked at the start how these aren't really compact, but the rear seat space here is crazy

Now both seats are further forward than we would probably have them, but not much

And there's so much leg room. There's so much head room. I mean, with this one and a half size sunroof

there's a little dip down, but I mean, I sit completely straight up in the roof

but if I sit normal, I'm okay. armrest seemed to be pretty good. The cushion's a little on the low side. A tiny bit, a tiny bit

but I just can't believe how much leg room there is. And also, I mean, it's not much of a transmission

tunnel either. And something that we talk about all the time and I think people sometimes forget is

how big and square the Forester is. And we have these massive windows and the roof hardly curls

down in our way. Yeah, that's the impression in the back is just so much natural light, even with

this stopping forward at the passengers should we uh head into the Rogue

already yeah all right okay so now we are in the Rogue and it's uh it's actually much the same the leg room is again really

good it may look like the seats are closer because they are but that's because they're further from

the dash so I'd say it's a wash there the cushion seems to be the same height it's not as high as

I'd like but it's fine and headroom again if I sit right up it's probably just a little more headroom

it's not quite touching. They're remarkably similar. I think the cushion placement is very

slightly better in the Forester because I think it's a little higher and a little longer. But

otherwise, yeah, it's weird how similar they are. These are pretty narrow armrests though, I will

say. Yes, the door armrests are worse. I'll give you that. And I feel like the center armrest went

longer in the Forester. I feel like the cup was further forward. Oh yeah? Yeah, I mean if I was to

pick between the two. I don't know. This is sort of the theme I'm finding in this comparison. This is

the the better equipped more sort of refined feeling back seat but I kind of think I'd rather

spend time in the back of the Forester if I have to. So we've just finished driving for the last week

and safe to say both vehicles have improved since we last had them. The Forester even more so

It's true. I'm really impressed with the Forester. It's never really been my cup of tea

but it is much more refined and quieter than before. But it's not quite as refined and just

fancy feeling as the Rogue. Yeah this gives you more of a premium feeling in the cabin when you're

driving it especially. And it's got features you can't get in the Forester regardless of trim. But

if you go to mid trim and lower I think it reverses because the Forester's always been sort of that

unassuming great easy to live with type vehicle and it still is and it's better than it was. But

But as they stand, this is the winner