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2016 Nissan Rogue Quick Spin

William Maley
by William Maley
November 20, 2015
5 min. Reading Time
2016 Nissan Rogue SL AWD Front Angle

2016 Nissan Rogue SL AWD Front Angle

Automakers have crossovers on the brain. Whether big or small, automakers are introducing and building new crossovers as fast as they can to satisfy the growing demand of consumers. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the compact crossover marketplace. It seems a month or two can't go by without an automaker announcing a new or refreshed model to take the spotlight and hopefully draw customers in. But as in many classes in the automotive world, there are a few models that sell quite well and don't need any gimmicks to their name.

Case in point is the Nissan Rogue. Since being redesigned for the 2014 model year, the Rogue has been constantly near the top in the sales charts. But why is that? Most likely it comes down to Nissan doing its homework and making the Rogue a well-rounded crossover.

Lineup and Pricing

The 2016 Nissan Rogue is offered in three trims and two drivetrains.

The Rogue S is the base model and starts at $23,240 for the front-wheel drive version and $24,590 for the all-wheel drive version. Prices include a $885 destination charge. Standard equipment includes LED daytime running lights, a backup camera, Bluetooth, a four-speaker audio system with a five-inch color display, and stability control.

Next is the SV that adds seventeen-inch alloy wheels, Nissan's Intelligent Key with push button start, a six-way power driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, NissanConnect with mobile apps such as Facebook and Pandora; and automatic headlights. Pricing starts at $24,690 for the front-wheel drive model and $26,040 for the all-wheel drive model.

Finishing off the Rogue lineup is the SL. The top trim gets eighteen-inch alloy wheels, power liftgate, heated leather seats, around-view camera system, a seven-inch touchscreen with navigation and NissanConnect Services, and a nine-speaker Bose audio system. Prices start at $28,640 for front-wheel drive and $29,990 for all-wheel drive.

S and SV models have the option of adding a third-row through the Family Package that also includes a set of run-flat tires and rear privacy glass for the S. Prices for this package is $1,190 for the S and $940 for the SV.

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What's New for 2016?

Most of the changes for the 2016 Nissan Rogue deal with the top SL trim. First is the introduction of NissanConnect Services that allows an owner to get assistance and information concerning their vehicle. The basic level of services on includes automatic collision notification, emergency calling, stolen vehicle assistance, and roadside assistance. Above the basic level, NissanConnect Services adds remote door lock and engine start from your smartphone, and the ability to send directions from Google Maps to your vehicle. For 2016, Nissan will offer six months of NissanConnect Services for free when you purchase a Rogue SL. From there pricing for NissanConnect Services begins at $11.99.

The SL also gets Forward Emergency Braking as part of the SL Premium package to help avoid and lessen the damage of a collision.

Siri Eyes Free is added to the SL and SV Premium Package, which allows users of the iPhone with Siri to do various things such as setting up appointments or sending an email through the Rogue's voice command system.

Finally, the Rogue S is now available with body-colored side-view mirrors with integrated turn signals and chrome door handles, through the optional appearance package.

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Exterior Design

The best way to describe how the Rogue looks is to think of the Pathfinder that has been hit by a shrink ray. From any angle you look at the Rogue, you can pick out some element of the Pathfinder. The front end boasts a large snout with a chrome bar running around the Nissan emblem and headlights with LED daytime running lights. Our SV tester boasts seventeen-inch wheels which look sharp and fill in the wheel wells quite well.

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Interior Design and Features

The Nissan Rogue features a quite plain looking interior when compared to other crossovers in the class. But that isn't a bad thing since the interior is well built thanks to a good mix of hard and soft touch materials, and impressive build quality. Controls were within easy reach and had a solid feel. Our Rogue SV's interior was finished in black that does make the interior feel small. There is a beige color that makes the interior feel slightly bigger.

The Rogue SV comes well equipped with a power driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, a five-inch color display radio with six-speakers, Bluetooth, and push-button start. Our SV also came equipped with the SV Premium package which adds features found on the SL model such as a seven-inch touchscreen with navigation, heated front seats, and a power liftgate. The Premium package will set you back $1,620 and it is well worth it.

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Comfort and Cargo

A key selling point of the Rogue is that it is the only compact crossover that can be equipped to seat seven people thanks to an optional third row. But the third row isn't very useful thanks to non-existent legroom. Also, the space to get into the third row by moving the second-row seat forward is quite tight.

The second row is a different story altogether as it offers a large amount of head and legroom. Also, second-row passengers will be able to move rear seat forward and back, along with the ability to recline to make themselves more comfortable.

Cargo space depends on which seating arrangement you go for. Opt for the three-row setup and space only measures 9.4 cubic feet with all rows up. Fold the third-row down and space increases to 32 cubic feet. This is the same cargo space you'll find on Rogues equipped with two rows. Fold the second row down and you'll have 74 cubic feet of space, giving the Rogue one the largest cargo areas in the class.

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Safety

Nissan made sure to fully kit out the Rogue in terms of safety equipment. All models get front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, tire-pressure monitoring, and a backup camera. Now if you want a bit more safety, you can add the Premium Package to the SV and SL models. The package adds Nissan's Around View camera system, blind spot monitoring, moving object detection, and forward emergency braking for SL models.

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Engine

All Rogues use a 2.5L four-cylinder producing 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. This will come paired exclusively with Nissan's Xtronic CVT. Front-wheel drive comes standard while all-wheel drive is available as an option. Fuel economy is rated at 26 City/33 Highway/28 Combined for the front-wheel-drive Rogue and 25 City/32 Highway/28 Combined for the all-wheel-drive Rogue.

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Performance

If most of your driving is around town or out in the suburbs, the 2.5L four-cylinder is very adequate. Power comes on smoothly and at a decent rate. But if most of your time is spent on the expressway, we might point you to a different crossover. The 2.5 seems to run out of steam above 50 mph, and we had to floor it just to merge onto an expressway or make a pass. This also brings up the endless droning of the CVT as it was working overtime to help get the vehicle up to speed.

In terms of fuel economy, we only got 22.3 MPG during our week of testing. It should be noted that our Rogue tester only had 620 Miles on the odometer when we got in for review. We expect the fuel economy numbers to rise once the powertrain has been fully broken in.

Regarding ride, Nissan went for a comfortable setting with the Rogue. Bumps and road imperfections are soaked up by the suspension. Road and wind noise levels are kept to a whisper, making the Rogue a perfect long distance cruiser.

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Pros & Cons

-Sharp exterior design -Spacious interior -Extensive feature list -Comfortable ride -Affordable price tag

-Black interior color makes interior feel smaller -Optional third-row seating is unusable -Engine runs out of steam at higher speeds -CVT is noisy at full throttle

Nissan USA Provided the Rogue SV, insurance, and a tank of gas.

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