LOOKS

Upgrades to the exterior are clear when you first look at the 2024 Nissan Rogue.

My test vehicle featured a sharp black-and-tan two-tone color scheme which stands out in the compact SUV segment. The 2024 Rogue features attractive new designs on the grille, wheels and rear bumper, and updates to the lighting. Overall, it is easily one of the best looking compact SUVs you'll find in the nonluxury market.

A variety of color choices are offered, including Everest White Pearl, Deep Ocean Blue Pearl, Baja Storm and several two-tone configurations featuring the black roof.

The vehicle features wheels ranging from 17 to 19 inches, as well as LED headlights and taillights, a panoramic moonroof and roof rails.

Moving inside the 2024 Rogue, you’ll find one of the most well-appointed interiors on a nonluxury SUV. The Platinum trim I tested featured supremely comfortable seating with intricate stitching that make it feel a class above. Beyond seat comfort, the vehicle is also relatively roomy, and all five passengers will have plenty of head room and leg room and can enjoy journeys, short or long, in comfort.

The rear seats fold down easily to boost cargo space, and there is plenty of room. The Rogue offers up to 36.5 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up, and 74.1 cubic feet with rear seats down. The Rogue also offers multi-zone automatic climate control and second-row sunshades. The vehicle also offers multiple options for storing small items during your travels. For example, a Divide-N-Hide system allows for small item storage below the trunk floor.

The visual appeal and comfort of the high-end Chestnut brown leather upholstery in my test vehicle was among the most impressive I’ve seen in the segment. (Note: the base model comes with cloth seating, but SV trim and higher offer leather seating options)

Heated seats are offered in front and rear, along with a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

HOW’S THE RIDE?

All versions of the 2024 Nissan Rogue feature the same power source — a three-cylinder, 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that delivers 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. Unlike some competitors, there is no hybrid version offered.

This is paired with a CVT transmission, and the Rogue comes in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options (FWD is standard).

Drive modes can be adjusted to fit different circumstances — and modes include Sport, Eco, Auto, Snow, and Off-road. 

The overall ride quality is smooth, but it’s not designed to be a hot rod — with the 0 to 60 time coming in at nearly 8 seconds. You’re not going to win any drag races, but you’ll get where you’re going in comfort and it will handle corners well due to its compact size. While the power is not overwhelming, you’ll still be able to pass other vehicles and merge onto highways without concern.

Some rivals in this class of SUV are built for a sportier drive (i.e. the Mazda CX-50), but there are other tradeoffs that come with that sportiness, so drivers will have to determine what is most important to them.

Towing capacity is limited on the Rogue, at just 1,500 pounds, so don’t plan on pulling anything too heavy.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY 

Technology is one of the main areas where upgrades have improved the Rogue’s standing in this competitive category. The 2024 Rogue features an optional 12.3-inch touchscreen that is the center of the infotainment setup (lower trims come with a smaller 8-inch screen).

The larger setup has a sharp look, and is fully integrated with Google, offering built-in apps such as Assistant and Maps. I found the system worked well overall, with touchscreen controls easy to master plus an impressive ability to understand my voice commands.

The sound system in the Rogue was also excellent, featuring Bose premium audio. THe vehicle offers satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Audio connectivity, an in-vehicle Wi-FI hotspot, navigation system, a wireless phone charger, and multiple USB ports.

Higher trims of the Rogue also incorporate Amazon Alexa command functionality. And a smartphone app allows for remote door locking and unlocking, remote start, emergency calling and vehicle health reports.

Moving on to the safety features on the Rogue, a solid list of features are offered, and all safety systems worked as expected and did not overreact to road conditions. 

The Rogue’s basic self-driving setup called ProPilot Assist — using cruise control and lane centering system — was reliable and easy to use, and I trusted it to keep me on the right path.

The vehicle also features near perfect ratings in government safety tests.

Among the most helpful safety features on the Rogue are:
— Automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
— Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
— Adaptive cruise control
— Nissan advanced airbag system  
— LATCH system for child seats
— Lane departure warning
— Traffic sign recognition 

An optional head-up display helps by showing important information directly in the driver’s sight line.

MPG

Fuel mileage numbers on the all-wheel drive Nissan Rogue come in at 28 city/34 highway/31 combined. With FWD, the numbers improve to 30 city/37 highway/33 combined.

I tested an AWD model and averaged around 27 mpg in mostly city driving … a bit lower than I expected but still decent.

Overall, the fuel mileage performance on the Rogue is equal to or better than most competitors in its class, so this is another strong point for folks who are comparing the top compact SUV competitors.

PRICE

The fully loaded 2024 Nissan Rogue Platinum that I tested was priced just over $45,000; and its base price starts about $29K.

Trim levels include S, SV, SL and Platinum. Both the S and SV models are quite affordable, but you’ll have to splurge a bit more for the SL and Platinum options. If you’re not comfortable paying in the $40K range for a Nissan, which is understandable, the good news is you’ll get a very capable vehicle with plenty of solid features even with the lower trim levels, such as the SV trim at around $32K.

In terms of warranties, Nissan has decent offerings but is not best in class. You’ll get an overall warranty covering 3 years or 36,000 miles, plus a powertrain warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles.

BOTTOM LINE

The Nissan Rogue is Nissan’s most popular model for a good reason — it delivers above what you might be expecting.

It’s a roomy compact SUV that has advanced tech features and safety options, plus strong fuel mileage and a sharp design — making it a well-rounded vehicle that many families will be happy to take home.

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