Which 2020 Nissan Rogue Trim Should I Buy: S, SV or SL?

If you are interested in the 2020 Nissan Rogue compact SUV, your choices are relatively simple. It offers just three trim levels — Rogue S, SV and SL — and one engine and transmission with front- or all-wheel drive. But which one is the best value for you? We’ll break them down here.

Related: 2019 Nissan Rogue Review: Practical and Roomy, But Not Fun to Drive

Which Should You Buy?

The value standout for me is the mid-level SV trim level that starts at $27,815 and front-wheel drive (all prices include a $1,095 destination fee). All-wheel drive is available on all trim levels for $1,350 more. The entry-level S ($26,395 with FWD) is well equipped, particularly with important standard safety features, but if you can handle a price premium of just $1,420 (5.4% more), moving up to the SV brings a lot more standard convenience features including automatic climate control, power liftgate, proximity keyless entry and more; check out the features list below. Also added are reverse automatic braking, color options and nicer looking trim (do you really want plastic wheel covers?).

All that would make the SV much more satisfying to own for a reasonable added expense. If you want additional features such as in-car navigation, ProPilot assist, heated steering wheel, seat memory and a 360-degree camera system, they can be added to the SV with an $1,800 package without making the jump to the SL ($32,785 with FWD). And that’s a big jump — within a hair of  $5,000 (or about 18% more). The standard leather seating surfaces in the front, Bose audio and 19-inch wheels are nice but not a bargain. At the SL price level the competition from upscale versions of newer rivals is a lot tougher, and worth a look. I have spent time in both the SV and SL, and for me the SV is a much better value.

Here’s what all these Rogues have in common. The second-generation Rogue dates to 2013 as a 2014 model and got a freshening for the 2017 model year with styling tweaks and some technology updates, so a redesign is likely coming in the near future. But the five-seat Rogue remains notable among compact SUVs for a practical upright shape with above-average passenger and cargo room.

The generous cargo area has up to 39.3 cubic feet behind the backseat, 70.0 cubic feet with the rear seat backs folded. The sliding and reclining 40/20/40-split, folding rear seat makes for a comfortable backseat and also allows compromise between people and cargo space. And a clever standard Divide-N-Hide cargo management system provides 18 configurations for the cargo area including multiple floor heights, a cargo divider and a package shelf to control your stuff.

A standard safety tech suite includes a front collision system with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams and a rear door alert to remind you to check the backseat for things left behind when you park if you opened the rear door at the start of a drive.

And all 2020 Rogues are powered by a 170-horsepower, non-turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission, a combo that’s adequate and economical, though not exciting — but this is a family SUV. All are EPA-rated at 26/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined with front-wheel drive and  25/32/27 mpg with AWD. And towing capacity is up to 1,102 pounds.

All the prices are up slightly from 2019 and the $26,395 entry price for the base S model also is a little higher than some rivals including the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

Here’s how the Rogue trim levels add up:

2020 Nissan Rogue Standard Features

S

The S base price is $26,395 with FWD and includes:

• 7-inch NissanConnect touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio capability, auxiliary input, two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity
• Four-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
• 5-inch color driver information display
• 17-inch steel wheels with covers
• Cloth upholstery
• Rear spoiler
• Six-way manual adjustable driver’s seat and four-way passenger seat
• Steering wheel audio controls
• Three 12-volt power ports
• Mood lighting
• Cruise control
• Manual climate control
• Rear seat climate vents
• Remote keyless entry

SV

The SV trim level starts at $27,815 with FWD and adds:

• Reverse automatic braking
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Hands-free power liftgate
• Proximity key and push-button ignition
• Eight-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support
• Six-speaker audio system
• Cloth upholstery with heated front seats
• Remote engine start
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Heated side mirrors
• Rear privacy glass
• Roof rails
• Rear parking sensors

SL

The SL trim level starts at $32,785 with FWD and adds:

• Nissan’s ProPilot Assist driving assistance system that combines full-speed adaptive cruise control with lane-centering steering for highway driving
• An in-car navigation system and real-time traffic information (with subscription)
• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Leather front seating surfaces
• Bose premium audio with nine speakers
• 360-degree camera system
• Foglights
• Heated steering wheel
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink
• Four-way power front passenger seat
• Memory for driver’s seat and mirrors

More From Cars.com:

• 2019-2020 Nissan Rogue: Everything You Need to Know
• 2020 Nissan Rogue Gets Slight Price Hike
• What’s the Best Compact SUV of 2019?
• 2019 Nissan Rogue MPG: Our Real-World Testing Results
• 2019 Nissan Rogue: 10 Things We Like, 5 Things We Don’t

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