Nissan Allowing Customers to Compare Toyota RAV4 at Dealerships

Nissan will begin encouraging dealerships to place examples of the Toyota RAV4 on their lots so customers will have the ability to compare the best-selling vehicle in America that isn’t a pickup truck against its own Rogue. While pitting your bread and butter against a model that is often better reviewed and outsells it by a margin of nearly 2-to-1 seems foolish, we think we see where Nissan is going with this plan.

Toyota’s RAV4 retails a bit higher than Nissan’s Rogue and its base LE trim is about as basic as it gets for the segment. We’re willing to bet that’s the model that will be used in comparisons. As both are fairly appliance-like automobiles to drive, this gives Nissan an opportunity to showcase the Rogue’s slight advantage in overall comfort and features without being eclipsed by a better-equipped RAV4. Meanwhile, customers finding themselves less interested in crossovers than they were upon arrival are free to browse the rest of the Nissan lot.

The brand is calling it the “Rogue Gone Rogue” campaign and had opted to tap the famously unlikable Brie Larson for the accompanying advertisements. Despite having won some of the most coveted awards Hollywood has to offer, Larson’s choice as a multi-year brand ambassador feels like a minor misstep. But Nissan made it clear that this campaign isn’t about playing things safe, it’s about drawing attention to the brand’s best sellers. Larson’s constant advocacy for gender and racial issues lends itself to that, according to Nissan’s Chief Marketing Officer Allyson Witherspoon.

“Brie embodies the Nissan spirit in her desire to challenge the status quo off-screen and her ability to bring thrill and excitement to on-screen roles,” she explained. “When we previously worked with Brie on the Sentra campaign, she brought a unique point of view to the creative during the production process, advocating for diversity and inclusivity, which aligns with her interest in supporting the work of the Nissan Foundation.”

Seems a bit heady for selling cars but that’s where the dealership comes into play. Having the RAV4 on site will probably send plenty of customers who might have been considering one over to the Nissan store first. Judy Wheeler, Nissan division vice president of sales and regional operations in the United States, told dealers as much last week.

“We know that when consumers check out the all-new Rogue side by side with the RAV4, they will be amazed by our standard safety, advanced technology, premium design … and, most of all, outstanding overall value,” she said.

Toyota said that it’s happy the RAV4 will have more opportunities to go against its rivals, noting that it’s the best-selling crossover in the U.S. for a good reason. But Nissan is going hard with its marketing campaign, sprucing up its lineup, and will be offering sizable incentives for returning customers.

“It’s really about the features that are standard for the value that we are offering,” Wheeler explained to Automotive News last week. “When you test drive our vehicle versus the major competitors, you’re going to end up purchasing this vehicle because it’s that much better.”

Nissan said that rented RAV4s will be made available for customers to test drive and compare with the Rogue during December. Roughly half of its 1,074 American dealerships are expected to join the program.

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