Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
There's no more crowded segment in the auto industry than that of the compact crossover and like kid's Cheerios at church, they're everywhere. Because of this, manufacturers are forced to produce their very best if they want to compete, including Nissan. For years, the Rogue has been Nissan's best-selling model. Nissan sold nearly 900,000 vehicles in 2023, and almost a third of those was this tidy, compact SUV.
So naturally I was pretty intrigued when offered a 2024 Nissan Rogue SL for an extended weekend test drive. The SL trim slots just below the top-of-the-line Platinum and offers features like a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive, LED headlights and a slew of modern safety features. All in, with options and destination, our tester priced out at just over $41,000.
Car and Driver praised things like its comfort, seats, attractive materials and modern tech and I agree on all points. Here are four things I really enjoyed about my weekend with the 2024 Nissan Rogue.
Comfortable and attractive interior
Nissan is making some of the most comfortable seats on the market and I love every time my backside gets to rest on one. Developed at Keio University using similar science behind zero-gravity space travel, these seats are some of the best in the business. Seriously, if driving comfort is a priority to you, then look no further than the Nissan Rogue. There's also way more rear-seat legroom and cargo space than you're expecting, ensuring that every passenger is supremely comfortable on short and long drives.
Then there's the rest of the interior. The use of above-average materials goes a long way here, and I was immediately struck by just how nice it all felt. The buttons, surfaces and steering wheel look especially nice and feel great to the touch. The SL and Platinum trims get genuine leather, with the Platinum's being semi-aniline. There's also all the usual goodies like tri-zone climate control, heated seats and a heated steering wheel to make your ride all the more pleasant.
Overall the Rogue's interior is a great place to spend time. I would gladly put some long road-trip hours behind the wheel and be totally content.
Punchy, efficient turbocharged engine
Nissan changed to a new, 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine in 2022 for the Rogue and it was a good move. It's more engaging and efficient than the previous naturally aspirated four-cylinder and I found it to be perfectly responsive around town. It's surprisingly powerful, too, despite its ultra-small size, and produces 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. That torque figure provides excellent low-end response and makes for brisk acceleration coming from a stop, or pulling out of a parking lot.
The 2024 Rogue is rated at 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. It achieved just over 28 mpg during our weekend of testing.
Excellent safety and driving features and ratings
If safety is a priority, then the Rogue should be on your shortlist. It earned a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the highest award given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — a Top Safety Pick+ rating.
In some of the vehicles I've tested the safety systems can be a bit overbearing. Not so here in the Rogue. They never felt overly intrusive and many of them were genuinely helpful in daily driving.
Here's just a sampling of some of the features included even in the base model Rogue: an intelligent Around View Monitor with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, intelligent high beam assist, rear automatic braking, adaptive cruise control and active lane centering.
Some models are also equipped with the Nissan's ProPILOT 2.0, driver assistance technology which can combine navigated highway driving with hands-off single-lane driving capabilities.
Easy-to-use infotainment
I've used plenty of infotainment systems over the years and the Rogue's is one of the better ones. The SL and Platinum trims get a 12.3-inch touch display with Google Maps, Google Play and Google Assistant built-in. Google built-in means you can use those Google features without pairing or plugging in a phone. The tester also had wireless Apple CarPlay, which connected seamlessly and maintained a flawless connection.
Final thoughts
The 2024 Nissan Rogue SL is the best it's ever been. It's practical, safe, comfortable, easy to use, gets good fuel economy and offers a lot for the money. It may not be the most exciting or engaging offering in the segment, but it's a solid entry, especially for those wanting to fly under the radar. For most people, driving is just simply one thing: transportation. And to that end, the Rogue transports humans very well — especially in those amazing, zero-gravity front seats.
As far as trims go, I think the SL trim is the best value. Springing for the Platinum trim will get you nice extras like quilted leather and a premium audio system, but they're not really necessary. The SL offers plenty of value and can be optioned with several Platinum trim features if you really want them.
Check out your next Rogue at one of Utah's Nissan dealers.
