2012 Nissan Rogue SV AWD: Style, crisp handling are pluses

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 05 July 2012 10:42

2012 Nissan Rogue SV AWDNissan and other automakers have been busy downsizing their most popular sport-utility vehicles, having discerned that empty-nesters are disinclined to exchange their Suburbans, Expeditions and Sequoias for comparably large, thirsty, ungainly new models. 

Nissan’s formula was to mimic the graceful styling of its popular midsize Murano and big Inifiniti FX crossovers in the compact Rogue, which reached the U.S. market in 2007.

The Rogue — with a name derived from a mid-1960s sporty Rambler compact line — sacrifices some function for its shapely form, but for most drivers, it’s more than functional enough. The cargo compartment swallows 28.9 cubic feet of stuff, and capacity swells to 57.9 cubic feet with the split rear seat lowered. (That’s about 15 percent less than the Ford Escape, another popular compact crossover.) There’s a touch of Honda Fit functionality in the Rogue’s front passenger seat that folds flat to create room for long objects, from 2x4s to surfboards.

Front-wheel and all-wheel-drive Rogues are available, with the former starting at $22,070. Our top-level Rogue SV, with all-wheel drive and the $3,900 SL option package, listed for $30,255.

Front and rear seating are satisfactory for average-sized drivers and passengers, but leg room comes up a little short for tall drivers.

The Rogue handles crisply, and its 170-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine — the only one offered — delivers ample, quiet power. But a conventional gearbox, rather than the continuously variable transmission, would make better use of the engine’s modest endowment of muscle. The CVT, too, is the only alternative across the range of Rogue trim levels. On the up side, fuel economy is pretty good. The Rogue with AWD is rated at 26 mpg on the highway, and we averaged almost 25 mpg in mixed driving.

What’s most impressive about the Rogue is the balance it achieves between simplicity and high quality in the interior materials and controls. The interior, in fact, would not be out of place in an Infiniti or Lexus. Yet Nissan was careful not to overdo it. The audio, climate, navigation and display controls are admirably simple. Most drivers won’t have to crack the owner’s manual to master every control.

One weakness is visibility out the rear window and rear quarters. In SV trim, the Rogue comes with a very convenient rear-view monitor. It includes a wide front and rear view, and a split-screen feature alerts the driver to obstacles on the passenger side.

The Rogue competes successfully in a very crowded market. In May, Nissan logged record sales of 11,977 Rogues in North America, up 72 percent from May 2011.

Since the 2009 model year, the Rogue has earned reliability marks of better-than-average in Consumer Reports magazine surveys. On the safety front, the Rogue received a top ranking of “Good” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but didn’t get the Top Safety Pick designation because the head- and neck-protection rating was one step lower: “Acceptable.”

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $30,255

Engine: 2.5-liter inline Four, 170 horsepower, 175 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: Continuously variable automatic

Drive: All-wheel

Weight: 3,479 lb.

Suspension: MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear

Ground clearance: 8.3 inches

Wheels: 18x7-inch alloy

Tires: P225/55R H all-season 

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 28.9 cu. ft.

Maximum cargo capacity: 57.9 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 15.9 gallons

Fuel economy: 22 mpg city, 26 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular