This is my second time driving one of the top dogs in the compact SUV segment: the Nissan Rogue. It’s the first Nissan product ever to cross 400,000 annual sales, according to Automotive News. The sales numbers are right behind the Rav4 but ahead of the Honda CRV, which is extremely impressive considering how competitive this segment of vehicle is. Do the sales numbers indicate a positive driving experience? Below are some of my updated impressions.
From first sitting inside the Rogue, I can tell that it’s definitely one of the nicer Nissans in terms of interior materials and aesthetics. In fact, I think the Maxima is the only other Nissan product that can rival the Rogue’s feeling of luxuriousness, at least until the new Altima goes on sale. The current Altima, Sentra, Versa, and Pathfinder all feel somewhat cold to sit in, whereas the Rogue feels a bit more glitzy and upscale, similar to an Infiniti product. The Infotainment system is unique and nicely updated compared to the other Nissan products that are still using the same interface from 10 years ago. I also think the exterior styling is class competitive and it takes some riskier styling cues compared to some of the other cookie-cutter options in the segment. The dash is stylish, the flat bottom steering wheel looks good, and overall the Rogue looks and feels like a nice car to spend time in.
That said, my driving impressions remain largely the same from my previous review. Spoiler alert: my impressions are mostly negative. The Rogue does some things well, and I can respect it as a family hauler. But it’s anything but a driver’s car, and I find that somewhat inexcusable as other automakers like Honda, Mazda, and even Kia are pumping out comfortable SUVs that still feel capable and have confident driving dynamics. The Rogue just feels vague and lumbering. It feels fine when you’re just cruising along at the speed limit and being super relaxed with the steering, braking, and accelerator, but the Rogue just doesn’t have the agility or the confidence that some of the other entires have. This car simply isn’t built for any type of spirited driving.
As I said, the Rogue is disconnected from the road in its feel and driving dynamics. The steering has no communication with the front wheels, and you don’t get any feedback from the road at all. It almost feels like steer-by-wire system, and a vaguely tuned one at that. The sportier flat bottom wheel design is purely for aesthetics. The Rogue just feels wishy-washy in relation to what the front wheels are doing, as the steering is very light and it lacks in predictability. You don’t get much feel in the corners, nor do you get any sense of the vehicle’s inertia or body motions through the steering. Other cars in this class, mainly the Escape, CX-5, and Honda CR-V will feel more connected to the road and give the driver a good sense of predictability in where the car is going to steer. Even the larger Nissan Pathfinder gives you a more accurate and precise steering feel than the Rogue, which confuses me to say the least. Overall, I found myself really not liking the feeling of disconnectedness and lack of control in the steering.
The handling of the Rogue is about average. It is decently car-like, but much of it is ruined due to the steering feel. The handling isn’t terrible, but you feel a little too much body and sidewall lean for a compact crossover, and cornering can feel mushy and not very controlled. There are also times when the Rogue also feels like it wants to wonder all over the road. Sometimes the car points straight, but then other times I find that the lack of communication with the steering makes the vehicle feel more prone to waft around and find its own lane. Other vehicles in this segment, like the CX-5, CRV, and Escape all seem to point straight as an arrow and pitch themselves in turns pretty well, but the Rogue is just a more vague and unpredictable experience. The Rogue feels fairly light for a compact crossover with a curb weight of around 3,500 lbs, but the handling lacks reassurance.
Despite what other reviews say, I don’t think the Rogue has the best ride quality either. On smooth pavement its fine, but the car just seems to crash over bumps and potholes a little too hard. I would even say that the sportier CX-5 glides over bumps and imperfections better. The Rogue generally has an odd blend of stiffness and vagueness, and while it doesn’t ride like a buckboard, the car just doesn’t handle the bumps with much finesse for having such a soft driving experience.
The road noise is pretty quiet for the class. After taking it on the highway, the Rogue definitely seemed quieter than other entires. It’s not library silent, but there isn’t much in terms of wind noise. You don’t really hear the oncoming cars, you don’t hear much wind, and overall the noise levels are decently subdued. You can still hear the road, but the Rogue overall has competitive noise levels.
While the road noise is decently quiet, the engine just seems too loud and intruding. It drones and it screams with this metallic-like clattering, and I personally think this engine sounds harsh and unrefined. Horsepower is lacking compared to the Rav4 and CRV, which is no surprise given the fact that this same engine has been used in Nissan products since the early 2000s with very little updates. In North America, the QR25DE 4 cylinder engine found in the current Rogue made its debut in the 2002 Altima and Sentra, however this engine has been used in foreign markets since 1999. The Rogue takes over 9 seconds to get to 60 whereas the CRV only takes 7.6 seconds, and the Rav4 takes 8.3 seconds. The CRV with the 1.5T engine has 190 horsepower (20 more than the Rogue), and while the Rav4 has only six additional horses, it gets to 60 mph nearly a second quicker. The engine in the Rogue is just really loud, dated, and it sounds quite unpleasant compared to the other entires. On the plus side, it will probably run forever considering how long Nissan has been producing these engines, and it achieves a respectable 26 city/33 highway MPG rating. If reliability and gas mileage are more important to you, definitely put the Rogue on your list.
The accelerator is quite mushy and loose. Whenever you put your foot down, it feels like nothing happens until the CVT sends the engine revs screaming. The accelerator pedal has a dead zone right in the beginning, and then there’s a very small amount of travel where you can achieve comfortable, adequate acceleration before the revs shoot up past 4,000 RPM and it feels like you’re flooring it. The throttle mapping isn’t calibrated all that well, and the CVT logic isn’t very intuitive. I’m also not a fan of the artificial shifting characteristics from the CVT, I just don’t think they are executed well. Acceleration would probably feel more linear if the transmission just performed like a regular CVT instead of trying to mimic an automatic transmission. You feel delays and pauses in the power band as the CVT shifts into the next ratio, and it doesn’t feel quite as linear or refined as a Honda designed CVT. I’m also disappointed over the Mitsubishi-like rubber band sensations from this transmission, especially considering how long Nissan has been making CVTs. This transmission feels considerably snappier than the older ones, and it is quick to drop a ratio, but it still feels too much like a CVT for being a modern car.
In terms of acceleration and performance, Rogue feels a little sluggish off the line, but it gets up to speed adequately. There is a delay initially as the CVT gets warmed up and starts putting the power down. I find that the Rogue feels better under acceleration with light throttle inputs and low RPMs, as you don’t really feel the lack of refinement and lumpy, disconnected feeling power band from the CVT unless you have a lead foot. Passing power is definitely lacking though, as the engine feels gutless on the highway. The Rogue also seems to lose a ton of speed and momentum over the tiniest of inclines, and I found it difficult to keep a constant, balanced speed in this car. The vague and mushy feel from the accelerator makes it a little more challenging to modulate your speed as well.
The brakes are super vague for a modern car, and they don’t have any sense of bite that I really look for. The brake pedal is soft and mushy, and the brakes don’t kick in until about half way into the pedal travel. The stopping power doesn’t always feel smooth or well modulated, either.
Visibility in this car is good. The front hood is pretty flat and it stays out of the driver’s line of sight. Side mirrors are huge and show you everything. Back window is huge and frames the rearview mirror nicely. The pillars are pretty thin, and overall you can see everything around you just fine. Some people have complained about the blind spot in the rear quarter windows, but I still didn’t have any issues seeing through my blind spots when driving the Rogue.
Some buyers in this class like to feel isolated from the road, but I have driven other cars focused on isolation that still feel more connected and predictable than the Rogue does. I think Nissan just confused road isolation with stale driving dynamics. I have been negative on the driving experience, but I still don’t think the Rogue is a bad choice in the segment. It’s decently comfortable, the interior looks nice, it has good exterior styling, and it is obviously functional and reliable. It’s just not the enthusiast’s choice. As I mentioned, I can respect it as a family hauler, and I can’t ignore the fact that the Rogue is outselling many of those enthusiast-oriented entires by huge margins. Obviously they are doing something right. Many people just want something with spacious cargo room, good gas mileage, good reliability ratings, and something that looks at least somewhat stylish. The Rogue is just a little different from the usual CRV’s and the Rav4’s that everybody else has. While everybody else is out focusing on trying to be sporty and fun, the Rogue panders to the anti-car enthusiast. Many people surprisingly want something that has a different mission statement from all the rest, even if it’s not necessarily a positive one.
Yes, the Rogue is dependable, practical, and economical. However, I think that if you’re considering the Rogue, you should definitely take one on a test drive before buying one. Don’t be fooled by the V motion grille, the fancy LED lights, or the flat bottom steering wheel. Test drive some of the other options as well, and decide for yourself if the Rogue’s styling, features, practicality, and reliability ratings outweigh the temptation of some of the more exciting, sportier handling entries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YmslYbbagU