Curry Nissan

What's New for 2008

The 2008 Nissan Rogue is an all-new compact crossover SUV.

Introduction

It's not quite to the extent of Moon Unit Zappa or Apple Martin, but the 2008 Nissan Rogue should give its parents hell for its name. While its similarly styled big brother Murano is named after the glass-making island in beautiful Venice, the little Rogue is at best named after a rather dull X-Men character. At worst, this stylish cute-ute crossover shares its moniker with an uncontrolled animal that lives apart from the herd, or a plant that is inferior and unwanted. Do Nissan's marketing folks not have a dictionary in the office?

While the marketers blundered, the engineers flourished for this all-new small SUV. It may look like a Murano after a trip through a hot spin cycle, but under the skin, the Rogue is closely related to the compact Sentra sedan. Surprisingly, the Rogue manages to be better-looking, better-riding and more useful than its underwhelming progenitor. It shares the Sentra's vague electric steering, but offers an all-independent long-travel suspension that smoothly gobbles up road imperfections. It is stable at higher speeds and provides a good combination of highway and city road manners. If you're looking for a compact crossover that drives most like a car, this is it.

Powering the Rogue is a torquey 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine that provides smooth acceleration on par with other vehicles in the class. Unfortunately, it is tied to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) -- a design Nissan has utilized with great success in the V6-powered Altima, but needs rethinking here. Feeling like it's partially constructed of rubber bands, the CVT can get maddening on the freeway, constantly raising and dropping revs like a yo-yo whenever the driver moves on or off the gas. It seems that this just isn't the right technology for a small engine.

Nissan says it has the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in its sights, but the Rogue is significantly smaller than those models. Therefore, families or those in need of superior people-hauling and cargo versatility may find the Rogue lacking. Its rear seat doesn't recline, slide forward or offer a center armrest, and rear visibility is hampered by a rising beltline and small rear window.

Instead, the 2008 Nissan Rogue is a very good choice for suburbanites who enjoy an elevated driving position and occasionally need the utility and available all-wheel drive of a compact crossover. The Rogue may not be the largest, most family-friendly or powerful compact crossover, and in addition to the aforementioned rivals, you'll probably want to cross-shop models like the Ford Escape, Mazda CX-7 and Saturn Vue. That said, this Nissan sets itself apart from the herd with comfortable, carlike road manners and eye-catching styling. In that way, maybe it's a tad roguelike after all.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2008 Nissan Rogue is a five-passenger compact crossover SUV available in four trim levels: S, S AWD, SL and SL AWD. The AWD refers to all-wheel drive. The S and S AWD are identical save for their drivetrains, with standard equipment that includes 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, air-conditioning, full power accessories, keyless entry and a four-speaker stereo with a CD player and auxiliary audio jack. There are no factory options for the S trim levels.

The SL and SL AWD are virtually identical, but the latter offers additional optional equipment. Standard features beyond those on the S include 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, tinted windows and a height-adjustable driver seat. In typical Nissan fashion, options are lumped together into large packages. The SL Premium Package includes foglights, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, a cargo cover, a fold-down front passenger seat, a trip computer and a seven-speaker Bose stereo with in-dash six-CD changer, MP3 capability and satellite radio.

The SL AWD Premium package includes those features, but adds xenon headlights, keyless ignition and entry, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and Bluetooth. The Leather Package is only available on the SL AWD and includes leather upholstery, heated front seats and mirrors, power driver seat, one touch up/down driver window and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and HomeLink. Both SL trim levels can be equipped with a sunroof.

Powertrains and Performance

All 2008 Nissan Rogues are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 170 hp and 175 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard, while buyers have a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. In performance testing, a Rogue SL AWD accelerated to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds, which is on par with other four-cylinder-powered compact crossovers. Fuel economy is 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway for the all-wheel-drive models (22/27 for FWD Rogues), which is again on par with similarly powered competitors.

Safety

Each Nissan Rogue comes well stocked with safety equipment including antilock disc brakes with brake assist, stability and traction control, front seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front head restraints.

Interior Design and Special Features

The Rogue's cabin may not be as visually interesting as its exterior, but it is well-constructed with excellent materials. All controls fall readily to hand and are easy to decipher. The Rogue doesn't have many storage areas, but what it lacks in number, it makes up for in size. The center console bin is large, while the enormous glovebox is more useful than some convertibles' trunks. There is also a nifty under-floor organizer.

In a four-vehicle comparison test involving the Rogue, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander, we found the Nissan to have the most comfortable front seats and darn comfortable rear ones as well. Unfortunately, that rear seat only folds flat, and doesn't recline or slide fore and aft like those other crossovers. The Rogue also comes up short in terms of cargo volume, with 28.9 cubic feet with the rear seat up and just 57.9 with it folded.

Driving Impressions

A "carlike" driving experience is often touted among crossovers, but the 2008 Nissan Rogue delivers on this description. Its long travel suspension soaks up bumps and road imperfections easily, and the Rogue is stable at speed. Short stopping distances are another Rogue plus. The electric power steering can be a little vague at times, but it is generally direct and well-tuned.

On the other hand, we're rarely fans of CVTs, and the Rogue's does nothing to change our minds. It's better than some other examples, but the elastic-band throttle response and engine note gets tiresome -- particularly at highway speeds. It also manages to make the Rogue feel slower than it actually is. An available manual shift mode with paddle shifters rectifies this situation somewhat by allowing the driver to select among six simulated "gear" ratios.

Click Here to View Our 2008 Nissan Rogue Inventory

What's New for 2009

The 2009 Nissan Rogue is largely unchanged from last year.

Introduction

Inevitably, the march of technology and necessity shrinks the size of everything. Imagine trying to carry around seven days' worth of music before the iPod. In keeping with this theme comes the 2009 Nissan Rogue -- a kind of mini Murano. Though based on the economy-minded Sentra, the Rogue manages to better its parent in terms of drivability, appearance and practicality.

Compared to other compact crossovers, the Rogue stands out thanks to its carlike manners and well-crafted interior. The competent four-cylinder engine produces enough oomph to keep up with the pack, but unfortunately, power is run through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Nissan has utilized a CVT with great success in the V6-powered Altima and Maxima, and presumably the thinking here must have been to smooth out an already decent ride with a gearbox that eliminates shifting. The end result, however, is an odd elastic feeling in the driveline. Even stranger, transitioning to and from the gas pedal while on the highway creates a seesaw effect, with rising and falling engine revs.

Even with the transmission annoyances and limited rearward visibility, the 2009 Nissan Rogue is still a stylish, viable alternative to the top small crossovers. While the family-friendly Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have more cargo room and creature comforts, the Rogue is a good choice for those who need less utility and are more prone to city commuting. Taking this into account, the Rogue is more in direct competition with the Ford Escape, Mazda CX-7, Saturn Vue and Volkswagen Tiguan. We suggest comparing all of these models to the Rogue before deciding.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2009 Nissan Rogue is a five-passenger compact crossover SUV available in two trim levels, both available with either front- or all-wheel drive. The S trim level is the base model, and it comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, a tilting steering wheel, air-conditioning, full power accessories, keyless entry and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player and an auxiliary jack. No options are available for the S trim level.

The more luxuriously appointed SL trim level includes everything from the S model and gains a few more options and conveniences, including 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, tinted windows, a fold-down front passenger seat, a dual-level tray for the center console and a trip computer.

Options for the SL trim level are consolidated into larger bundles. The Premium Package includes foglights, a foldable cargo organizer, a cargo cover, keyless ignition/entry, Bluetooth and a seven-speaker Bose audio system with a six-CD/MP3 changer, satellite radio and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. All-wheel-drive SL models equipped with this package also receive xenon headlights and manual shift control for the transmission. The SL's Leather Package, as you'd expect, includes leather upholstery plus heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated side mirrors, a six-way power driver seat, a one-touch up/down driver window and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. A sunroof is available as a stand-alone option.

Powertrains and Performance

All 2009 Nissan Rogues are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission is a CVT that, depending on the model, drives either all four wheels or just the fronts. In our testing, the AWD Rogue SL took 9.2 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is comparable to other four-cylinder compact crossovers.

Likewise, fuel economy is similar to that of the competition. The front-wheel-drive Rogue has an EPA estimate of 22 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 24 mpg in combined driving. The AWD variant drops slightly to 21/26/23 mpg.

Safety

For the entire Rogue lineup, standard safety equipment includes antilock disc brakes with brake assist, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. All of this protection earned the Rogue an almost perfect crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In front-impact tests, protection for the driver earned a top five-star rating and front passenger protection earned four stars. Front and rear side-impact tests resulted in a five-star rating. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, the Rogue received a "Good" rating (the best rating possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact tests.

Interior Design and Special Features

Inside, the Nissan Rogue is comfortable, intuitive and well-built with top-notch materials. The cabin is thoughtfully laid out with controls that are properly placed and effortlessly operated. Though lacking numerous storage compartments, the Rogue makes up for it with a substantial center console bin, a massive glovebox and a clever under-floor organizer.

Seating comfort, both front and rear, is as good as it gets -- even when stacked up against the venerable Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. But unlike those of competing crossovers, the Rogue's rear seats don't recline or slide forward or backward. There is also no center armrest. However, they do fold flat when more cargo space is needed. With the rear seats upright, storage is limited to 28.9 cubic feet. With the seats stowed, the space jumps to 57.9 cubes, but is still significantly smaller than the competition.

Driving Impressions

Much of the appeal of small crossovers stems from their carlike driving manners, and the 2009 Nissan Rogue delivers. Road bumps and imperfections are gobbled up with ease thanks to the suspension's long travel. The Rogue is stable at highway speeds, and short stopping distances add to the confidence one feels when driving. Steering is likewise direct and well-tuned, despite being slightly vague in terms of feedback to the driver.

The main detraction from an otherwise successful execution is the aforementioned CVT. The consequent lazy throttle response, yo-yo-like engine revving and moaning engine note gives drivers the impression that they're in a much slower vehicle. The SL trim's manual shift mode with paddle shifters rectifies this situation somewhat by allowing the driver to select among six simulated "gear" ratios.

Click Here to View out 2009 Nissan Rogue Inventory

What's New for 2010

The 2010 Nissan Rogue S model receives a new Value package that adds exterior styling enhancements and a back-up camera with a rearview-mirror-mounted display. The new Krom Edition adds a variety of styling elements that significantly alter the Rogue's appearance.

Introduction

As an old religious saying goes, it's the fruits of the tree that matter, not the roots. That's a good approach to take when evaluating the 2010 Nissan Rogue compact crossover SUV. See, the Rogue is based on the plebeian Sentra, an also-ran in the compact sedan sweepstakes. But the way the Rogue looks and drives is more akin to its upscale crossover cousin, the sleek and sophisticated Murano. Those seeking the ultimate in compact crossover practicality should look elsewhere, but if you're willing to make some compromises in the name of style and driving pleasure, the Rogue is an intriguing proposition.

Compared to other compact crossovers, the Rogue stands out thanks to its carlike road manners, stylish skin and finely crafted interior. The steering is conveniently light in parking lots yet reassuringly weighty at speed, and the suspension takes bumps in stride while also reining in excess body roll through corners. The Rogue's slick exterior design is more European than Japanese, perhaps due to the influence of the Nissan-Renault alliance. Unlike most rivals, the Rogue boasts high-quality soft-touch dashboard materials, and the overall look is more upscale than we're used to seeing in this segment. Add it all up, and what you've got is a compact crossover with uncommon panache.

The Rogue's weak points are few but notable. Its four-cylinder engine produces enough oomph to keep up with the similarly conceived Honda CR-V, but the Rogue's mandatory continuously variable transmission (CVT) causes the engine to drone under hard acceleration. There's also no optional V6, leaving the Rogue and CR-V as the only two leading compact crossovers without one. Inside, the Rogue's rear seat doesn't slide or recline like those of some rivals, and rear visibility is a casualty of the upswept sheet metal around the rear windows.

Nonetheless, the 2010 Nissan Rogue still deserves a seat at the table with the perennial segment leaders, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. They have more cargo room and versatility, but the Rogue has a nicer interior, appealing driving dynamics and eye-catching styling. Another model to consider is the Mazda CX-7, which offers comparable style and athleticism along with an optional turbocharged engine. But in any case, after a taste of the Rogue's fruits, you're bound to forget about its humble roots.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2010 Nissan Rogue is a five-passenger compact crossover SUV available in S, S Krom Edition or SL trim. The base S comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, a tilt (but non-telescoping) steering wheel, air-conditioning, full power accessories, keyless entry and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player and an auxiliary jack. The S is also eligible for a Value package that includes 16-inch alloys, a rear spoiler, a chrome grille, tinted windows, a back-up camera with a rearview-mirror-mounted display and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

The Krom Edition starts with the S model's standard equipment and adds 17-inch dark alloy wheels, a different grille and front fascia, center-mounted exhaust, a rear spoiler, tinted windows and steering wheel audio controls. There are no available options.

The SL trim level starts with the S model's standard equipment and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, tinted windows, a fold-down front passenger seat, a dual-level tray for the center console and a trip computer. Option packages for the SL include the Premium package, which bundles together foglights, a foldable cargo organizer, a cargo cover, keyless ignition/entry, Bluetooth and a seven-speaker Bose audio system with a six-CD/MP3 changer, satellite radio and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. All-wheel-drive SL models equipped with this package also receive xenon headlights and manual shift control for the transmission. The SL's Leather package includes the expected leather upholstery plus heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated side mirrors, a six-way power driver seat, a one-touch up/down driver window and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. A sunroof is available as a stand-alone option.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2010 Nissan Rogue is available with either front- or all-wheel drive. It's powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque and employs a CVT. In our testing, an AWD Rogue SL took 9.2 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is competitive with other four-cylinder compact crossovers.

Likewise, fuel economy is similar to that of the competition. The front-wheel-drive Rogue has an EPA estimate of 22 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 24 mpg in combined driving. The AWD variant drops slightly to 21/26/23 mpg.

Safety

The Rogue comes standard with antilock disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. In government crash tests, last year's Rogue earned a perfect five-star rating for driver protection, while front passenger protection earned it four stars. Front and rear side-impact tests resulted in five-star ratings. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, the Rogue received a "Good" rating (the best rating possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact tests.

Interior Design and Special Features

The 2010 Nissan Rogue boasts one of the nicest interiors of any compact crossover at its price point. The seats are comfortable front and rear, the controls are intuitive and the materials are top-notch, particularly the soft-touch dashboard covering, a rarity in this segment. Storage compartments are in relatively short supply, but the Rogue makes up for it with a substantial center console bin, a massive glovebox and a clever under-floor organizer.

Unlike the rear seats of competing crossovers, however, the Rogue's don't recline or slide fore and aft. There is also no rear center armrest. With the rear seatbacks upright, storage is limited to 28.9 cubic feet, an average figure for this class. With the seatbacks folded, cargo space jumps to 57.9 cubes, but that's significantly less than the competition offers.

Driving Impressions

Small crossovers are supposed to drive like cars, and the 2010 Nissan Rogue does them one better -- it drives like a car with great handling. Road bumps and imperfections are gobbled up with ease, highway stability is exemplary and handling is aided by good body control and precise, well-weighted steering. Power from the four-cylinder is adequate; it's the CVT that can be problematic, due to the constant engine drone it produces at full throttle. The SL trim's manual shift mode rectifies this situation somewhat by allowing the driver to cycle among six simulated gear ratios.

Click here to View Our 2010 Nissan Rogue Inventory