The 2024 Nissan Rogue isn’t a automobile 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 automobile patrons. Most patrons simply need one thing that’s fairly 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 12 months.
It is sensible. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is sweet trying sufficient, has a complete lot of strong tech, a nicely appointed cabin and an excellent — for at present’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 fuel to do with as I happy for every week.
We’ve bought to start out out the place most driving-agnostic automobile 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 1000’s of {dollars} lower than the typical new automobile, and I wager it’s bought a nicer inside and higher tech than a variety of these vehicles. For that $45,000-ish value you get each trendy luxurious comfort you possibly can really need, like wi-fi telephone connectivity, leather-ish seats, a mess of screens and a complete suite of driver aids. When you had been to attempt to get the whole lot 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 these items — it’s that all of them work moderately nicely. The highest-spec Rogue Platinum has two foremost screens and a head-up show. Each the 12.3-inch Google-based infotainment display and 12-inch digital gauge cluster are simple 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 data as you need within the gauge cluster, and the head-up show is complete whereas nonetheless not terribly distracting. On prime of all of that, you get a pleasant mixture of buttons for core radio features and the local weather management system. All the pieces is strictly the place you’d anticipate 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 simple to get into the Rogue and instantly turn out to be acquainted with the way it works. You actually can not ask for way more.
Apart from an intuitive inside, of us who take into account 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 programs are extraordinarily good, particularly for a automobile on this value vary. You get a 360-degree digital camera 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 allow you to cruise down the highway with as few ideas in your thoughts as potential. I’ll be trustworthy, I didn’t suppose Nissan had it in them to pack this a lot strong 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, laborious plastics and what have you ever. I imply, that’s not precisely stunning. 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 offers 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 to be 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 moderately good-looking, too. It’s not groundbreaking or something, nevertheless it’s a really clear design. It’s inoffensive, and that’s actually all folks need out of an equipment just like the Rogue. In fact, 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. This can be a automobile for Individuals, in any case. Though it’s been on sale for a couple of years it nonetheless seems to be contemporary, particularly in comparison with a few of its historic competitors just like the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Jalopnik is, in fact, an fanatic publication, so it could be flawed 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 occurring. 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 while you push it, the little engine makes a really cute little grumble noise. You may even hear the turbo whistle once in a while! It sends a wholesome 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque to all 4 wheels (if you happen to get the elective part-time AWD) courtesy of a CVT. It’ll faux shift each every so often if you happen to’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal critical in regards to the activity at hand. Regardless 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 tremendous for no matter grime path a Rogue proprietor unintentionally takes it down.
Is that this all a bit boring to you? Good, that is sensible. 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 bother as potential. In that regard, the Rogue Platinum excels. It’s very a lot not a car for fanatics 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 fanatics, 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}, permit them to construct the sporty vehicles we like. Due to that, we shouldn’t beguile the Rogue and its ilk. It’s extremely essential.
