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 another variety of cliches, however stuff like that isn’t necessary to the overwhelming majority of automotive consumers. Most consumers simply need one thing that’s moderately priced, nicely 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 car (and third-best in section) in America final yr.
It is smart. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is sweet wanting 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 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 bought to begin out the place most driving-agnostic automotive 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 1000’s of {dollars} lower than the typical 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 trendy 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. When you have been to attempt to get all the pieces 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 this stuff — it’s that all of them work reasonably nicely. The highest-spec Rogue Platinum has two essential 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 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 high of all of that, you get a pleasant mixture of buttons for core radio capabilities and the local weather management system. Every thing is precisely the place you’d count on 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 far more.
Apart from an intuitive inside, of us who take into account automobiles like the Nissan Rogue actually care about security, and that’s some place else 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 automotive on this worth 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 aid 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 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 offers 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 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 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 folks need out of an equipment just like the Rogue. After all, 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 automotive for Individuals, in spite of everything. Though it’s been on sale for a number of years it nonetheless seems to be recent, 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 might be incorrect 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 except there are some extra-curriculars taking place. It’s deeply boring, however that’s type 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 possibly can 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 (in the event you get the non-compulsory part-time AWD) courtesy of a CVT. It’ll pretend shift each every so often in the event you’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal critical concerning the job 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 effective for no matter filth path a Rogue proprietor unintentionally 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 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. 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 necessary.
