The 2024 Nissan Rogue isn’t a automobile for people such as you and me. We’re extra into issues that lights our souls on hearth, makes us fizz or another variety of cliches, however stuff like that isn’t essential to the overwhelming majority of automobile consumers. Most consumers simply need one thing that’s fairly priced, properly thought out and has simply sufficient creature comforts to make you are feeling like life is value residing. That’s precisely the place the Nissan Rogue is available in, and it’s why the compact crossover was the ninth best-selling automobile (and third-best in section) in America final yr.
It is smart. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is nice trying sufficient, has an entire lot of stable tech, a properly appointed cabin and an excellent — for at this time’s requirements — worth 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 try 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 every week.
We’ve acquired to begin out the place most driving-agnostic automobile consumers begin: worth, 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 automobile, and I guess it’s acquired a nicer inside and higher tech than quite a lot of these vehicles. For that $45,000-ish worth you get each fashionable luxurious comfort you possibly can really need, like wi-fi telephone connectivity, leather-ish seats, a large number of screens and a complete suite of driver aids. In case you had been to attempt to get all the things this Rogue has on one thing like a BMW X3, you’d be pushing 60 grand. That kind of stuff is essential to your common purchaser.
What makes the Rogue actually interesting, although, just isn’t that it has all of this stuff — it’s that all of them work reasonably properly. The highest-spec Rogue Platinum has two primary screens and a head-up show. Each the 12.3-inch Google-based infotainment display screen and 12-inch digital gauge cluster are straightforward to make use of, customizable and crisp. That’s actually all an on a regular basis automobile purchaser needs. 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 capabilities and the local weather management system. The whole lot is precisely the place you’d count on it to be on this automobile, from the quantity knob and drive mode selector to the controls for the gauge cluster and digi-stick gear selector. It’s straightforward to get into the Rogue and instantly turn into acquainted with the way it works. You actually can not ask for rather more.
Apart from an intuitive inside, of us who contemplate vehicles like the Nissan Rogue actually care about security, and that’s some other place it excels. Not solely does it have a five-star security score from NHTSA, however its suite of driver help and security methods are extraordinarily good, particularly for a automobile on this worth vary. You get a 360-degree digicam setup, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot screens, 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 properly and enable you cruise down the highway with as few ideas in your thoughts as attainable. I’ll be trustworthy, I didn’t suppose Nissan had it in them to pack this a lot stable tech right into a cheap-ish automobile just like the Rogue.
Since Nissan is a enterprise, and companies have to make cash to remain open, the Rogue just isn’t with out its cost-cutting measures. There are some kind of questionable supplies inside, onerous plastics and what have you ever. I imply, that’s not precisely surprising. Designers have to save cash 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 mentioned, it did look very good. The tester I had was fitted with a black inside with white distinction stitching. It seems 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 inside and outside, 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. In fact, the Platinum trim will get some extra premium-looking design components like a floating-ish roof, 19-inch wheels (which I actually dig the design of) and extra chrome trim. It is a automobile for Individuals, in spite of everything. Although it’s been on sale for a number of years it nonetheless seems 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 flawed to fully 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 kind of the purpose. Energy is equipped 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 once 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 the event you get the non-compulsory part-time AWD) courtesy of a CVT. It’ll faux shift each on occasion in the event you’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal severe concerning the process at hand. Regardless of which of the 5 drive modes you set 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 positive it’ll be nice for no matter dust path a Rogue proprietor by chance 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 carry alongside to your vacation spot with as little stress and bother as attainable. In that regard, the Rogue Platinum excels. It’s very a lot not a automobile for lovers 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 lovers, 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.
