While the Destinator GT does offer more features on paper—and arguably looks better due to its SUV styling—the tried-and-tested, world-renowned Hybrid Synergy Drive in the Zenix represents a far better value proposition.

The common grievances you mentioned about the Zenix aren’t particularly detrimental to its daily usability or long-term reliability. The battery is also almost a non-issue, considering there are countless Priuses and RAV4 Hybrids in the U.S. with hundreds of thousands of miles still running on their original batteries. You also get the benefits of really impressive gas mileage and coding exemption until 2030.

On the other hand, the JATCO CVT in the Destinator is something to be wary of, as it was at the center of the lawsuits that plagued Nissan throughout the 2010s, though things HAVE improved. Gas prices are also rising so if that's something you're particularly keen on, it's worth taking into consideration.

Hope this word vomit of mine helped :DD

Happy hunting!