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 some other variety of cliches, however stuff like that isn’t vital to the overwhelming majority of automotive 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 price 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 smart. I imply, the 2024 Rogue Platinum is nice wanting sufficient, has an entire lot of strong tech, a properly appointed cabin and an excellent — for at the moment’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 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 fuel to do with as I happy for per week.
We’ve received to start out out the place most driving-agnostic automotive consumers 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 common new automotive, and I guess it’s received a nicer inside and higher tech than quite a lot of these automobiles. For that $45,000-ish value you get each fashionable luxurious comfort you might actually need, like wi-fi telephone connectivity, leather-ish seats, a mess of screens and a complete suite of driver aids. Should you have 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 type of stuff is essential to your common purchaser.
What makes the Rogue actually interesting, although, 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 essential 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 automotive purchaser needs. 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 features and the local weather management system. All the things is strictly 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 simple to get into the Rogue and instantly grow to be acquainted with the way it works. You actually can’t ask for way more.
Other than an intuitive inside, people who take into account 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 score from NHTSA, however its suite of driver help and security programs are extraordinarily good, particularly for a automotive 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 properly and provide help to cruise down the highway with as few ideas in your thoughts as potential. I’ll be trustworthy, I didn’t assume Nissan had it in them to pack this a lot strong tech right into a cheap-ish automotive just like the Rogue.
Since Nissan is a enterprise, and companies have to generate profits to remain open, the Rogue isn’t with out its cost-cutting measures. There are some type of questionable supplies inside, onerous 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 provides 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 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, 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. 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 automotive for People, in spite of everything. Despite the fact that it’s been on sale for a number of years it nonetheless seems 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 will 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 occurring. 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 once 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 (should you get the non-compulsory part-time AWD) courtesy of a CVT. It’ll pretend shift each occasionally should you’re caning it — which you shouldn’t — however in any other case it’s lethal critical in regards to the process 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 high-quality 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 convey alongside to your vacation spot with as little stress and hassle as potential. 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}, enable them to construct the sporty automobiles we like. Due to that, we shouldn’t beguile the Rogue and its ilk. It’s extremely vital.
