Eric's Autos: 2025 Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue is an unassuming small crossover that is also Nissan's bestselling model. More finely, Nissan sells so many of these unassuming small crossovers -- around 270,000 per year -- that it makes up for Nissan's other models that aren't selling well.

So it's really important -- to Nissan -- that lots of people keep on buying new Rogues.

Should you consider doing that?

What It Is

The Rogue is one of many compact crossovers fighting for a share of the market pioneered by Toyota (RAV4) and Honda (CR-V), which got their small crossovers to market first, way back in the '90s. Since then, practically every other vehicle manufacturer has added small (and medium and large) crossovers to their rosters. So much so that there are only a handful of new cars left on the market.

But what makes the Rogue stand out from the others?

It's not its price. The Rogue's starting MSRP -- $29,230 for the base S trim with front-wheel drive -- is only slightly less than the base price of a Honda CR-V ($30,100), and it's slightly more than the base price of a Toyota RAV4 ($28,850).

It's not power -- or gas mileage -- about which more below.

What it probably is is the likelihood of being able to haggle down the Rogue's price -- because Nissan dealers need your business. You're less likely to get a deal on a Honda or a Toyota.

There's also one more thing. Nissan offers some equipment -- such as all-terrain Falken Wildpeak tires on 17-inch wheels, specially tuned hill descent control and some tough-looking exterior styling touches -- including a tubular roof rack -- that make this little crossover just a touch more roguish than the Honda and Toyota, neither of which offer anything similar.

Also, the Rogue is available with ProPilot Assist, Nissan's hands-free self-driving system. None of the others above offer this feature yet.

What's New for 2025

The Rock Creek trim is new, as is the availability of ProPilot Assist self-driving tech.

What's Good

-- Offers some features that aren't available in competitors' models.

-- Very small engine makes big power for its size.

-- You'll likely pay less than MSRP for one.

What's Not So Good

-- 1.5-liter engine's under a lot of pressure.

-- Continuously variable transmission.

-- No skid plates or additional ground clearance for Rock Creek version.

Under the Hood

The Rogue comes standard with the biggest smallest engine in the class -- a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. It's the same displacement as the same-sized 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that's standard in the Honda CR-V, but it has bigger cylinders to make up for having only three of them.

And -- of course -- it is turbocharged to make up for having only three cylinders.

Interestingly, it makes more power -- 201 horsepower -- than the CR-V's also turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 190 horsepower. And it makes nearly as much power as the Toyota RAV4's much larger (2.5-liter) four-cylinder, but that one doesn't need a turbocharger to make its advertised 203 horsepower.

A CVT is your only choice as far as transmissions. The only drivetrain choice is whether to stick with FWD or go all-wheel drive, except in the Rock Creek -- which comes standard with AWD.

You can pull a small trailer up to 1,500 pounds with this small crossover.

On the Road

The Rogue does not feel like all it's got under the hood is a three-cylinder engine -- because the turbo makes it pull as authoritatively as a larger four-cylinder engine. It has the torque (225 foot-pounds at 2,800 rpm) of a V6 engine, so it pulls like a six when you're pulling away from a dead stop or just getting rolling.

But it does sound like a small engine when you put your right foot down hard. And the CVT sometimes feels like it's slipping -- because of the revving. There's nothing the matter, though. The transmission isn't slipping.

It is varying.

Conventional automatics shift up as you accelerate, as in from first to second and then third -- and so on -- the engine rpms decreasing with each upshift. In a CVT-equipped vehicle, the engine rpms increase in response to throttle pressure and are held there by the CVT until the driver backs off the accelerator. This is what gives the impression of a slipping transmission -- and magnifies the sounds made by the engine.

At the Curb

Like the other crossovers it competes with, the Rogue has a small footprint. It is just 183 inches long -- so it's got about the same footprint as a small car such as a Toyota Corolla, which is 182.5 inches long.

But -- like other small crossovers -- the Rogue has much more room inside, especially for whatever you need to cart around. It has just shy of three times as much cargo space behind its second row (31.6 cubic feet) as the Corolla has space in its trunk (13.1 cubic feet), and that space can be more than doubled (to 74.1 cubic feet). There is also much more backseat legroom -- 38.5 inches versus 34.8 inches in the Corolla -- which means a small crossover like this is a family-viable vehicle, while a small car such as the Corolla is much less so.

The new Rock Creek trim is pretty much exactly that. It's an appearance package more than a functional upgrade, with the exception of the Falken all-terrain tires -- which do provide better traction on snow-covered roads and dirt roads. And the tubular roof racks allow this version of the road to carry items that might not fit in the cargo area.

But don't be fooled into thinking it's an off-roader.

The SL and Platinum trims do a fine job of looking -- and feeling -- like luxury-brand crossovers. They have a larger (12.3-inch) LCD touch screen to the driver's right and a digital instrument cluster in front of the driver. The seats are covered in semi-aniline leather, and the dash and door panels are covered and stitched to match. There's a 360-degree bird's-eye-view camera system, and you can add a panorama glass sunroof to that, as well as quilted leather seats and a 10-speaker Bose premium audio system.

The Rest

If you'd like a Rogue with a third row, you might want to check out the Mitsubishi Outlander. It's a Rogue wearing a Mitsubishi badge -- and has room for seven instead of just five. It also stickers for less -- $28,395 -- than the Nissan-badged Rogue.

It is not, however, available with some of the Rogue's options -- including ProPilot and the new Rock Creek upgrades.

The Bottom Line

It's kind of ironic that Nissan's least Roguish vehicle is its bestselling vehicle. But that may be precisely why it is. Rogues -- the real ones -- can be fun for a night or even a long weekend. But it's the steady ones that are a better bet for a long-term relationship.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.