When it comes to choosing your next car, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of models on the market. Each one claims to have an assortment of features designed to enhance your driving experience, but unfortunately, some of these brands prioritize trendy gadgets or sleek styling over practicality and reliability. So how do you figure out which vehicle offers the right bang for your buck? Let’s compare two popular models, the 2023 Nissan Rogue vs the 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, and see how they stack up.
Both vehicles find their place in the compact crossover segment, a popular category as it offers a utility vehicle with a slightly smaller and easier-to-handle size. The Nissan Rogue and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross both offer multiple unique trims to choose from, but the Rogue has the option to choose if it’s a front-wheel drive vehicle or an all-wheel drive vehicle while the Eclipse Cross is only available with all-wheel drive. It is convenient to be able to choose which option you want as some people will benefit from having an all-wheel drive vehicle, while others won’t and since they usually cost more, it’s nice to save the extra cash.
Though the Rogue and the Eclipse Cross have some similarities, it is their differences that are worth exploring. It’s here that one of these vehicles stands out, proving to be a better choice than the other. With so many features to consider, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by the decision ahead. Focusing on what features are most practical and how they can benefit you is a great place to start.
Driver Assistance Face-Off
Whether you are looking for a new vehicle as a solo driver or looking to find one that is worthy of your family, one thing is certain: safety matters. We all want to be as safe as possible, which is why it is important to choose a vehicle with great safety ratings and plenty of driver assistance options. The 2023 Nissan Rogue is loaded with terrific safety and driver assistance features like ProPilot Assist. ProPilot Assist is a combination of Intelligent Cruise Control and Steering Assist tech.
The ProPilot Assist feature is standard on all of the Nissan Rogue’s trims, except for the base trim which has traditional cruise control. Higher-end trims take it up a notch with ProPilot Assist which also includes Navi-link, a system that reads the roads to help you see what’s ahead. In contrast, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross only offers Adaptive Cruise Control on select trims and only as a costly package add-on. Unfortunately, this feature is an extra rather than standard since cruise control has been an appreciated feature by daily drivers and commuters for a long time.
Another major benefit of the Nissan Rogue is that it offers a RearView Monitor on some trims and the upgraded Intelligent Around View Monitor on the remaining trims. The RearView Monitor is as it sounds, providing a clear view of what’s behind you while you are in reverse. The Intelligent Around View Monitor amplifies your view with a generated birdseye view to give you a full picture of what’s behind you, to your sides, and in front of you. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross unfortunately only has a Multi-View Camera System on the highest trim and it’s not available on any other models.
Other safety and driver assistance features available on the Rogue include Intelligent Driver Alertness, Traffic Sign Recognition, and Intelligent Trace Control, all features that aren’t an option on the Eclipse Cross. Intelligent Driver Alertness is a fantastic feature that monitors the driver’s behaviors to detect and alert the driver if they are driving drowsy or distracted, while Intelligent Trace Control improves cornering by applying the brakes to keep your turns tight and neat. These simple but effective assistance features elevate the safety of the Nissan Rogue.
Cabin vs Cabin
The 2023 Nissan Rogue offers a luxury cabin with ample room for cargo and passengers. Up to five can enjoy the Nissan Rogue, with plenty of legroom for any lanky occupants. The Nissan has 41.5 inches of legroom for front passengers and drivers and 38.5 inches of legroom for those in the rear. Comparatively, the Eclipse Cross, which can also seat up to five, only has 40.9 inches of legroom for those riding shotgun and 37.1 for those in the caboose. It is enough of a difference to make riding in the Nissan far more comfortable than riding in the Mitsubishi.
As Nissan passengers spread out and enjoy the extra space, they can also enjoy some extra features that Mitsubishi does not offer on the Eclipse Cross. Automatic single-zone climate control is provided on both base trims, however, Mitsubishi retains it for more trims than Nissan. Nissan moves up to dual-zone climate control sooner than Mitsubishi. From there, Nissan offers a tri-zone climate control option, which is not available at all with the Eclipse Cross. This is especially important when considering a new family car since people typically have individual comfort preferences which can be customized with the Nissan’s tri-zone climate control.
Both vehicles offer a 60/40 folding back seat, which is great for travel, errands, or you name it. Having the option to fold down part or all of your back seat will make it easier to haul around large and cumbersome items. However, what puts the Nissan ahead of the Mitsubishi here is that the Nissan has an available remote fold-down feature. With the Rogue you can remotely fold down the backseat, making it super convenient to pick up groceries, load up heavy goods, and so on.
The Most Efficient Is…
For many of us, a vehicle’s fuel efficiency is top of the list of things to look out for. With gas prices constantly fluctuating and many people being forced to commute it’s important to have a vehicle that can get you further, like the Nissan Rogue. The Rogue is equipped with a VC-Turbo engine that provides great gas mileage. For city driving that involves stop-and-go traffic, the Rogue can get an estimated 30 MPG of fuel efficiency for the front-wheel drive models and 28 MPG for the all-wheel drive models.
For highway mileage, when it’s smooth sailing, the Rogue gets an estimated 37 MPG fuel economy for front-wheel drive models and an estimated 35 MPG for all-wheel drive models. For a vehicle this size, that type of gas mileage is excellent, costing you less at the pump. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is equipped with a direct-injection Turbo engine that gets up to 26 MPG in the city for efficiency. For highway driving, the Eclipse Cross gets an estimated 29 MPG in terms of fuel economy. This is a substantial difference from the Rogue, with the Eclipse Cross coming in way below the Rogue on highway gas mileage.
The Practically Perfect 2023 Nissan Rogue
Nothing is perfect in life, but the 2023 Nissan Rogue gets pretty close. Its spacious and comfortable cabin is ideal for this segment, as many who look for this type of vehicle want a crossover that can handle their family, hobbies, and much more. With a configurable back seat and the optional remote fold feature, the Nissan Rogue is not only convenient but also smart. Throw in the vast assortment of standard safety and driver assistance features and the Rogue is a tough act to follow. The icing on the cake of course is the Rogue’s stupendous fuel efficiency, which is an especially important factor for commuters and family haulers. That’s not to say that the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross does not have its appeal, but it simply falls short of the Rogue, which wins out as a practical and perfect choice.
