Oct 1, 2019, 09:55 AM by Mike Blake

Currently the 7th top-selling vehicle in America – the 3rd best-selling crossover – the 2019 Rogue is also Nissan’s top-selling vehicle. Rogue debuted in 2007 for the 2008 model year as Nissan’s entry-level compact sports-ute, and began its second generation in 2013, earning a solid rep among buyers as it climbed the ranks of top-sellers.

Sporty and versatile, the 2019 Rogue follows extensive enhancements last year by adding tech and cosmetics in each trim level. Expanded technology includes standard Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Automatic Emergency Braking, with Pedestrian Detection and High Beam Assist, across all grade levels; Rear Automatic Braking and a Rear Sonar System have been added as standard on SV and SL grades; an Innovative Rear Door Alert was added to all grade levels -- reminds the driver to check the back seat before exiting the vehicle; the SV trim gets a new Premium Package with 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, ProPILOT Assist and available electronic parking brake; and the S trim gets a new Special Edition Package -- 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, heated exterior mirrors with integrated LED turn signals, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated driver's and front passenger seat, and chrome exterior and interior door handles and roof rails.

Offered in three well-equipped grade levels, S, SV and SL -- Rogue eliminated its third row of seating a few years back, but it fits the demand for an upscale compact crossover  with dimensions of 184.5 inches in length; 72.4 inches in width and 66.6 inches in height on a 106.5-inch wheelbase. Minimum ground clearance is 8.4 inches (AWD), and curbweight for the AWD in SL trim is 3614 lbs. Assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee, Rogue’s unibody construction utilizes corrosion-resistant and high-strength steel, with a premium look and feel from its signature “V-Motion” grille and headlights to its LED boomerang signature taillights.

Rogue’s refined interior presents a premium look and feel, and is enhanced with a D-shaped steering wheel and leather-booted sport-mode shifter, available heated steering wheel, memory for driver's seats and mirror, and remote engine start. 

Interior sightlines are impeded by thick rear roof pillars, but Rogue’s cabin is roomy for a smaller SUV with 41.6 inches of front headroom and 38.5 inches in row two. Interior legroom is comfortable in front at 43.0 inches and relatively comfy in row two at 37.9 inches. Shoulder room is 56.6 in front and 55.9 and in the rear.

Rogue continues to offer one standard power source, a transverse 2.5-liter inline-4-cylinder DOHC engine that provides 170 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque. Coupled with an Xtronic CVT® (Continuously Variable Transmission) with standard Sport Mode and Eco switches, Rogue is EPA rated at 25mpg/city, 32mpg/highway and 28mpg/overall, and a week of mixed-use testing averaged of 26.6mpg. From a stop and also at speed, acceleration is uninspired but predictable, and uphill grades and passing at speed require some strategy. Steering seems stiff, and the electric power-assisted power assisted rack-and-pinion steering exhibited understeer during quick maneuvers. Track times were finished off in a 9.3-second zero-to-60mpg sprint and a perceptibly slow 17.4-second quarter-mile. 

The driving experience is smooth for the niche, with firm on-pavement engagement from independent strut front suspension, coil springs and an independent multi-link rear, though Rogue does not appear to be suited for severe off-road challenges.

Earning top marks for safety, Rogue Safety Shield technologies include radar-based Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Additionally, Rogue is constructed with zone body construction with front and rear crumple zones; energy-absorbing steering column; hood-buckling creases and safety stops; body side reinforcements; shift interlock system; vehicle security system; vehicle dynamic control and traction control system. And you get the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant-classification sensors, driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags, and roof-mounted curtain supplemental air bags with rollover sensor for outboard occupant head protection for all rows.

The 2019 Nissan Rogue starts at $25,020 for the base S trim in FWD and $26,370 for AWD. The SV trim adds 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, Nissan Intelligent Key® with push button ignition, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, dual zone automatic temperature control and a 6-way power driver's seat to the base S, and starts at $26,440 in FWD and $27,990 in AWD. The top trim Rogue SL I tested starts at $31,490 in FWD and $32,840 in AWD and gains Nissan Door to Door Navigation with Premium Traffic, Intelligent Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection and Leather-appointed seats. Hybrid models start at $27,700 and run to $32,990 before options.

My test 2019 Rogue SL added the SL Premium Package for $1820, which included a power panoramic moonroof and LED headlights. The SL Platinum Reserve Interior Package, for $250, added leather-appointed seats with quilted leather inserts and Piano Black door finisher; roof rail crossbars added $365; four splash guards added $170; and a chrome rear bumper protector was $165. A cool and high-tech 360-degree exterior impact sensor added only $125 and a moonroof wind deflector also added $125. With destination and handling charges of $1045, my 2019 Rogue SL-as-tested came in at $36,905.

Written by Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.