2008 Nissan Rogue Review

Specifications

It’s hard to believe that one of the world’s top automakers, and Japan’s second largest, is just now offering a compact crossover in a North American market that has long been booming with the likes of Toyota’s RAV4, Honda’s CR-V and Ford’s Escape, just to name three of almost two dozen currently available. We have only had the midsize Murano to lean on in what has become the hottest automotive genre, the crossover.

Fortunately for Nissan, the Murano is still one of the best of its larger midsize class, although time for renewal is much overdue and, thank goodness, soon arriving. In the meantime the new Rogue is in dealerships across the country, and paying homage to the mega-hit Murano its design is very similar, causing some to dub it baby-Murano. I think that the new look will do well for Nissan’s smallest SUV, especially considering its graceful styling will likely appeal more to women than the more utilitarian Xterra … and we all know women influence the majority of buying decisions in the car market.

This should also be the case inside, where the new crossover feels upscale, with soft-touch plastics everywhere, extremely high-grade switchgear and a truly attractive dash design set up with ergonomics in mind. Actually, everything about the Rogue’s cabin is attractive and well-built, a truly surprising realization. I suppose I shouldn’t be too shocked, being that Nissan has improved the interior of every model in its lineup

with each new model upgrade. Even cars that went through mid-cycle upgrades, like the 350Z, now feature much-improved interior quality. Those who read my comments often will know that interior quality is a big deal to me, and I ride around with colleagues on drive programs enough to know that to some it just doesn’t matter. So then, with this new focus on upscale environments is Nissan my car company of preference? They sure are giving me fewer reasons to complain.

In fact, as far as the Rogue goes, I’m having trouble arguing against it, although I’ll try and come up with something as the review continues. Rather than go into each and every detail specifically, I’d rather point out some potential deal-makers and deal-breakers … the types of features that might cause prospective buyers to choose the Rogue over an equivalent RAV4 or CR-V, for instance, or not.

Of course, styling is king in this regard, but I’m not going to comment on it as what looks good and what doesn’t is truly a personal decision, unless it’s just plain ugly. The Rogue is far from ugly, and to most I’ve spoken with quite good looking, so I’ll allow you to make that choice without my influence. The interior is also organized in a relatively straightforward layout, so once again I’ll let you talk yourself into or out of this one on your own. Some of the Rogue’s details, however, are very special. Take, for instance, the three-spoke steering wheel, with its partial-aluminum design and, while optional, the nicely weighted and damped assortment of cruise control and redundant audio buttons and switches. It feels more Infiniti than Nissan, especially when leather-wrapped, a common theme you’ll be hearing about over the next few minutes.

Those who must have their Venti lattes on the go will appreciate the 20- and 32-ounce cupholders integrated into the lower console, plus inside the storage bin lid there’s a pen holder, credit card holder, mobile box that can be taken out for tissues, as well as storage for up to ten CDs. And normally I wouldn’t comment on glove boxes, but the Rogue’s compartmentalized storage space is really something special. No it doesn’t “chill” six-packs or anything else I’d never use a glovebox for, but it does split things up for finding stowed things easier. Nissan shows a photo of a PDA/cell phone and some iPods on its consumer site, www.nissanusa.com, but I’ve always found that PDAs and cell phones (mine being a Blackberry) need to be closer for immediate access (the little console slot on the Murano is ideal), and without plug-ins for an iPod in

the glove-box I wouldn’t stow my Nano there either. Just the same, Nissan offers the Rogue with Bluetooth connectivity, so maybe, for those not trying to read email while driving (and good on you for not doing something so stupid) the glovebox is the best place for Bluetooth devices. And for you folks still using CDs, a removable partition in the glovebox can hold 34 of the silver discs.

Clever storage solutions aside and Bluetooth in mind, I suppose when it comes to the inclusion of high-end components the Rogue shines even more in its upper trim levels,

where you can also get a proximity sensing “Intelligent Key” remote and a keyless twist starter, a feature that I like a lot, so much so that I might even choose one car over another due to its availability or not. Not many entry-level brands offer this in the compact crossover category either, so it gives the Rogue a competitive advantage when selling to price sensitive luxury hounds like me. Even the Rogue’s key fob is a premium-like piece, nicely shaped and feeling as if it’s from an Infiniti … perhaps it is.

Some other details that are a cut above include perforated leather seats with eye-catching red accents within the perforations, complemented by red stitching on the seats and door panels. This won’t be to everyone’s tastes, and therefore is an option, but I really like the performance-oriented ambiance this color combo creates.

And while such options are nice, every Rogue comes equipped with many items usually left for pricier trim levels, such as a tilt steering column and micro-filter enhanced air conditioning, while items we’ve grown to expect, like cruise control, power windows, power remote locks, a 12-volt power outlet, cargo area tie-down hooks, four-way manual front seats and 60/40 split fold-down rear seats are also standard. All Rogues get height-adjustable front and rear outboard seatbelts too, plus a front-passenger seatback pocket and retractable seatback multi-purpose hook, as well as a four-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with an auxiliary jack.

If

you want a little more, the Rogue SL adds 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels on 225/60R17 tires (the base S comes with 16-inch wheels wrapped in 215/70R16 rubber), roof rails, privacy glass, body-colored power exterior mirrors, a chrome tailpipe finisher, six-way manual driver’s seat, rear passenger heater ducts and a second 12-volt power outlet. SL buyers can also opt for the Intelligent Key and Bluetooth hands-free system I just mentioned a minute ago, as well as XM satellite radio (my favorite of the two) and a Bose audio system with aux input and MP3 capability (see the end of the review for a more detailed breakdown of these features and the packages they come with).

Unlike luxury features, every Rogue buyer gets full advantage of all safety features standard, including dual-stage front airbags with seatbelt sensors, driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact airbags, roof-mounted side-curtain

airbags for outboard occupants, pretensioners and load limiters for the front seatbelts, active front head restraints, pipe-style steel side-door guard beams, double door latches on all doors, an immobilizer key system, an anti-theft system and a tire pressure monitoring system.

And after driving the Rogue at its press launch, I’m glad that such safety equipment is standard. No, it’s not the quickest in the segment, but it handled so well that I soon forgot about how fast I was going. In this respect I think Nissan read the market well, delivering a light, agile compact crossover at a time when buyers in this segment are moving down from full and midsize models in order to save on fuel. Unlike some in this class that only come with V6 power, the Rogue joins Honda’s CR-V in only making a four-cylinder available. The popular Toyota RAV4 comes with an optional V6, and it’s a powerhouse,

so it’s possible some won’t be satisfied with the Rogue’s less powerful but still energetic 170-horsepower 16-valve, DOHC 2.5-liter four with 175 lb-ft of torque.

I certainly wouldn’t be in that last camp, but rather find the Rogue’s 22 mpg city and 27 mpg highway fuel economy rating more to my liking than any extra power. All-wheel drive models don’t tax the little crossover much more either, with a rating of 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. To save you some time looking up the numbers, it’s the most fuel efficient non-hybrid SUV in the segment. Not bad at all.

One of

the reasons for the excellent fuel economy and strong performance is that Nissan harnesses all of the engine’s output via a highly efficient Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT), and like all Nissan CVTs, this one is a real beauty. Nissan changed the logic control to an adaptive shift control system and added power to the CPU so that it adjusts its shift patterns for the driver’s demands in any situation. The result? It shifts seamlessly when set in the “D” position, but if sporty performance is required it reacts immediately, upshifting and downshifting at lightning speed. It also lets you row through a sequential gate via the gear lever or, better yet, twin paddle shifters can be added, giving it a racy feel. Only Mitsubishi’s Outlander offers paddles in the compact crossover segment, and then only when opting for its rather expensive Leather package. Nissan let’s you have them with cloth, so you don’t have to spend the big bucks to enjoy a little fun behind the wheel. Those who would rather have a regular old manual gearbox, mind you, are out of luck as it can’t be had with the Rogue.

During the day’s drive up through the foothills, the Rogue proved more spirited than its specs initially let on, always willing to get up and go when passing power was needed and a great deal of fun when engaging the paddles. Its ride is nicely balanced for agile handling and a smooth ride, much thanks to its Renault Alliance sourced architecture (no, not the Alliance from the ’80s but rather an internal code-name used for the

cooperative platform shared with Nissan’s compact Sentra and various Renaults) and optional Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) means that it stays fully in control even in slippery conditions. Adding to the feeling of security, standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, EBD and BA make for quick, controlled stops no matter the conditions. And traction control is also standard, enhancing grip when taking off.

Additionally, the stiffness, while improving ride, handling and NVH levels, also adds to its crash worthiness, so it’s all good. Front and rear sub-frames are part of the design too, with a multilink rear suspension (the strut towers no longer intrude on cargo space) featuring twin-tube shocks and high performance

dampers with rebound springs for reducing body roll. The steering is now electric, and powered of course, and I found it nicely weighted and overall quite good for this class of vehicle.

Following the compact SUV status quo, Nissan is offering its base S and SL models with front-wheel drive, important as the Rogue not only does duty as the Japanese brand’s compact SUV, but also its station wagon. Those wanting AWD can opt for it on either S or SL, and it’s a pretty sophisticated system. It uses the next generation of Nissan’s traditional system, but now VDC (with yaw sensors, wheel slip sensors, and steering angle sensors to distribute torque as needed) make it virtually unflappable over myriad road conditions. During dry weather driving, 100-percent of the torque goes to the front wheels, maximizing fuel economy, but if the system detects slippage it will transfer up to 50-percent to the rear wheels, maximizing traction.

Keeping things under control is critical when under load, and the Rogue, for all its compact dimensions, is quite roomy inside.
The total available luggage capacity is 57.9 cubic feet when the 60/40 split seatbacks are both folded forward; 28.9 cubic feet is available behind the second row. An option also allows the front passenger seatback to be folded forward for extra long items, and for less extreme cargo an innovative pop-up cargo organizer is available in back. Nissan calls all this convenience “stealth ultra-functionality”, but I just call it a really useful, really good looking cabin.

So what’s the price of Nissan’s stylish new crossover? The base S model starts under $20K, at $19,250 in FWD trim, and increases to $20,450 when AWD is added to the menu. The Rogue SL comes in at $20,670, while an SL with AWD costs $21,870. Additionally, three upgrade packages can be had starting with $1,900 and $2,200 Premium packages, available on SL and SL AWD models, respectively. It adds those ultra-cool paddle shifters, pre-wiring for a tow hitch, fog lights, Digital Bose audio system upgrade with eight speakers, an in-dash 6-CD changer, MP3/WMA playback capability and Radio Data System (RDS), XM satellite radio, illuminated steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, the flat folding front passenger’s seat, a trip computer with multi-function displays, outside temperature display, dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors, a center console with dual-level tray, the collapsible rear cargo floor organizer (although this deletes the full-size spare and extra alloy rim), a rear cargo cover, two luggage hooks, a driver’s seatback pocket and interior accent lighting. And, in addition to all of the above features, the AWD Premium Package adds high intensity discharge (HID) xenon headlights with manual headlight levelizer, Intelligent Key keyless entry and ignition system and the Bluetooth hands-free system, which goes to explain its $300 premium over the same package for FWD models.


The $1,800 Leather package, only available with SL AWD models equipped with the aforementioned AWD Premium Package adds leather seating surfaces, of course, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob, a six-way power driver’s seat with power adjustable lumbar support, a power driver’s window with one-touch auto-up/down, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with digital compass, HomeLink universal garage-door opener, heated front seats and heated outside mirrors with timer.

Lastly, an $800 Moonroof package includes a power sliding glass sunroof.

All totaled up, a fully loaded Rogue SL AWD with Premium, Leather and Moonroof packages will set you back $26,670, which is less than most in its class with similar options. Like many others in this segment no navigation system or rear backup camera is offered, but the latter at least is hardly necessary considering the Rogue’s compact dimensions and good rear visibility.

All things considered I’m extremely impressed with Nissan’s new Rogue. It’s a stylish new entry that should boost the Japanese brand’s sales in this fast-growing category, and by so doing probably increase Nissan’s total customer base.

For me, who craves quality and luxury appointments but doesn’t want to give up on performance or fuel economy, the Rogue poses an ideal combination of high end gadgets, quality trimmings and enjoyable driving dynamics. Nissan’s got a winner here.