The Nissan Rogue is a pretty popular compact SUV with a price that could be considered a little high. It’s noted for being luxurious and full of tech, but one of the most prevalent complaints suggest that the rogue is underpowered. So, despite the possible lack of power, is the Nissan Rogue worth buying? 

Is The Nissan Rogue Worth Buying?

You can drive off the lot in a brand new 2020 Nissan Rogue for about $25k, which isn’t a bad starting price. The Toyota RAV4 also starts around $25k, but the Kia Seltos starts around $21k, offering a cheaper yet capable option. 

Also, the Nissan Rogue has an average fuel economy. It gets up to 25 mpg in the city and up to 33 mpg on the highway. The RAV4 gets up to 36 mpg on the highway. To get a better fuel economy, it may be best to consider a hybrid option instead. 

Nissan Rogue Performance 

Under the hood of the Nissan Rogue, you will find a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels with a variable automatic transmission. The Nissan Rogue can tow up to 1,100 lb, but don’t push it! It will have difficulties with campers, but pop up, or teardrop trailers should be fine. 

If you agree with slow and steady wins the race, the go for the Nissan Rogue. It takes 9.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. Also, be sure to add on all-wheel-drive if you live in an area that snows or can drive to campsites. The intelligent AWD system automatically senses changing conditions to adapt to changing road conditions in seconds. 

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There are no driving modes for snow, sand, mud, or rocks like competitors have. The suspension is basic, with an independent strut suspension in the front and a multi-link suspension in the rear. Positive reviews suggest the Rouge has a quiet ride, but without any proof of a better suspension or noise dampening materials, we aren’t sure if we believe it. 

Nissan Rogue Features 

The Nissan Rogue claims to be spacious with enough room to seat five passengers comfortably. It does have up to 39.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats up and 70 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded flat, so it doesn’t disappoint there. 

You can use the 7” infotainment center to connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Still, you’ll have to upgrade to a higher trim option for navigation and Nissan Connect, which can connect to Alexis and your Google Assistant. 

For the memory foam front seats, heated seats, a leather steering wheel, a power liftgate, and more, you’ll have to spend a little extra money. Also, only a few of the promoted safety features come with the base model. You get the blind spot warning, lane departure assistance, and automatic braking at least. The ProPilot assistance feature to help prevent collisions extra. 

So, the Nissan Rogue can hardly tow anything, has a high starting price without much tech or luxury, is slow, can hardly tackle any off-roading challenges, and more. So, it being underpowered is only one of the reasons why it should be avoided.