The 2024 Nissan Rogue isn’t a automotive 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 vital to the overwhelming majority of automotive 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 automobile (and third-best in phase) in America final 12 months.
It is sensible. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is sweet trying sufficient, has a complete lot of stable tech, a nicely appointed cabin and an excellent — for right now’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 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 every week.
We’ve obtained to begin out the place most driving-agnostic automotive patrons 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 automotive, and I guess it’s obtained a nicer inside and higher tech than plenty of these automobiles. For that $45,000-ish worth you get each fashionable luxurious comfort you possibly can really need, like wi-fi cellphone connectivity, leather-ish seats, a mess of screens and a complete suite of driver aids. If you happen to had been to try to get every thing 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, shouldn’t be that it has all of these items — it’s that all of them work slightly nicely. The highest-spec Rogue Platinum has two principal 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 may 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 prime of all of that, you get a pleasant mixture of buttons for core radio features and the local weather management system. The whole lot is precisely the place you’d anticipate it to be on this automotive, from the amount 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’t ask for rather more.
Apart from an intuitive inside, people who think about automobiles 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 ranking from NHTSA, however its suite of driver help and security techniques are extraordinarily good, particularly for a automotive 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 nicely and assist you cruise down the highway with as few ideas in your thoughts as doable. I’ll be sincere, I didn’t assume Nissan had it in them to pack this a lot stable tech right into a cheap-ish automotive just like the Rogue.
Since Nissan is a enterprise, and companies must earn a living to remain open, the Rogue shouldn’t be 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 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 automobiles 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 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 in and out, is slightly good-looking, too. It’s not groundbreaking or something, however 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. It is a automotive for People, in spite of everything. Regardless that it’s been on sale for a number of years it nonetheless seems to be contemporary, particularly in comparison with a few of its historical competitors just like the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Jalopnik is, after all, an fanatic publication, so it could be fallacious 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 except 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 if you push it, the little engine makes a really cute little grumble noise. You’ll be able to even hear the turbo whistle now and again! 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 now and again if you happen to’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal severe concerning the activity at hand. Irrespective 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 certain it’ll be effective for no matter grime path a Rogue proprietor by accident 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 hassle as doable. In that regard, the Rogue Platinum excels. It’s very a lot not a automobile 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. Autos just like the Rogue, which make automakers untold billions of {dollars}, permit them to construct the sporty automobiles we like. Due to that, we shouldn’t beguile the Rogue and its ilk. It’s extremely vital.
