We drive the 2020 Nissan Rogue

2020 Nissan Rogue – a best seller

The Nissan Rogue is Nissan’s best-selling vehicle. It makes sense because it is one vehicle that does everything well. It is roomy but not too big and luxurious without being flashy. It is also affordable and economical and Nissan has now added a host of electronic safety measures.

Nissan is very proud of its new electronics so it makes sense to talk about those first. Introduced in the 2018 Rogue, the ProPilot Assist system can help ease driver workload by reducing the amount of driver acceleration, steering and braking input under certain driving conditions.

The system is geared towards drivers who experience heavy highway traffic on a daily basis. The driver's input always takes priority, overriding the system when the steering wheel is turned or the turn signal is operated. For 2020, ProPilot Assist is standard on the SL grade and optional on Rogue SV.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]In addition, Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard on Rogue SV and SL. The system includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Braking, Lane Departure Warning, radar-based Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and High Beam Assist.

Another innovative driver assistance technology, which is standard on all 2020 Rogue models, is the Rear Door Alert system. Rear Door Alert can help remind customers of items that may be forgotten in the rear seat like valuables, dry cleaning, groceries and more.

If the system detects that a rear door was opened/closed prior to a trip, but then was not re-opened again after the trip was completed, given the vehicle was put in park and the ignition cycled off, the system responds with a series of notifications, starting with a display in the instrument panel and progressing to subtle but distinctive chirps of the horn.

Inside, Rogue offers a premium look and feel throughout. Among the interior features are a D-shaped steering wheel and leather-booted sport-mode shifter, heated steering wheel, memory for driver's seats and mirror, and remote engine start.

The interior is quite comfortable

Our top of the line SL featured soft leather covering everything. Maybe everything was not actually leather but everything from the center console to the door panels feels expensive and reminds you more of an Infiniti rather than a Nissan.

The Rogue is designed to be a utility vehicle so it is very practical. Every seat except the driver's easily folds down. The front passenger seat folds rearwards, allowing transport of long items such as an 8-foot ladder when combined with the flat folding 40/20/40-split 2nd row seat.

The front bucket seats are what Nissan calls Zero Gravity design. They don’t seem any different than any other seat but after driving for eight hours, you will realize that your body feels fresh and ache free. The driver's seat is 6-way adjustable, with available power adjustment including lumbar support, while the front passenger seat is 4-way adjustable.

The available Quick Comfort heated front seats are designed to immediately begin warming the body parts most sensitive to heat, such as the thighs and hips.

Rogue also offers Divide-N-Hide Cargo System that provides 18 adjustable variations between the cargo and occupant areas. There is ample cargo space behind the second row and there is also a hidden cargo area under the floor which is great for smaller items or anything that you want to keep away from prying eyes.

The rear seats will fold down as mentioned earlier but they can also recline which is a great thing especially if you have kids.

All Rogue models are equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft or torque. The only transmission is a CVT. 170 horsepower is not a lot of power but the Rogue is actually on the light side with the heaviest all wheel drive version tipping the scales at just over 3600 pounds.

The Rogue comes in three trim levels

In everyday driving the Rogue actually feels peppy and fun but if you start pushing it like a sports car, you will quickly realize that you are not in a sports car.

The plus side of the engine is simplicity, reliability and economy. Most buyers don’t want to race their Rogue and could not care less about power.

The engine is unstressed at 170 hp and without unnecessary gadgets it remains simple which means it will live for a long time and repairs will be easy on the wallet. The front wheel drive Rogue is rated at 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The AWD version loses 1 mpg on both.

The Rogue comes in three trim levels, S, SV and SL, each in a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The Rogue SV adds 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, privacy glass, keyless remote with push button ignition, 8-way power driver's seat and power driver's seat lumbar support.

The Rogue SV also includes two additional audio system speakers (six total), roof rails, heated outside mirrors, Quick Comfort heated cloth-appointed front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors, motion activated liftgate, rear sonar system and rear automatic braking.

Front cockpit

Rogue SL models add leather-appointed front seats, Bose audio system with nine speakers, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM Traffic, around view 360 degree monitor, 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, 4-way power front passenger seat, memory driver's seat and mirrors, auto-dimming inside mirror and ProPilot Assist with steering assist and smart cruise control.

Prices start at just $25,200 for the base S model. The S has plenty of standard features to keep most people happy but if you go crazy and check every box, the top of the line SL AWD will only cost you $32,940 which is still a great deal.

There is a reason why Nissan is selling so many Rogues. It is a great car for everyday transportation that can keep your family safe and happy for years to come.

2020 Nissan Rogue Specs