The 2024 Nissan Rogue isn’t a automotive for folk such as you and me. We’re extra into issues that lights our souls on fireplace, makes us fizz or every other variety of cliches, however stuff like that isn’t essential to the overwhelming majority of automotive patrons. Most patrons simply need one thing that’s moderately priced, nicely thought out and has simply sufficient creature comforts to make you’re feeling like life is value dwelling. That’s precisely the place the Nissan Rogue is available in, and it’s why the compact crossover was the ninth best-selling car (and third-best in section) in America final yr.
It is smart. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is nice wanting sufficient, has an entire lot of strong tech, a nicely appointed cabin and an excellent — for right now’s requirements — value level at $45,190 (together with vacation spot). Nonetheless, the Rogue doesn’t actually do something for me, and I doubt it does something for you. Due to that, we’re going to placed on our NPC caps and check out simply what makes the Nissan Rogue so goddamn interesting to so many individuals.
Full Disclosure: Nissan lent me a 2024 Rogue with a full tank of gasoline to do with as I happy for per week.
We’ve acquired to start out out the place most driving-agnostic automotive patrons begin: value, options and worth for cash. That is actually the place the Rogue, even in Platinum trim, excels. The highest-of-the-line Rogue nonetheless prices hundreds of {dollars} lower than the common new automotive, and I guess it’s acquired a nicer inside and higher tech than quite a lot of these vehicles. For that $45,000-ish value you get each fashionable luxurious comfort you can actually need, like wi-fi cellphone connectivity, leather-ish seats, a large number of screens and a complete suite of driver aids. Should you have been to try to get the whole lot this Rogue has on one thing like a BMW X3, you’d be pushing 60 grand. That type of stuff is essential to your common purchaser.
What makes the Rogue actually interesting, although, is just not that it has all of these items — it’s that all of them work reasonably nicely. The highest-spec Rogue Platinum has two important screens and a head-up show. Each the 12.3-inch Google-based infotainment display screen and 12-inch digital gauge cluster are simple to make use of, customizable and crisp. That’s actually all an on a regular basis automotive purchaser desires. Apple CarPlay hooks up simply, you will get as little or as a lot info as you need within the gauge cluster, and the head-up show is complete whereas nonetheless not terribly distracting. On high of all of that, you get a pleasant mixture of buttons for core radio features and the local weather management system. All the things is strictly the place you’d count on it to be on this automotive, from the quantity knob and drive mode selector to the controls for the gauge cluster and digi-stick gear selector. It’s simple to get into the Rogue and instantly grow to be acquainted with the way it works. You actually can not ask for way more.
Other than an intuitive inside, people who take into account vehicles like the Nissan Rogue actually care about security, and that’s elsewhere it excels. Not solely does it have a five-star security ranking from NHTSA, however its suite of driver help and security methods are extraordinarily good, particularly for a automotive on this value vary. You get a 360-degree digicam setup, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot displays, automated emergency braking and extra. It additionally comes with adaptive cruise management and a lane-keeping system that Nissan dubbed ProPilot Help; each work very nicely and make it easier to cruise down the highway with as few ideas in your thoughts as doable. I’ll be trustworthy, I didn’t assume Nissan had it in them to pack this a lot strong tech right into a cheap-ish automotive just like the Rogue.
Since Nissan is a enterprise, and companies have to earn cash to remain open, the Rogue is just not with out its cost-cutting measures. There are some type of questionable supplies inside, exhausting plastics and what have you ever. I imply, that’s not precisely surprising. Designers have to economize someplace. The quilted leather-based and stitching contained in the Rogue wasn’t precisely fabulous-feeling, both. There was a sure smoothness to the leather-based that provides the sensation of vinyl in vehicles from the mid-90s. That being stated, it did look very good. The tester I had was fitted with a black inside with white distinction stitching. It appears to be like very premium, and leagues above something Toyota is providing on the RAV4 or Honda with its CR-V.
The general design of the Rogue, each in and out, is reasonably good-looking, too. It’s not groundbreaking or something, however it’s a really clear design. It’s inoffensive, and that’s actually all individuals need out of an equipment just like the Rogue. After all, the Platinum trim will get some extra premium-looking design parts like a floating-ish roof, 19-inch wheels (which I actually dig the design of) and extra chrome trim. It is a automotive for People, in spite of everything. Despite the fact that it’s been on sale for a couple of years it nonetheless appears to be like contemporary, particularly in comparison with a few of its historic competitors just like the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Jalopnik is, after all, an fanatic publication, so it could be unsuitable to utterly ignore how the Rogue Platinum drives. Let’s simply say it’s… uninspired. Nobody has ever actually had enjoyable behind the wheel of a crossover like this until there are some extra-curriculars taking place. It’s deeply boring, however that’s type of the purpose. Energy is provided by a nifty little turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder motor, and it goes down the highway with zero fuss. For essentially the most half the motor falls to the background, however whenever you push it, the little engine makes a really cute little grumble noise. You may even hear the turbo whistle now and again! It sends a wholesome 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque to all 4 wheels (in case you get the non-compulsory part-time AWD) courtesy of a CVT. It’ll pretend shift each every so often in case you’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal critical concerning the process at hand. Irrespective of which of the 5 drive modes you place the Rogue Platinum in, it’s not going to be a enjoyable driving expertise. I didn’t get an opportunity to drive it off highway in any respect, however I’m certain it’ll be nice for no matter filth path a Rogue proprietor by accident takes it down.
Is that this all a bit boring to you? Good, that is smart. That’s precisely what the Rogue is meant to be. It’s a pod to switch you and no matter you deliver alongside to your vacation spot with as little stress and hassle as doable. In that regard, the Rogue Platinum excels. It’s very a lot not a car for fans such as you and me. It’s an equipment, and that’s OK, as a result of it’s a rattling good equipment. If automakers solely catered to fans, there wouldn’t be any automakers left as a result of they’d have all gone bankrupt. Automobiles just like the Rogue, which make automakers untold billions of {dollars}, enable them to construct the sporty vehicles we like. Due to that, we shouldn’t beguile the Rogue and its ilk. It’s extremely essential.
