Subaru Crosstrek Vs. Nissan Rogue: Which is Better?

The Nissan Rogue is a size up from the Subaru Crosstrek, but only the Subaru Crosstrek has an available hybrid powertrain. Here’s how these two vehicles match up.
Written by Cameron Thiessen
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek is a subcompact crossover, while the Nissan Rogue occupies the “compact” category, one size up. Since it’s a bigger, more capable vehicle, the 2023 Nissan Rogue comes at a higher price than the Crosstrek.
While there are plenty of similarities between these little SUV models, there’s a lot that distinguishes each. For example, for about the same price as an all-gas Nissan Rogue Platinum, you can get a super-efficient Subaru Crosstrek with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
But that’s not all that’s different between these two crossovers. In this article,
car insurance
app
Jerry
will give you an in-depth comparison between the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and 2023 Nissan Rogue. Then we’ll tell you about our
licensed insurance broker app
that saves car owners money!

Crosstrek vs. Rogue: Which is more expensive?

Thanks to its larger size and more powerful engine, the Nissan Rogue occupies a bit higher of a price point than the Subaru Crosstrek. The Rogue starts at $28,655, but you can get a 2023  Subaru Crosstrek for only $24,870.
Here’s a more detailed look at the prices of each trim level on the two models. While both top out around the same point, note that the Crosstrek’s Hybrid upgrade adds $7,000 to the next highest Crosstrek trim.
Model
Starting MSRP
Model
Starting MSRP
Crosstrek Base
$24,870
Crosstrek Premium
$26,220
Crosstrek Special Edition
$27,970
Rogue S
$28,655
Crosstrek Sport
$29,220
Rogue SV
$30,345
Crosstrek Limited
$30,720
Rogue SL
$35,005
Crosstrek Hybrid
$38,070
Rogue Platinum
$38,435
Make auto loan refinancing easy with PriceProtect™
Make auto loan refinancing easy with PriceProtect™
icon4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars
icon4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers

Ownership costs

Naturally, when you’re buying a new vehicle, you need to consider not just the initial cash price of the vehicle, but also the long-term ownership costs associated with it. We’re talking about things like fuel, maintenance, and insurance costs.
Edmunds evaluates five-year ownership costs of vehicles. While a base model 2023 Subaru Crosstrek with CVT transmission has a five-year ownership cost of $41,512, the 2022 Nissan Rogue S gets a rating of $46,353.
You’ll spend less on gas with a Nissan Rogue, but the Rogue will depreciate in value quite a bit faster than the Subaru Crosstrek.
MORE:

Insurance costs

So how much separates these two vehicles in terms of insurance costs?
Subaru Crosstrek insurance
is about the same price as
Nissan Rogue car insurance
, despite the difference in body size. The average annual cost to insure a Nissan Rogue is $2,780 while the average is $2,652 a year for a Subaru Crosstrek.
Ultimately, your car insurance will cost about the same with either of these vehicles. This means that the Nissan Rogue offers a larger, more powerful package, but costs the same amount to insure as a smaller Subaru crossover.

Winner: Subaru Crosstrek

While insurance prices for the Rogue are attractive considering it’s a size up from the Crosstrek, the Rogue’s resale value will depreciate quite a bit faster than the Crosstrek’s. According to Edmunds, you’ll lose $12,657 to depreciation over five years of owning a 2022 Nissan Rogue, while a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek will only depreciate by an estimate of $7,914.
While the Nissan Rogue is ever-so-slightly better on gas, the award for best overall affordability and value goes to the Subaru Crosstrek.

Subaru Crosstrek vs. Nissan Rogue: In-depth comparison

In terms of the overall package, there’s a lot to love about both the Crosstrek and the Rogue, but neither is going to be particularly impressive to driving enthusiasts. Let’s take a detailed look at how these two crossovers measure up in terms of key specs and features.

Body style and size

As we’ve already discussed, one main difference between these two models is size.
The Rouge is about a half-foot longer
than the Crosstrek. In terms of classification, the Crosstrek occupies the subcompact category, while the Rogue is a compact crossover/SUV. 
Both models have seating for up to five passengers, but passengers will have a bit more space in the Rogue. There’s also quite a bit more cargo space available in the Nissan Rogue.
Let’s look at the interior and exterior dimensions of each contender:
Dimensions
2023 Subaru Crosstrek
2023 Nissan Rogue
Wheelbase
104.9 inches
106.5 inches
Passenger volume
100.9 cubic feet
105.4 cubic feet
Headroom (front/rear)
39.8 inches/38.0 inches
41.1 inches/39.2 inches
Legroom (front/rear)
43.1 inches/36.5 inches
41.5 inches/38.8 inches
Cargo volume w/seats up
32.8 cubic feet
36.8 cubic feet
Cargo volume w/seats down
64.2 cubic feet
72.0 cubic feet
Ground clearance
8.7 inches
8.2 inches
Base curb weight
3188 lbs
3452 lbs
Make auto loan refinancing easy with PriceProtect™
Make auto loan refinancing easy with PriceProtect™
icon4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars
icon4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers

Engine and performance

The Nissan Rogue’s fuel-sipping 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine manages to offer more power than any of the Subaru Crosstrek’s engine options. This engine gets 201 horsepower @ 5,600 RPM and 225 pound-feet of torque @ 2,800-4,000 rpm.
The Crosstrek gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque as its base engine. With this amount of power, the little Crosstrek is still able to tow a maximum of 1,500 pounds, the same amount as the Nissan Rogue. 
The Subaru Crosstrek plug-in hybrid only gets 148 horsepower and a lower towing capacity of 1,000 pounds. The Crosstrek Sport and Limited both get a 2.5-liter flat-four with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque, still able to two 1,500 pounds.
Neither of these vehicles has impressive acceleration. The fastest Nissan Rogue can hit 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds, while the Crosstrek takes longer than eight seconds to get there.
The Subaru Crosstrek offers standard all-wheel drive (AWD), but the Nissan Rogue comes with front-wheel drive (FWD) unless you spend extra. Continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is standard for both models—with the exception of the base-model Crosstrek. This Crosstrek offers a six-speed manual transmission that’s far less fuel-efficient in the city but might be preferred among those drivers who still can’t get into the increasingly-common CVT.

Fuel economy

Subarus aren’t exactly known for class-topping fuel economy specs. Despite being lighter and lower-powered, they still get similar fuel economy to the larger Nissan Rogue.
The most efficient Nissan Rogues are the FWD S and SV trims. These models get 30 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. AWD and higher trims only lose about one or two mpg in comparison.
The gas-only Subaru Crosstrek models are most efficient with automatic transmission. With the regular 2.0-liter engine, it gets 28 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, while the 2.5-liter engine is rated at 27/34 mpg.
However, if you opt for a Crosstrek Hybrid, you’ll have access to 17 miles of EV range at 90 MPGe, and a combined hybrid fuel economy of 35 mpg.

Safety

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek earned a 2022 Top Safety Pick award from the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but the 2022 Nissan Rogue was given a coveted Top Safety Pick+ designation (we’re still waiting on 2023 ratings).
The Nissan Rogue isn’t plagued with the same safety concerns associated with high beams on the Subaru Crosstrek, and since the manual transmission is technically standard for the Crosstrek, it only gets winning marks if it’s equipped with the CVT transmission that includes crash-prevention tech otherwise standard on a Nissan Rogue.

Tech

The Nissan Rogue comes standard with a generous offering of driver-assist safety features that are becoming ever more common on small SUVs. These include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and blind-spot monitoring. 
Upgrading to a
Rogue SV
adds Nissan’s ProPilot Assist system, which adds adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. A
Rogue Platinum
gets a navigation system that can provide information for its adaptive cruise control/semi-autonomous capabilities.
The Crosstrek gets all of the features of Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite as long as you get a version with CVT transmission. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking are included here.
In terms of infotainment, the Subaru Crosstrek comes with a standard 6.5-inch Starlink system that can link to Apple and Android smartphones. The Rogue has the same connectivity ability, but it gets an 8-inch screen as the standard size.
Favorite features as you go up the list of
Rogue trim configurations
are things like Wi-Fi, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and additional driver-assistance safety features.
On the other hand, the Crosstrek focuses less on safety features as you go up the list of options. There’s available navigation, a heated steering wheel, an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, and a power moonroof, in addition to a larger 8-inch screen.

Interior and comfort

The Crosstrek is quiet despite its CVT, and its suspension is forgiving enough for a smooth, comfort-focused ride. However, it ends up being a bit too soft when it comes to dealing with hard corners and winding roads—passengers might find themselves sliding in their seats a bit. In terms of interior quality, anything resembling “luxury,” is reserved for the highest trims, but lower trim materials are acceptable.
The Nissan Rogue offers better interior quality and more comfort overall, thanks to more supportive seats, more material choices at lower trim levels, and a more confident demeanor on tight corners. Passengers will also have more space in the Rogue. The 2023 Rogue also does a fantastic job of prioritizing cargo space.

Winner: Nissan Rogue

Overall, the 2023 Nissan Rogue’s higher price tag is justified based on the full package that it offers, especially if cargo space and fuel efficiency are both priorities. The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek offers a great smaller alternative if you need the same amount of towing capability in a smaller package.
If you want a smaller, cheaper crossover, the Crosstrek will do the trick, but if we had to choose one or the other, the Nissan Rogue is a more desirable vehicle overall.

How to save on Subaru and Nissan insurance costs

When your comparing
Subaru insurance costs
with
Nissan insurance costs
, all of it can seem expensive! However, car insurance prices vary between providers based on the vehicle you drive, so the optimal insurance plan that offers the best coverage for the best price is always out there. And the
Jerry
app can help you find it!
Jerry gathers quotes for your car insurance from 55+ top insurers, uses a bit of math to find which ones are the best offers, and shows you the very best deals available to you! You can get your new policy set up right in the app once you choose the one you want. And the best part is that Jerry users save an average of $800+ each year!
“After I bought my new car, the insurance companies tried charging me $315/month.
Jerry
, on the other hand, found me full coverage for only $220/month. Thank you!” —Mari E.
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Find insurance savings
Reduce your monthly car payments in minutes?
Find out if Jerry can reduce your payments by an average of $150/month
Check your rate!

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings