Every automaker has that one vehicle that can do no wrong. It always has great reviews, brings in large sales, and has a loyal following. For Nissan, that’s the Rogue. Even though there are a lot of other great vehicles produced by the Japanese automaker, the Nissan Rogue leaves its brothers and sisters in the dust. The sales numbers from Good Car, Bad Car prove this.

Sales numbers for the Nissan Rogue vs the Altima

The Nissan Rogue has had some pretty impressive sales numbers over the years. In 2017, Nissan sold 403,465 models. In 2018, it was 412,110. Incidentally, this was also the highest number of sales the Rogue has ever had. In 2019, the number of sales dipped down to 350,447. Still, that’s quite a large number of vehicles sold in one year.

The Nissan Altima is a very popular vehicle, but it couldn’t quite keep up with the Rogue, according to Good Car, Bad Car. In fact, the Rogue beats it out by 100,000 vehicles every year. In 2017, the Altima sold 254,996 vehicles. In 2018, it was 209,146. This was also the year that Rogue beat it out by over 200,000 vehicles. In 2019, the number of Altimas sold was 209,183. 

The year that Nissan sold the most Altimas was 2012, with 335,887. It was also one of the few years that the Altima beat out the Rogue, which sold only 155,772 vehicles in 2012. The Altima isn’t a bad car, but it doesn’t have as much appeal as the Rogue.

Why consumers love the Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue is a small crossover SUV, which is a hot market at the moment. Consumers are going crazy over the smaller vehicles that drive more like a car, and the Rogue is an attractive option. Consumer Reports considers it to be a reliable vehicle, which is more than enough to convince some drivers who are on the fence.

According to Edmunds, there are several features that drivers who aren’t looking for a luxury vehicle will love. For someone who needs plenty of cargo space, there are 40 cubic feet with the seats up, and 70 cu. ft. with the back seats lowered. If that’s not enough room, there is a dual floor storage system available. Just lift the floor in the cargo area, and there is a shelf to store more items. 

The cabin is roomy and quiet unless it’s filled with a soccer team. Rather than stiff, hard seats, the seats are rather comfortable. The Rogue also comes with several safety features as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Why consumers may turn to another automaker

Just because the Rogue is Nissan’s bestseller, this doesn’t mean that it’s the best-selling small crossover in its division. As a matter of fact, there are several competitors that consumers turn to without even considering the Rogue.

This has a lot to do with the fact that the small SUV crossover division is packed full. There is an unlimited number of choices that drivers can go with at any given time, and many consumers simply overlook the Rogue. The 170-hp four-cylinder engine that makes simple tasks such as passing a nightmare doesn’t help.

When compared to crossovers such as the Honda CR-V or the Mazda CX-5, the Rogue’s ride is lackluster. It also isn’t known for going off-road the way the Jeep Cherokee is. Edmunds was less than impressed with the fact that the Rogue’s fuel economy lags behind some competitors, and it isn’t as refined. So while the Rogue reigns supreme in Nissan’s tiny kingdom, it can’t quite keep up with some rivals.