2018 Nissan Rogue Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Our orange-on-orange test car would have scored an “8,” because its two-tone 19-inch alloy wheels, generous helpings of chrome, and orange-black interior turn an ordinary commuter car into a showpiece. It even inspired me to wear orange sneakers and borrow my editor’s orange jacket during this review. But that’s because our test car is the fully loaded SL Platinum, which stickers for more than $37,000. Your neighbour’s Rogue isn’t looking so spiffy. The Nissan Rogue is a practical crowd pleaser rather than an enthusiast’s delight. It neither pushes style boundaries nor falls out of fashion. Lower-grade Rogue trims with darker colours, smaller wheels, and plain, all-black cloth interiors are the norm—and they’re nothing to swoon over.

Still, the Rogue’s proportions and profile are purposeful. Nissan updated this second-generation Rogue for 2017 with a larger, V-shaped front grille, more aggressive headlights with LED running lights and LED taillights, a new rear bumper, and restyled interior pieces like a flat-bottom steering wheel. The 2018 model is a carryover, save for the infotainment system. The padded leather trim on the centre console, armrests, and dash—plus the ribbed stitching on all the seat inserts—is a welcome upscale touch on the SL, though you’ll have to settle for coarser fabric and harder plastic on the more common S and SV trims. You’ll be pleased enough given the S's $26,298 starting price.

A single engine and transmission pair with either a front-wheel drive (FWD) drivetrain as standard on the S and SV or all-wheel drive (AWD), optional on those two trims and standard on the rest. That powertrain is driven by a 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine with power specs of 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque, which is what sinks the Rogue’s performance rating. It’s weak, loud, and rough. The Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) does a decent job extracting everything it can from this powerplant, simulating gear ratios and keeping the revs in the middle range. In Sport mode, off-the-line acceleration improves for the first hundred or so feet, then the car just revs even higher and sounds louder. It’s significantly slower than competitors. The engine’s groan becomes tiring on hills and highway merges. The Rogue is no featherweight—SL versions like ours top more than 1,670 kilograms (3700 pounds)—and driving it quickly is a chore. Nissan needs to fit a turbocharged engine with more low-end torque so the Rogue won’t struggle as much.

The benefit of such a low-powered engine is fuel economy. Natural Resources Canada estimates FWD models at 9.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 7.0 hwy, and 8.2 combined, while AWD models consume 9.7 city, 7.4 in highway driving, and 8.7 combined. We averaged 9.8 L/100 km in our test. That’s perfectly acceptable in a high-riding crossover that can’t be made as aerodynamic as a small car. But the Honda CR-V and its turbo 1.5-litre inline four outperforms the Rogue in both acceleration and fuel efficiency. It also sounds quieter and more refined. So, there’s little argument to favour Nissan’s outdated 2.5-litre engine.

At everyday cruising speeds, the Rogue achieves a smooth-riding, finger-light comfort that requires little effort. The suspension is soft and well-damped, even on our Rogue’s thin-profile tires. The steering is vague, so that it’s difficult to feel when you’re off the centre position. As a result, it requires corrections at higher speeds. Brake pedal feel is squishy. There’s no reason to expect the Rogue to drive like a premium sports car, but a higher degree of poise and control is needed. That’s a feeling essential for safety and driver confidence. The Rogue behaves like a much older vehicle.

What the Rogue gives up in performance measures, it gains in passenger accommodations. No matter which row, front seats or rear seats, the Rogue excels in legroom, headroom, and shoulder room. It’s big inside compared to other compact crossovers. The seat bottoms are shapelier and less flat than those in the BMW X3, which adds to long-distance comfort. Outward visibility to the front, sides, and rear from the driver’s seat is exemplary, too. The step-in height and door cut-outs are also perfect—no knee-bending, crouching, or bashed noggins.

Behind the second row, which offer multiple positions to recline, the cargo hold swallows 1,112 litres. Lowering the seats gives 1,982 litres. But the real innovation is Nissan’s Divide-N-Hide, a clever use of removable floor panels that can be folded into a covered box. Remove the rearmost cover by pulling it toward you in an upward motion and locking it on the top rails. Then pull the foremost cover and stack it vertically. It takes a few awkward tries to complete in four, fluid motions, but after that it’s simple. You can easily secure loose items or cover valuable property without a bulky, sliding cargo cover (which usually gets in the way when you have taller cargo). Additionally, you can access under-floor space in a pinch without anyone knowing what’s underneath.

Controls are well-marked and easy to read, except for several important buttons placed far beyond a driver's normal reach. The heated steering wheel, driving mode, and AWD lock functions are at knee-height when they should be on the centre console. For 2018, Nissan removed several hard buttons on the dash so you can no longer adjust the stereo’s tone or switch sources without diving into the touchscreen. Otherwise, everything is logical, clear, and simple, including the steering-wheel-mounted controls for the 5-inch colour instrument panel display. A USB port and auxiliary audio jack are right up front and centre, instead of buried in a cubby. With optional remote start, the Rogue can heat the steering wheel and seats automatically (just remember that because the seat heaters use rocker switches, you’ll need to leave them activated when you shut the Rogue off). Just having the ability to remote-start the Rogue in winter weather is impressive.

ProPilot Assist is Nissan’s first semi-autonomous driving system, and it works very well. It works with the adaptive cruise control and the Rogue’s safety features and can steer the Rogue around gentle turns on most marked highways and some divided two-lane roads. Press the blue-circled button, set a speed, and you’re off. The instrument panel display shows whether the car is tracking another car ahead, the preset following distance, and most importantly, whether the vehicle’s steering assist is active. In most highway situations, the Rogue tracks the road faithfully and smoothly, requiring a light hand on the wheel. Should you lose grip or let go entirely, in a matter of seconds the system will emit loud warnings that grow repeatedly louder and faster. Ignore it still, and the system will quickly nudge the brakes as if to say, “Hey, idiot, this is not really a self-driving car, okay?”

That’s the problem with automated technology. ProPilot Assist is good enough to lure you into a false sense of security, and then—when you're changing lanes or for no reason at all—it will oversteer the car and shift it into another lane, or simply fail to steer enough, setting off the lane-departure warning. Around town, the ever-changing lane markings trip up the system. Used on highways with gentle curves or in stop-and-go traffic, it can usually excel for long distances. Use it here and only here. Unfortunately, Nissan Canada fits ProPilot Assist only as an option on the SL. This means it costs at least $36,000, which is beyond the budget of most Rogue buyers. But you can’t find this technology in other crossovers.

Elsewhere, Nissan redesigned its low-res infotainment system for the 2018 Rogue. The crude, 1990s-style line renderings are gone, replaced by a navigation system that can actually show a road’s curves. Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard, but you’ll like Nissan’s interface as it is. A new customizable home screen places the audio, phone, and navigation controls you want at the centre. It’s faster and easier on the eyes when driving. A smartphone app can send walking directions to and from the car, while NissanConnect offers telematics support such as remote unlocking and automatic 911 notifications if the car has been in an accident. The 9-speaker Bose audio system in our car was adequate for a car in this class.

In Canada, the 2018 Nissan Rogue starts at $26,298 for the S trim level and $28,598 for the Nissan Rogue SV, while AWD is a $2,200 add-on for each. Pricing is set at $34,198 for the Midnight Edition (an SV with a blacked-out look), and $36,598 for a Nissan Rogue SL AWD or $37,098 for an SL Platinum.

The well-equipped AWD SV model is priced just over $30,000, which is the sweet spot in this market. If you can get past the undesirable powertrain and mundane dynamics, the Rogue’s class-leading technology, comfort, space, and reasonable price make this new car an ideal crossover.

Note: Images and video show a US model.