Life With the Nissan Rogue: What Do Owners Really Think?

A redesign usually brings substantial improvements to a vehicle, but it can also mean some trade-offs made in the process. Such is the case for the Nissan Rogue, which received an overhaul for 2021. Upgrades from the second-generation Rogue (2014-20) include more agile steering and a little more power. On the other hand, the compact SUV lost some of its best qualities — namely its soft ride and some cargo and seating functionality.

Should SUV shoppers skip the new and semi-improved 2021 Rogue in favor of a tried-and-true used model? We looked at Cars.com user reviews for the previous generation to find trends around what owners like and dislike, comparing this feedback to Cars.com’s own expert review of the SUV.

Nissan Rogue Raves and Rants

Cars.com user reviews for the previous-generation Rogue point to the SUV’s ample space for cargo and passengers as one of its strong suits. Comfortable front seats, clever storage options and the standard tech and safety features emerged as additional highlights. The most frequent complaints include the SUV’s sluggish continuously variable automatic transmission; an underpowered, noisy engine; overpromised fuel economy; and visibility concerns. (Comments have been edited for clarity.)

Note, too, that our analysis excludes the Rogue Select, an extension of the first-generation Rogue sold for the 2014-15 model years, and the Rogue Sport, a smaller SUV with similar styling but separate underpinnings.

Rave: Road-Trip-Ready Seats

Seat comfort was one of the most raved-about qualities for the second-gen Rogue; many owners wrote that they were able to take long drives in comfort thanks to the SUV’s supportive chairs. In our expert review of the 2019 Nissan Rogue, we found the seats to be broad and well cushioned, if lacking in lateral support. When it comes to front-row space, the cabin is far from claustrophobic: Even tall drivers get ample legroom and headroom.

• “The 2020 Rogue isn’t much to look at, and the interior is nice but rather boring. However, the seats are very comfortable and the ride is smooth.” — Cars.com consumer review for 2020 Rogue; Tacoma, Wash.
• “Overall, I like my new Rogue very much and find the comfort excellent. The lumbar support is great. I have a bad back, so many vehicles I try just don’t cut it in this area.” — 2019 Rogue; Ixonia, Wisc.
• “I had three vans before this vehicle, so it took a while before falling in love, but after getting over not having a van, this vehicle was easy to love. The driver seat is super comfortable, and the vehicle handles really well.” — 2018 Rogue; Jefferson City, Mo.

Rave: Clever Cargo

A few negative reviews aside, Nissan’s Divide-N-Hide cargo storage system was a hit among many owners. The system allows for multiple configurations of storage and shelving in the cargo area to organize gear and keep valuables out of sight. Many Rogue owners also enjoyed the hands-free power liftgate, which became available on higher trim levels beginning with the 2017 model year. Our expert review found the cargo space in the 2019 Rogue to be generous and well conceived. It’s also more versatile than competitors thanks to its 40/20/40-split, folding backseats.

• “The seats are supportive and comfortable, and the interior is quiet. Simple as it may sound, the Divide-N-Hide rear storage sold me on the Rogue. Over the years, I’ve had numerous utility vehicles; you put anything in the rear storage and who knows where it winds up? By lifting half of the rear shelf, you form two sections separated by a divider. Groceries are held in place, and no worries about your eggs being scrambled on the way home.” — 2019 Rogue; upstate New York
• “I bought a 2019 Nissan Rogue S AWD in white. It’s fuel-efficient, comfortable, safe and has more tech than the rest of the competitors as standard. Love the Divide-N-Hide trunk, Android Auto and the blind spot monitors!” — 2019 Rogue; Vancouver, B.C.
• “The Rogue has plenty of room and provides management for all your gear, tools and groceries. I recently needed to downsize my vehicle, and after some test-driving, I liked the value and the features of the Nissan Rogue. The cargo management with the unique layers allowed me to add all of my gear: a full-socket set, tie-downs and cargo blankets under the first layer. That enabled the use of the full cargo space in the back. My larger SUV had to share that same space.” — 2020 Rogue, Roland, Ark.
• “This car is perfect for my needs! My husband and I just returned from vacation and it comfortably held all our luggage, beach chairs, umbrellas and groceries. It was so comfortable on the seven-hour drive.” — 2019 Rogue; Atlanta

Rave: It’s Tech-Packed

Standard safety and tech features are plentiful in the second-gen Rogue, and owners took notice. In addition to connectivity features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (added for 2018) and safety tech like automatic emergency braking (optional until a 2017.5 model-year update, when it became standard),  the second-generation Rogue would eventually offer forward pedestrian detection, blind spot warnings, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking and rear parking sensors.

The blind spot warning was one of the most popular features among owners, but that could be due to the vehicle’s large blind spot, which showed up as a repeat offender from owner reviews (more on that in the Rants section below).

• “This car meets most of my needs as it has good safety features, such as automatic front and reverse braking, blind spot detection and lane keep assist. It has heated seats, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and other great features. The auto-lift rear trunk can hide some stuff with the partitions provided.” — 2019 Rogue; New York
• “I’m thrilled with my new Rogue. It’s March in northern Wisconsin and I love the heated seats! The backup camera and blind spot safety features already spared me two accidents from obstructive snowbanks. The visibility is rated ‘low’ on surveys, but I disagree.” — 2018 Rogue; Crandon, Wis.
• “This SUV has all the important basics of a modern car except for automatic door unlocking when you’re trying to exit the vehicle. That is something small compared to what you do get: Android Auto, rearview camera, heated seats, blind spot alerts and an automated trunk lift. Oh, and I nearly forgot the remote start! The room it offers is pretty good if you’re needing to haul groceries or animals on a road trip.” — 2018 Rogue; Tulsa, Okla.

Rant: Powertrain Is All Bark, No Bite

The second-gen Rogue’s powertrain is not its strong suit. The SUV’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine tied for last place among seven compact SUVs for the Powertrain category in our 2019 Cars.com Compact SUV Challenge. The numbers don’t lie, and our expert review found the Rogue to be slower and noisier than its competitors.

Perhaps more troublesome than the engine is the Rogue’s CVT, a likely culprit for the loud engine noise — and a frequent rant among owners.

• “I’m 6-feet-4 and very comfortable in this SUV. There is not a lot of power and a lot of engine noise when you accelerate. The center screen isn’t conveniently placed, but the seats are very comfortable and there is tons of standard safety equipment.” — 2020 Rogue; Bloomington, Wis.
• “The engine is noisy, and it hesitates at around 27 mph. The reliability of the electronics leaves something to be desired. It rides a little rough, but some of the features like the heated seats and heated steering wheel somewhat make up for the vehicle’s shortcomings.” — 2019 Rogue; Albany, N.Y.
• “It does everything expected of vehicles in its class, but does nothing really well. It has a few nice touches like a bilevel hatch floor, hidden storage under the hatch deck and a raised rear seat that gives passengers a better view. The engine provides nice initial acceleration but runs out of power quickly. The CVT transmission does not provide uniform acceleration due to fake shift points; it provides more noise than actual power application.” — 2019 Rogue; Sheboygan, Wis.
• “Nice looking, but it lacks punch in performance when the air conditioning is on. We like the ample headroom for tall persons, the beautiful interior and nice storage area in the rear.” — 2018 Rogue; Wake Forest, N.C.

Rant: Driving Blind

One reason the Rogue’s blind spot warning is so popular might be due to the vehicle’s visibility challenges for some drivers. The Rogue’s cumbersome visibility — looking back and ahead — came up as a trending rant among owners, and we rated it squarely in the bottom half of compact SUVs during a comparison of rear visibility in 2017.

• “I just purchased a Nissan Rogue after owning an Altima for 14 years. So far it has been great. It drives smooth, is good on gas and has very comfortable seats. The backup camera is great, and I am very happy with the technology it comes with. The downsides are minor for me: the pick-up isn’t the best, and blind spots while making a left turn are pretty significant. The car turning in front of me will ‘disappear’ behind the front column and mirror.” — 2020 Rogue, Melrose, Mass.
• “I love the steering and handling of the car, but there are a lot of blind spots. The brakes are really good and the lights are extremely bright. I love the function of the dashboard.” — 2017 Rogue; Hudson Falls, N.Y.
• “The car is high enough and the doors are large enough to provide easy access for my 83-year-old husband. The visibility is not that great, so we’re learning to use the mirrors, backup camera and blind spot warning lights.” — 2018 Rogue; Bath, Maine

Rant: Fuel Economy Underdelivered

The previous-generation Rogue boasts respectable EPA mileage: The agency rates the non-hybrid model at 28 to 29 mpg combined for front-wheel drive, depending on model year, and 27 mpg combined for all-wheel drive. The Rogue Hybrid (2017-19) gets an EPA estimated 33-34 mpg combined, depending on driveline. Many owner reviews indicate that they struggle to match these EPA estimates, and in Cars.com’s real-world mileage testing of the 2019 Rogue, the SUV returned a disappointing 25.7 mpg, landing last among competitors tested in the same conditions.

• “Since purchasing the car, and almost always doing highway or freeway driving, the mpg has been around 24 on average (not the mpg that was advertised). Nissan’s response: ‘That’s normal … it’ll break in and go up.’ Again, I’m now at 21,000 miles and it has not ‘broken in.’ The mpg still hasn’t gone up.” — 2018 Rogue; Ogden, Utah
• “Disappointing performance when accelerating or passing on the highway. Also, even though I drive mostly highway, I haven’t achieved anywhere near the potential 32 mpg advertised for this four-cylinder. If I’m lucky, I can squeak out 24 mpg on the highway. Maybe using cruise control on a flat desert road will get 32 mpg, but not in everyday highway driving. Other than that, it’s comfortable, roomy and has other great features.” — 2018 Rogue; Braintree, Mass.
• “I’m a mild driver and this car is averaging 24.9 mpg. When I’m driving around town, it will say this trip was 19 or 18 mpg. It doesn’t go up by much on the highway. Very disappointing.”— 2018 Rogue; Portland, Ore.
• “I love this car — it has character. I drove a RAV4 before, and it is a good car also, but I personally like the sound and feel when the Rogue accelerates, as well as its comfort and look. I am driving a lot, but I cannot get more than 23.5 mpg even in Eco mode, which I am OK with. It just bothers me that other reviewers say that they get 30 mpg or more.” — 2016 Rogue; Troy, Mich.

More From Cars.com:

• Which 2020 Nissan Rogue Trim Should I Buy: S, SV or SL?
• 2019-2020 Nissan Rogue: Everything You Need to Know
• What’s the Best Compact SUV of 2019?
• 2019 Nissan Rogue: 10 Things We Like, 5 Things We Don’t
• Research the Nissan Rogue

What’s Changed for 2022?

Nissan redesigned the Rogue for 2021. The third-gen Rogue loses the second generation’s sliding rear seat with 40/20/40-split folding, both features that could help maximize cargo and passenger space. Nissan also retuned the SUV’s suspension, making it noticeably harsher than the previous generation’s soft, if unsophisticated, ride. Not all changes are for the worse, though: The 2022 Rogue gets an updated 181-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that improves acceleration and plays well with the SUV’s CVT, and overall handling improves a great deal.

Nissan Rogue Powertrains, Trim Levels and Pricing

The 2014-20 Rogue has a 170-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a CVT that can be had with FWD or AWD. The Rogue’s hybrid model, which had a short stint from 2017-19, pairs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor for a combined 176 hp.

Offered in S, SV and SL trims, used examples of the previous generation Rogue have a median price of $21,899 among Cars.com dealers as of this writing. Earlier examples offer more savings (the 2014 and 2015 models have median pricing under $17,000), while median price for later models climbs significantly. Used 2020 model-year Rogues, for example, have a median price of $25,997.

Due to the ongoing inventory shortage and record-high used vehicle prices, newer models of the second-gen Rogue may not provide substantial savings over the redesigned 2021 Rogue, which starts at $27,225 (including destination fee).

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