Nissan Rogue Review

2009 Nissan Rogue SL SUV Shown

The Rogue is Nissan's long-awaited entrant in the hotly contested compact crossover SUV segment. Think of the Rogue as an agile, solidly engineered runabout with avant-garde aesthetics and you'll have a pretty good idea what it's all about.

Like many of the two dozen or so compact crossovers on the market today, the Nissan Rogue seeks to provide the all-weather capability and commanding driving position of an SUV along with the maneuverability and fuel efficiency of a typical car. We feel that the Rogue covers these bases well, and its bold, Son-of-Murano styling further distinguishes it from the crossover pack.

Given Nissan's tardiness in entering this segment, however, not to mention the brand's sporting image, we find the Rogue's bland, unrefined powertrain disappointing. And its versatility is hampered by a smallish cargo hold and poor outward visibility. Nonetheless, the remarkably carlike and always stylish Nissan Rogue presents a compelling overall package that merits consideration alongside traditional segment leaders.

Current Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue debuted for the 2008 model year. It's available in two trim levels: S and SL. Standard equipment across these trims is largely identical, including full power accessories, side curtain airbags, antilock brakes and stability control. Both models are also offered in front-wheel- or all-wheel-drive configurations. What really differentiates the SL from the S is its expandability: Most options, from the Rogue's impressive Bose stereo system to the leather seats and moonroof, are only available on the SL model.

The Nissan Rogue is based on the same platform as the Sentra. This is beneficial in terms of ride quality, as the vehicle's long-travel suspension is able to soak up bumps and road imperfections easily. The Rogue is also stable and quiet at speed, though ultimate cornering limits are predictably modest. The electric power-assisted steering rack is commendably responsive, though like most electric setups, it's a bit numb. Nevertheless, the Nissan's contoured, small-diameter steering wheel and full center console with integrated shifter beget a sporty, cockpit-like feel. Wheel-mounted manual shift paddles on certain Rogue models reinforce this theme.

All Nissan Rogues are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is also standard. The resulting 9.2-second gallop from zero to 60 mph is on par with the four-cylinder competition, but we question Nissan's decision to use a CVT here. Although the Rogue feels fine cruising in city traffic thanks to the 2.5-liter's generous torque band, when you put your foot down to ask for more, the CVT has to do a lot of ratio swapping to get the power you require. The result is sluggish throttle response followed by lots of engine noise. This is particularly evident at highway speeds, where any meaningful prodding at the Rogue's accelerator elicits a cacophonous roar as the CVT zings the engine to redline.

On the flip side, the efficiency-minded CVT helps the Rogue return some of the better fuel-efficiency numbers in this segment. Additionally, our consumer reviews indicate that some owners are quite enamored of the Rogue's unconventional powertrain. Our advice is this: Just make sure that you're enamored of it, too, before signing on the dotted line.

Good looks never hurt, and we think this Rogue has them in spades. Styling is a subjective matter, of course, but to our eyes, the Rogue cuts an extraordinarily dashing profile compared to its compact crossover brethren. Rear visibility consequently suffers, as do cargo capacity and backseat accommodations, which lag behind much of the competition. Maximum cargo capacity is 58 cubic feet; most top models in this segment offer about 70. But these are trade-offs that style-conscious (read: many) consumers will likely be willing to accept.

Is the Nissan Rogue going to seize the compact-crossover crown? Probably not. But the Rogue's rare combination of high style and carlike performance does endow it with a decidedly un-roguish mainstream appeal.

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* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.