As Good As We Think It Is? A Nissan Rogue Joins Our Fleet for a Year

nissan rogue Full Overview

Many of Nissan’s SUVs currently rank midpack or lower in our buyers guide segments, but that’s not the case with the Rogue, one of our favorite compact SUVs. Fresh off a full redesign, the Rogue advanced to the finalist round of our 2021 SUV of the Year competition thanks to its practical and spacious cabin and solid road manners. It also won a comparison test against its hot-selling rival, the Toyota RAV4. Although we’ve spent our fair share of time in the Rogue, we’ve yet to really live with it through the seasons. Now that the Rogue has entered our yearlong test fleet, however, we’ll learn more about its reliability, maintenance costs, and competence as a daily driver and road tripper. Will the Rogue lose its luster after a year?

Previous 2021 Rogues we’ve spent a lot of time in have been top-grade Platinum models, but this time around, we’re driving a less expensive version, choosing instead to hop behind the wheel of the Rogue SV, just one step up from the base model. The SV is the volume player in the Rogue lineup; buyers have flocked to its sub-$29,000 starting price compared to the Platinum and its more than $37,000 ask. Even though it’s a lower-trim model, the SV comes standard with a full suite of safety equipment, including blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and automatic high-beams.

So far, we’ve been enjoying the Rogue SV’s standard 360-degree camera system. ProPilot Assist, Nissan’s semi-autonomous driving aids, have also come in handy. The system combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering tech; essentially, it assists you with accelerating, braking, and steering within a single lane on the highway.

Front and center inside the cabin, an 8.0-inch screen offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You won’t encounter quilted leather seats like you would on the Platinum, but our test SUV features soft-to-the-touch faux leather, part of the SV Premium package. This $2,660 package also adds heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic moonroof, and a power liftgate. After tacking on more extras, including AWD, floormats, and a premium Scarlet Ember paint, our SUV rang out to $33,530.

So what’s under the hood? The 2021 Nissan Rogue comes standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a CVT automatic. Output is less than thrilling at 181 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. We’ve complained about this engine’s slow power delivery in previous reviews, though we haven’t had much trouble so far merging with traffic on our SV. We’ll soon learn if the Rogue’s lack of power is something we can live with in the long term.

We could live with it in our 2014 Nissan Rogue test SUV. At the end of the year, we found it worthy of recommendation. Although that Rogue wasn’t quick and maintenance costs were higher than many rivals, it excelled at hauling people and cargo. Of course, the automotive landscape has changed since then. Today’s Rogue is a big improvement from previous iterations, especially in terms of interior and tech offerings, but rivals have made major strides, too.

One thing I’m eager to find out: Will the Rogue haul all my family’s baby gear? Is the touchscreen reliable? How will maintenance costs compare to our previous long-term Rogue?

So far, the Rogue has been doing its job. I’m already appreciating the extra cargo space it provides compared to my last long-term vehicle, the Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan, the verdict for which is forthcoming. Stay tuned for more Nissan Rogue impressions.

Looks good! More details?

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