You’ve heard of SUVs, but what is a CUV? Well, CUV is an acronym for “crossover utility vehicle,” and it’s a type of SUV (sport utility vehicle). A CUV is also known as a crossover SUV or simply a crossover. Full SUVs are built on platforms that are also used for pickup trucks, while CUVs share a platform with passenger cars. A popular type of CUV is the compact CUV. The 2021 Nissan Rogue and 2021 Chevy Equinox are two top-selling compact CUVs, but which one is better?
Nissan and Chevy Make Affordable CUVs
The great thing about compact CUVs is their price tags. Full-size SUVs start at $50,000 MSRP, while the Nissan Rogue and Chevy Equinox are roughly half that price for their basic trims. The Nissan Rogue S trim starts at $25,850, and the Chevy Equinox L trim is $23,800.
Compact CUVs are popular vehicles because they combine the best features of a passenger car and SUV. But one of the best things is their compact size. SUVs are bigger vehicles, and there’s a learning curve to driving large vehicles if you’re used to smaller cars. CUVs may lack the raw power and off-road performance of an SUV, but it makes them great cars for short commutes.
CUVs like the Rogue and Equinox are among the top-selling car models in the US, and their sales continue to outrank full-size SUV sales. In fact, these two models are their brand’s best-selling SUVs. Nissan wanted to sell even more of their Rogues, so they completely redesigned the CUV for 2021.
The Rogue and Equinox Aren’t Race Cars, but They Are Fun
The Chevrolet Equinox and Nissan Rogue aren’t meant for NASCAR or testing out how to Tokyo drift, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t capable performers in their own right. While they both come with solid engines under their hoods, the recently redesigned Rogue offers more power without sacrificing fuel economy.
The Nissan Rogue comes with a reliable 2.5L inline-4 engine with 181 horsepower. That’s an 11 horsepower bump over the smaller 2.0L engine in last year’s model and really helps the Rogue come alive. The Chevy Equinox has a 1.5L turbo inline-4 engine, but despite the turbocharger, it only produces 170 horsepower. While that is still more than enough to get you from point A to point B at a relatively brisk pace, the Equinox lacks the panache of the more powerful Nissan Rogue.
You Don’t Have to Sacrifice Efficiency
Another great thing about a compact CUV is its fuel economy. Because they’re bigger vehicles, full-size SUVs require more gasoline, and that equals more money spent at the pump. Compact CUVs, however, have more miles to the gallon. The Nissan Rogue is among the best CUV for gas savings because it is rated for 30 MPG combined (27 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway). The Chevrolet Equinox trails behind at a combined 28 MPG (it gets 26 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway).
The Rouge also outperforms the Equinox for cruising ranges: 392 miles in the city and 508 miles on the highway. The Equinox’s cruising range is comparable in the city at 387 miles, but the difference is astounding on the highway cruise range at 462 miles. You might think that’s because the Rogue has a larger gas tank, but in fact, it holds only 14.5 gallons while the Equinox has a 14.9-gallon tank!
The Rogue Values Standard Safety Features
In order to keep drivers and passengers alive, car manufacturers continue to innovate and introduce new safety technologies. Seat belts, airbags, and other features are now standard in all vehicles, and they’ve saved countless lives. However, the Chevy Equinox only has a basic safety package, while Nissan goes above and beyond to make most safety features part of its standard trim.
All Rogue trims have:
- backup camera
- rear parking aid
- ABS
- lane departure warning
- blind spot monitor
- tire pressure monitor
- traction control
- brake assist
- stability control
The SV trim package has the ProPilot Assist that includes adaptive cruise control. Nissan also designed the Rogue to have airbags everywhere: driver, front head, front sides, knees, passenger, rear head, and rear sides. The IIHS declared the 2021 Rogue to be a Top Safety Pick+ because of all these features.
While the 2021 Equinox was named a Top Safety Pick, it missed receiving the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ designation. While Chevy finally made basic driver-assist features standard in the 2021 Equinox, it still does not have as many standard safety technologies as the 2021 Rogue, and the IIHS further dinged the Equinox for having older halogen projector headlights that provide “marginal” illumination of the road ahead. If you regularly drive at night, you will find the bright standard LED headlights of the Rogue to be a lifesaver.
A Rogue Likes Space
The Nissan Rogue redesign gives riders a comfortable ride and more cargo space. Both CUVs are five-seaters, but Nissan squeezed more legroom and cargo space into the Rogue. The Rogue has 74.1 cubic feet for cargo when rear passenger seats are folded down or 36.5 cubic feet with the seat in up. The Equinox might be smaller by less than a foot, but those extra inches are important when hauling stuff. Its cargo space is just 63.9 cubic feet at most and drops to 29.9 cubic feet with the rear seat in place. The Rogue’s front seats also have an extra inch of legroom and headroom for a more comfortable ride.
Technology Is a Must
Both CUVs have unique technology features that a modern driver will appreciate having. The Chevy Equinox is connected to Amazon Alexa, so you can stream your music, make shopping lists, ask trivia questions, and program your smart home. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect phones to the car’s display and allow drivers to use phone apps. The car can also be turned into a WiFi hotspot. The dashboard features a standard seven-inch touch screen that can be upgraded to eight inches.
The Nissan Rogue includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and wireless charging, but the real winners are the digital displays. The Rogue features three display panels: a 12-inch digital dashboard, a 9-inch touch screen display, and a head-up display on the windshield so that drivers don’t have to take their eyes off the road. Even the lower trims of the Rogue pull ahead of the Equinox, thanks to a standard 8-inch touch screen.
The Rogue Pulls Ahead
The clear winner is the Nissan Rogue for its better standard safety features, extra cargo space, and additional technology features. That doesn’t mean the Chevy Equinox is a bad car, but the Rogue has more bells and whistles for the price. Overall, both vehicles are mainstream CUVs with solid engines, decent fuel economy, and a good set of features. Ultimately the final choice will be up to you. You’ll need to review the pros and cons of both vehicles, list what you’re specifically searching for in a new car, and it will help if you prioritize the most important items. After reviewing your list, you’ll make the best decision. However, we bet you’ll go with the Rogue because it’s a winner.
