Trunk space is decent as I managed to fit eight wheels and tires (no passengers and by collapsing the rear bench) and on another occasion, a folding ladder, two boxes of stuff and three occupants (the 60% split down). The principal issue was headroom that is at a premium in all positions if you are 6” tall or more. With the bench in place, you might get two golf bags but if it's real volume you're looking for, consider the Murano.
What's that whistling noise?
Ah, that's an interesting question. This mild supercharger-like whine originates from the only available transmission which is an Xtronic CVT. This gearless wonder takes its motivation from the well-worn 2.5L inline 4-cylinder engine. In Rogue mode, it puts out 170 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. Both FWD and AWD drivetrains are offered.
I'm really starting to warm up to the CVT idea. I have evaluated it in Audi, Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubishi products, and its smoothness of operation is refreshing, once you forget about the absence of shift-shock. I especially enjoyed the manual shift mode with paddle shifters; the six pre-selected gear ratios worked well with the 2.5L. Acceleration is snappy but won't cause any whiplash. The engine comes into its own at 4,000 rpm and things do get stimulating at that point.
A refined drive
This is the third occasion I review a Rogue since 2007 and every time, I'm thoroughly impressed with how well the little Nissan behaves on the road. I suspect this to be the principal selling point of this vehicle. And I was not overstating anything when I wrote the title for this section; the Rogue is a great drive. Be it a combination of the competent chassis (shared with the Nissan Sentra, itself shared with the Renault Mégane) and its well-tuned fully independent suspension on our beautiful roads (not!), the Rogue feels surefooted and always firmly in contact with the road surface.
I am so bewildered by the Nissan's ride and handling that I can confidently say that it rides and drives as well as any other compact CUV/SUV in the category, Honda CR-V and Volkswagen Tiguan included. The speed-sensitive power steering is fair in the way it delegates assistance and I've no qualms with the braking system.
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| Trunk space is decent as I managed to fit eight wheels and tires. |
What's that whistling noise?
Ah, that's an interesting question. This mild supercharger-like whine originates from the only available transmission which is an Xtronic CVT. This gearless wonder takes its motivation from the well-worn 2.5L inline 4-cylinder engine. In Rogue mode, it puts out 170 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. Both FWD and AWD drivetrains are offered.
I'm really starting to warm up to the CVT idea. I have evaluated it in Audi, Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubishi products, and its smoothness of operation is refreshing, once you forget about the absence of shift-shock. I especially enjoyed the manual shift mode with paddle shifters; the six pre-selected gear ratios worked well with the 2.5L. Acceleration is snappy but won't cause any whiplash. The engine comes into its own at 4,000 rpm and things do get stimulating at that point.
A refined drive
This is the third occasion I review a Rogue since 2007 and every time, I'm thoroughly impressed with how well the little Nissan behaves on the road. I suspect this to be the principal selling point of this vehicle. And I was not overstating anything when I wrote the title for this section; the Rogue is a great drive. Be it a combination of the competent chassis (shared with the Nissan Sentra, itself shared with the Renault Mégane) and its well-tuned fully independent suspension on our beautiful roads (not!), the Rogue feels surefooted and always firmly in contact with the road surface.
I am so bewildered by the Nissan's ride and handling that I can confidently say that it rides and drives as well as any other compact CUV/SUV in the category, Honda CR-V and Volkswagen Tiguan included. The speed-sensitive power steering is fair in the way it delegates assistance and I've no qualms with the braking system.
 |
| I'm thoroughly impressed with how well the little Nissan behaves on the road. |