2016 Nissan Rogue

The 2016 Nissan Rogue is offered in three trims- the S, the SV, and the SL. Pricing starts at $23,330 for the base trim and goes up to $30,080 for the top trim. All trims are offered in either FWD or AWD. Some standard features across all trims include dual-zone climate control, cruise control, keyless entry and ignition, alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, a rearview camera, and Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity. There are a few optional packages as well.

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The mid-range SV trim is a wise choice here as it offers all the features of the base S trim along with alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable driver seat, and a six-speaker sound system under $25,000 which makes the SV trim a very balanced out option over other trims.

The 2016 Nissan Rogue packs a 2.5L Inline-4 engine under the hood that generates 170 horsepower along with 175 lb-ft through a CVT transmission. The CVT does help in terms of fuel efficiency but it is on the slower side in terms of responses, instantly making the Rogue somewhat sluggish in urban roads. The optional AWD is recommended.

In terms of handling, it’s very clear from the start that the Rogue’s driving characteristics focus more on the ride quality than on the performance. It’s enough in the city, but around turns and at higher speeds fails to involve the driver as expected. The suspension is tuned to favor the comfort but the 18-inch wheels do make it a little firmer. 

The 2.5L Inline-4 engine pushes the Rogue to 60 miles per hour in 9.1 seconds, the slowest in the competition. The Rogue also outputs the least power among the four. The Sportage takes the first spot with only 7.6 seconds and is followed closely by the Dodge at 7.8 seconds. The Tiguan is the quickest in terms of quartet-mile at 14.5 seconds.

The Rogue is impressive in terms of economy. EPA ratings for the 2016 Nissan Rogue claim fuel efficiencies of 26 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined for the FWD models. It drops to 25 mpg combined with the AWD setup. The car gets a fuel capacity of 14.5 gallons which translates into a combined range of 406 miles.

In terms of fuel economy, the Rogue offers the best of these four cars. The Sportage comes in second at 24 mpg combined, with the Volkswagen at 23 mpg combined and the Dodge taking the last spot at 21 mpg combined. In terms of range, the Dodge offers the most range at 389 city miles and 533 highway miles thanks to its 20-gallon tank.

In terms of interior, the Rogue blows you away; it’s one of the most elegant interiors in this class, and is very well done. The quality of materials used, the fit, and the finish are all excellent. Soft-touch materials are all-around the cabin, with a very neat-looking dashboard. The controls and knobs feel sturdy and are easy to use.

In the seating factor, the Rogue can add an optional third row of seats best suited for kids. The front row is very comfortable and does provide good headroom. Legroom might be slightly uncomfortable for taller passengers, however. The rear seats come with a 40/20/40 split and feature great adjustability. These seats provide good legroom as well.

The Rogue provides the most headroom and legroom in the front row, matched by no other cars. In the rear, the Journey has the most headroom whereas the most legroom is on the Rogue and the Sportage. In terms of cargo capacity, the most are seen on the Journey at 39.6 cu-ft. On the Rogue, behind the second-row cargo capacity stands at 39.3 cu-ft, and with the third row folded the total cargo volume is at 70.0 cubic feet. Some interior features on the Rogue are:

• Cruise control
• Cloth upholstery
• Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Height-adjustable driver’s seat

How intuitive is the 2016 Nissan Rogue’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment unit on the 2016 Nissan Rogue is very refined and simple to use. The layout is neat, with easy-to-understand controls. The touch responses are quick and there’s hardly any lag. Standard infotainment unit features include a 7-inch touchscreen, CD player, satellite radio, USB port, auxiliary jack input, Bluetooth phone, and audio connectivity, and a four-speaker sound system. Some salient features include:

• Trip computer
• USB port
• Siri Eyes Free
• Navigation system
• 7-inch touchscreen
• CD player

The Nissan Rogue is not very great on looks, but the car’s design does grow on you. The overall exterior design language is quite handsome especially the front fascia which is angular and futuristic in terms of looks, the rear fascia sits high up and does eat up some visibility. The overall look is more on the crossover side of things rather than the SUV side of things.

The four cars are different in terms of dimensions. The Tiguan and the Kia are more compact, here as the Journey is the largest overall. The Tiguan is the tallest one in the group at 67 inches. It also sits closer to the ground. The Rogue is a fairly sized vehicle overall. Some exterior features on the Rogue are:

• LED running lights
• Alloy wheels
• Rear privacy glass
• Automatic headlights
• Power liftgate
• Panoramic sunroof

The 2016 Nissan Rogue got rated at 4-stars by the NHTSA and got a rating of ‘Good’ by the IIHS. Standard safety features include four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, airbags, a rearview camera, and hill-start assist. All-wheel-drive models add hill descent control. Some driver assistance safety features are available as optional. NissanConnect Services emergency services are available as well. Some Safety Features are:

• Hill-start assist
• Rearview camera
• Airbags
• Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS)
• 3-point ALR/ELR passenger seat belt system (ELR for the driver)
• LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)

The Rogue is an ideal vehicle for families as it is capable of day-to-day chores quite impressively. It is highly fuel-efficient and the cost of ownership is also affordable as compared to some of its competitors. The versatility that the Rogue provides is what makes it desirable and the price tag does nothing but adds to its desirability. However, it isn’t a perfect vehicle as the third-row option eats up cargo space and is only good for small kids and under hard acceleration engine make annoying noises which can get bothering in day to day usage which these types of vehicles are meant to do. Overall, for the price you get a lot and won’t be disappointed as any of its shortcomings are not dealbreakers.