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2008 Nissan Rogue 2.5 SL AWD Road Test

Unlike most hats, gloves and other fashion accessories, the automotive world

Say hello to Nissan's Mini-Murano. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

is not one size or one style fits all. Having the most powerful engine, or the best gadgets isn't proving to be enough these days. No, the key to success is diversification. Take, for instance, Ford and its plethora of sport utility vehicles and crossovers, which range from the Escape (compact SUV) to Expedition (giant). In between, there's the Explorer (midsize traditional SUV), the Edge (two-row midsize crossover), the Taurus X (wagon-on-stilts), and the upcoming Flex (full-size crossover). That'll be six utility vehicles by the end of the year, each supposedly catering to a different consumer type in the increasingly fragmented SUV/CUV marketplace.

This way of thinking isn't limited to the Americans either, as Toyota's following a similar strategy, and so too is Nissan. The majority of Nissan's North American range, including the XTerra, Pathfinder and Armada, has spawned from one vehicle, the do-it-all Pathfinder, with the Murano sharing architecture with Nissan's midsize Altima platform. Each one of the Pathfinder's strengths, such as off-roading, towing/hauling and general comfort, yield a specific and individual vehicle, which over the course of a

The body-coloured grille gives the Rogue a sporty look, as does its rounded, curvy body. It's a nice difference from its boxy competitors. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

couple of years quadrupled Nissan's offerings. But the one area that never seemed to get coverage was the smaller end of the spectrum. True, there was the X-Trail for Canada, but only the truckish, off-roading expert Xterra could be had for the US.

No matter who you talk to, the news about crossovers is the same everywhere. Forecasts are up, sales are up, and as a result the numbers of competitors with a new CUV are up. The bar has been set by some very good ‘utes, such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and many players have recently stepped up their game, such as Mitsubishi with its Outlander. Sounds like a tough nut to crack, especially on a first try, but when Nissan opts to launch a brand new car they tend to make a pretty good case for themselves (see 2002 Nissan Altima, 2003 Nissan Murano). One advantage of being a latecomer is that Nissan has had plenty of time to observe the players and develop a crossover with exactly the characteristics buyers are looking for.

Look at the Rogue and the first thing to notice is how much it looks like a Murano, or at least one that's accidentally found its way into the drier instead of the dry cleaner's. This is, in my opinion, a

Some parts of the cabin are borrowed from the Sentra, but it feels much more upscale. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

good thing. I happen to like the way the Murano looks, and it's garnered quite a loyal following amongst its owners. Besides the familial relationship, borrowing from the Murano's overall shape, plus its nose and tail treatments gives the Rogue a distinctive look that's unique and not particularly bulky looking. If there's one thing that I'd like to change, it's the grille; the body-colored “cheese grater” no longer matches the new Murano, which has a more aggressive, slatted design.

The interior atmosphere of the Rogue is much like the Altima in that you sit in a seat that faces a lot of off-gray plastic. It isn't all doom ‘n gloom, however, as despite its dark look not much of it is cheap. The dash and the trim around the console is pleasantly squishy, although it could be brightened up with a bit of silver alloy-look trim to mirror what's on the circular pod vents. I also quite like the leather-trimmed seats in the SL version; the leather's red accented perforations stand out nicely against the black surfaces. Bits of Sentra have popped into the cabin too, such as the HVAC controls and the glowing orange orb in the instrument panel that

The Rogue only comes with the CVT. It's a good CVT though, so no worries. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

contains the trip computer information with its digitized readouts for fuel economy and coolant temperature. Considering the price of the Rogue, this is one of the better interiors that Nissan has come up with to date.

While second row room is fair compared to those in the class, its rear seats don't slide fore and aft, nor do they recline. Making up for it, however, is a very practical cargo area. Once your load's been lifted up over the high-ish bumper line, there are plenty of pop-up bins and tie-down tethers to organize it. The mostly flat-folding rear seat turns the Rogue into a veritable cargo hauler too. As of right now the Rogue is only a five seater, but without too much difficulty it's possible to find spy shots online of a stretched version of the Rogue's European cousin, the Qashqai. With Mitsubishi and Toyota both offering third row seats in their compact crossover (although Mitsubishi's are more of an afterthought), this may be a new move to help Nissan distinguish itself from other rivals.

Drives well, on dry pavement, or out in the snow. Its intelligent AWD system makes a big difference. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

After producing the sportiest midsize sedan on the market, Nissan presumably wanted to create the best compact crossover to drive as well. Outside of the premium brands like BMW and Acura, they've succeeded with the Rogue. It's not a horizon-expanding experience to pilot one of these things, but rather you get a sense that it's competent at being more than just an urban runabout. The Rogue, unlike the Sentra that it's based off of, features a fully independent rear suspension that's mounted on a subframe to isolate the cabin from noise and from impact. There is less roll than most of its competitors experience, yet at the same time its ride isn't as harsh or choppy, one of the benefits to having good wheel travel.

The Rogue's variable assist steering is light and does a surprisingly good job of telling you what's going on under the front tires, but the big surprise is how it handles inclement weather. Most compact crossovers or SUVs are average if not painless to drive. If the Rogue were a CR-V or a RAV4, it would understeer around slippery bends, but it isn't and therefore remains quite neutral. When fitted with the optional intelligent all-wheel drive, once

Visibility out the back isn't great. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

understeer starts to occur, don't ease off, ease on. Automatically, and as if by magic, it'll start to send power to the rear wheels to bring you right on course. Like the RAV4, you can lock things down should you so desire, but this can only be done at low speeds (3 mph and under) or when stopped. The difference between automatic and locked is pretty evident if you push it on slippery surfaces with the stability control off, being that the locked setting puts more power to the ground via the rear wheels. It's nice to have this sort of switchable control, even if the Rogue is the most car-like crossover around. It brings a sense of capability to back up its credentials.

Nissan didn't aim to pull the wool over anyone's eyes with this crossover, mind you, in that it was really engineered to excel in the city. Here's a vehicle that makes a lot of sense in town – it isn't big and it's so easy to maneuver in tight spaces. Because it's a bit taller than a traditional hatchback, you sit higher up and are therefore able to see what's going on around you. This is something I could get used to. I also like

Paddles - and you thought they were only for SE-Rs. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

that its front pillars are skinny enough as not to completely obscure pedestrians and cyclists from view, yet its high belt line gives occupants a feeling of security. In the name of style, Nissan has fitted the Rogue with a tiny rear window, and an even tinier rear wiper that looks cool from the outside, but isn't all that useful for actually seeing what's behind you. Parking sensors and a slightly tighter turning circle would be nice.

As of right now there is only one engine offered with the Rogue, Nissan's 170-hp QR25DE, as featured in the Sentra SE-R and base Altima. It's one of the nicest four-cylinder SUVs in that it doesn't produce the usual high-pitched four-banger thrash. Mated to the XTronic CVT, the powertrain is very smooth with seamless, quick acceleration, while the gearless transmission keeps the engine quiet on the highway. Gearheads shouldn't be too disappointed, though, as Nissan supplements the chunky three-spoke steering wheel with paddles on the SL version, which toggle through six artificially spaced ratios. And given the strong driving dynamics,

So the seats don't do anything fancy, but the Rogue's cargo bay comes with this neat fold-up divider. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

this is one crossover where you'll actually be tempted to use them. That, and the console shift knob, despite being wrapped in perforated leather, is shaped oddly and feels a bit cheap to the touch. For those more concerned with operating costs, the Rogue is the most economical vehicle in its class.

I billed the Sentra that I drove around this time last year as a commuter's dream for its comfortable ride, quiet interior and thrifty engine, but in relative terms the Rogue not only surpasses it, it buries it. With more power, more traction, better amenities, and, of course, the style of an SUV, yet with the fuel economy of a car, there is no question why the Rogue is already one of the hottest products that Nissan sells. Although they're two completely different cars and the Rogue picks up where the Sentra leaves off, I know which city-friendly car I'd rather be driving, even if it meant sacrificing all of this tester's luxuries.

More silver trim could be used to brighten up the cabin, but the detailing of red stitching and perforations on the seats is great. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

Rogues come in two different trims, the base S and the upper-level SL, ranging from $19,250 and cutting off right under twenty-two grand for the SL AWD. Base models are well equipped with power everything, AC and stability control, although AWD is an option. Opting for the SL is what really turns the Rogue into a premium vehicle, very much like the Murano. It has the creature comforts that many vehicles in the segment don't have, like its proximity sensing intelligent key system and great-sounding Bose audio system. On the other hand, I'm also a bit surprised that it doesn't have automatic headlamps, navigation, digital climate control, or a panoramic sunroof, features that would attract more luxury-oriented consumers.

Just the same, the Rogue is a well thought out vehicle, and one that I happen to like a lot, and at the rate that they've been popping up around urban cores and suburbia, I'm obviously not the only one who feels this way. In fact, my only real complaint about the Rogue is a rather silly one. It has to do with its name. There's nothing remotely rogue-ish about it. It's not mean-spirited, worthless, dangerous, uncontrollable or dishonest, as its name makes it out to be. No, the Rogue is a practical and very versatile little crossover with a fun streak. Maybe Nissan was referring to the Rogue's independent attitude, and it does stand out in a crowd. All the same, when the name's the only questionable thing about a car, you know that's a good sign.

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