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Nissan Rogue

Nissan Rouge 2014-2019

 
Performance: 6.8 Reliability: 7.0 Safety: 8.0 Driveability: 7.8 Interior: 7.5 Value: 7.5

The first Rogue debuted in 2007 as a 2008 model, was refreshed somewhat for 2011, and carried on through 2013. Six years is an eternity in the ultra competitive compact crossover market, and it was more than ready for a makeover. An all new Rogue debuted for 2014. It boasted a class exclusive 3rd row seating (available on some trims) hoping to attract buyers with more than a couple kids who didn’t want to upsize. Even though the new model had a bit more weight, the new Rogue delivered better fuel economy versus the outgoing model. Performance numbers are in line with the segment, but there are competitors with more speed and agility than the Rogue offers. If you prefer more sport and muscle in your crossover, consider competitors with a V6 option, which the Rogue lacks. Overall the Rogue is best positioned with the comfort, fuel efficiency and stability family buyers seek as opposed to sportiness and performance.
Strengths
Fuel Economy
Interior layout and materials
Ride/Handling balance
Weaknesses
Lazy powertrain
Cabin noise

What's Available
The only power train available is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in either front-wheel (standard) or all-wheel drive. The option of 3rd row/7-passenger seating became available with the 2014 S and SV Family Package trim but not on the top of the line SL. The base Rogue S was initially priced from $22,490 (not including destination charges). Features include power windows, locks, and mirrors; an AM/FM/CD player with a USB port; Bluetooth with audio streaming; and a rearview camera. The all-wheel-drive version of this model started at $23,840. A Move up to the Rogue SV ($24,230 FWD, $25,580 with AWD) got you 17-inch wheels; a power driver seat; satellite radio; automatic climate control; pushbutton start; and NissanConnect, which enables use of certain smartphone. At the top of the line, the Rogue SL ($28,070 FWD, $29,420 with AWD) got Bose audio; navigation; a power tailgate; surround-view cameras; 18-inch wheels; heated front seats; and leather upholstery.

Exterior
Compared to the previous version, the 2014 Rogue was slightly wider by 1.5 inches (38 mm) and taller by 1.2 inches (30 mm) with a 0.6 inch (15 mm) longer wheelbase. Overall length decreased by an inch (25.4 mm). It sports a more aggressive front grille design with narrower more polished looking standard LED-enhanced headlamp clusters, a sculpted hood and fenders, body-color exterior mirrors with standard integrated turn signals, more curves from front to back, a standard rear spoiler, and an angled set of taillights. The standard 17 inch wheels can be optioned to 18-inch wheels on 225/60R18 tires. Additional options included full-LED headlights with auto leveling, fog lights, privacy glass, roof rails, heated mirrors and a power lift gate.

Interior
Nissan Rogue interior, dash The Rogue's interior is pleasantly styled, but excessive road and powertrain noise spoil the show.
Nissan paid close attention to the interior for this iteration of the Rogue. The cabin presents well, with nicely textured plastics and soft-touch surfaces. The dashboard is well laid out with easy to read gages and understandable controls. One complaint: the navigation screen could be bigger. Also, the cabin can be noisy which detracts from the overall ride quality.

Room/Comfort
With just a marginal growth in wheelbase, the Rogue didn’t gain much interior room over the previous version. Still, overall passenger volume is larger than some of the competition — 106 cubic feet versus 98 cubic feet for the Escape and 101 for both the RAV4 and CR-V. The front seats are supportive and comfortable. Front-seat legroom and headroom are adequate for tall drivers, and rear-seat legroom was expanded. Nissan refers to the 3rd-row seating option as "occasional seating" for a reason - it's very tight back there. Not for adults for sure. Climbing in and out of the backseat was made easier with wider door openings doors (open 77 degrees) allowing for easier placement of things like child-safety seats. Visibility to the front and sides is excellent but rearward visibility is not optimal, a common complaint for most SUV's. It gets worse when the optional third-row seats are raised. Nissan's EZ Flex seating system lets you fold every seat except the driver's down. Altogether there's 70 cubic feet (1982 litres) of cargo space behind the front row of seats, 39.3 cubic feet (1,112 litres) behind the second row seatbacks (versus 34.3 for the Ford Escape, 38.4 for the Toyota RAV4 and 37.2 for the Honda CR-V). With the third row option you'll be left with just 9.4 cubic feet (266 litres) of storage space in back leaving a rather laughable amount of cargo room. Additionally, two-row models had the option of a Divide 'n Hide Cargo System that allows 18 adjustable variations between the cargo and occupant areas providing more flexibility to accommodate a variety of small to medium sized cargo.

Ride/Handling/Performance
The efficiency of the Rogue's 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine was enhanced for 2014, contributing to improved fuel economy ratings, but power continued to lag behind some of the other vehicles available in this class. Acceleration is adequate (8 second acceleration to 60 mph) in ordinary driving but you may struggle some going up steep hills. The engine can be noisy and feels underpowered on the highway when called upon for merging and passing. Fuel economy ratings were 26/33mpg city/highway (7.9L/6.0L/100km City/Hwy) for FWD models and 25/32mpg city/highway (8.2L/6.2L/100km City/Hwy) for AWD versions. Competitively this put the Rogues combined efficiency ratings 2 to 3 mpg over a comparably equipped Ford Escape, RAV4 or CR-V, with only the smaller-engine CX-5 and Forester nearly even with the Rogue. To regain competitiveness, Nissan focused on technological improvements to improve overall ride quality and increase driver confidence. These included Active Trace Control (a system which uses both inner/outer brakes to optimize driving lines through corners), and Active Engine Braking (engages as driver brakes to help slow vehicle down). Aiding its ride quality was Active Ride Control, a technology that automatically applies the brakes and adjusts engine torque after going over a bump to effectively smooth out rougher roads. In test drives, steering, handling and brake feel were all considered acceptable overall. But remember, the tightness, smoothness, responsiveness, and so on of any vehicle is relative to the class and a matter of preference. We always recommend that you educate yourself with articles such as this one, but in the end, drive it and decide for yourself.
Model Year Changes
2014
Redesign

2015
-
Additional standard equipment added
- Optional Eco mode CVMT

2016
- Upgraded forward collision mitigation system
- Siri Eyes Free added to option list
- SL trim add NissanConnect
- New radar-base blind spot warning system available

2017
- New Hybrid option (SV and SL)
- New Sport model
- Front fascia restyled; new rear bumper and LED lights
- Heated steering wheel, hands-free lift gate and adaptive cruise control available
- Newly standard forward emergency monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert

2018
-Third row seat dropped
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility now standard
- Expanded driver safety features

2019
-Rear Door Alert system standard

Reliability
Powertrain issues plagued the first generation Rogue, occurring most frequently around the 75-100,000 mile marks. Most problems  involve Nissan's troublesome early CVT transmission.  Many of Nissan's CVT-equipped models experienced the same issues. This generation Rogue, so far, appears to be performing much better.  Reports of air bag problems were a distant second.

Safety
The 2014 Rogue had a good safety score, but not one that put it among class leaders. It performed well in crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, leading it to earn a Top Safety Pick+ designation. However, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) tests gave it lower ratings:

• Overall Rating 4/5
• Frontal Crash 3/5
• Side Crash 5/5
• Rollover 4/5

All 2014 Rogues came with standard curtain airbags and stability control, as well as a rearview camera and tire pressure monitors. Safety options, some of which were not available on other compact SUVs of the time, included a surround-view camera, blind-spot monitors, a lane-departure warning system, and a forward-collision alert system.

Rogue recalls. 

Conclusion
The 2014 compact SUV segment was (and is) both growing and hotly contested. The three most direct competitors to the Rogue are the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, all of which were comparably priced with similar equipment. Like the RAV4 and CR-V, the Rogue offered only one power train; the Escape had a choice of three. The Rogue's optional third seat gave it more seating than competitors, but it is not adult useable space. The Rogue’s technological improvements offered buyers a more confident and refined ride than the CR-V or RAV4, but it isn't as sporty as the Ford Escape or the Mazda CX-5. The interior is nice but excessive noise detracts from the experience. Given all of this, we'd say the Rogue offers solid value, with a slight edge in available safety options and fuel economy on the earlier models. If those are most important to you, the Rogue is a good bet. If not, it still holds it own in this segment.

Major Competitors
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Mazda CX-5
Kia Sportage
Toyota RAV4
Subaru Forrester