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 hearth, 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 price residing. 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 phase) in America final 12 months.
It is sensible. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is nice trying sufficient, has an entire lot of stable tech, a nicely appointed cabin and an excellent — for at present’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 bought 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 1000’s of {dollars} lower than the common new automotive, and I wager it’s bought a nicer inside and higher tech than lots of these automobiles. For that $45,000-ish worth 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 had been to try to get every little thing this Rogue has on one thing like a BMW X3, you’d be pushing 60 grand. That form 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 fairly nicely. The highest-spec Rogue Platinum has two principal screens and a head-up show. Each the 12.3-inch Google-based infotainment display and 12-inch digital gauge cluster are straightforward to make use of, customizable and crisp. That’s actually all an on a regular basis automotive purchaser needs. Apple CarPlay hooks up simply, you may 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 high of all of that, you get a pleasant mixture of buttons for core radio capabilities and the local weather management system. Every little thing is strictly 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 straightforward to get into the Rogue and instantly turn into acquainted with the way it works. You actually can’t ask for rather more.
Except for an intuitive inside, of us who think about automobiles like the Nissan Rogue actually care about security, and that’s someplace else 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 digital camera 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 street with as few ideas in your thoughts as doable. I’ll be sincere, I didn’t suppose 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 have to make cash to remain open, the Rogue just isn’t with out its cost-cutting measures. There are some form of questionable supplies inside, onerous plastics and what have you ever. I imply, that’s not precisely stunning. 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 automobiles 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 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 inside and outside, is fairly good-looking, too. It’s not groundbreaking or something, but it surely’s a really clear design. It’s inoffensive, and that’s actually all folks 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. This can be a automotive for People, in any case. Although it’s been on sale for just a few years it nonetheless appears to be like contemporary, particularly in comparison with a few of its historical competitors just like the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Jalopnik is, in fact, an fanatic publication, so it might 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 form of the purpose. Energy is equipped by a nifty little turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder motor, and it goes down the street with zero fuss. For probably 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 the event you get the optionally available part-time AWD) courtesy of a CVT. It’ll faux shift each from time to time in the event you’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal critical in regards to the activity 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 street in any respect, however I’m positive it’ll be positive 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 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 doable. 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. Autos just like the Rogue, which make automakers untold billions of {dollars}, enable them to construct the sporty automobiles we like. Due to that, we shouldn’t beguile the Rogue and its ilk. It’s extremely essential.
