2024 Nissan Rogue: Fancy looks — with a price to match

2024 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWD: Still riding next to the Equinox on the rental car lot?

Price: $45,190 as tested. Platinum Premium Package added power lift gate, heated rear seats, and more for $990; ground lighting, $620; floor mats and stuff for $445; and more.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver calls it “attractive from every angle” and likes its “smooth-riding demeanor” and “nicely appointed interior.” On the downside, it’s “not fun to drive, engine isn’t as fuel-efficient as advertised,” and it has a “pricey top-level trim.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Adventure ready.”

Reality: Nice looks and nice stereo feel like upgrades, but at least the Equinox has value on its side.

What’s new: The Rogue received a new look for 2024 and, like other Nissans, is now quite a handsome vehicle.

It was last updated more extensively in 2022.

Competition: Besides the Chevrolet Equinox reviewed last week, there are the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-50, Subaru Forester (watch this space for a review of the ‘25), and Toyota RAV4.

Up to speed: The model tested handled highway starts and uphills pleasantly enough, and the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine emits a satisfying growl in full acceleration. Getting to 60 mph with the 201 horses available takes the Rogue 8 seconds, according to Car and Driver, which exactly matched last week’s Equinox.

Shiftless: A continuously variable transmission connects the power to the wheels. Nissan has done some nice tuning of the shiftless wonder over the years, particularly in the Maxima, but the Rogue can still have an otherworldly feel, like all the noise the engine is making isn’t getting to the wheels. Of course, having just three cylinders at work could also be responsible.

The shifter is a square push up for Reverse and pull for Drive, a nice touch. Unlike in the Equinox, there’s a manual mode as well.

On the road: Handling in the Rogue is … not terrible. But there’s a distinct sway in Sport mode that reminds me of long-ago Sorentos, which are not the SUV to emulate. Even Kia learned that lesson.

In the snow: I poke fun at the Rogue, but a 2019 rented Rogue — no, seriously — saved me in a surprise snow-squally trip to PHL a few years back.

We overslept for the 6 a.m. flight and could do nothing upon seeing the whitened roads twinkling in the early-morning moonlight but plod ahead from Chester County like OJ in the white Bronco.

The Rogue gripped the slick roads firmly, and as I stayed around 30 or 35 mph along Route 322 and I-95, we passed all manner of slid-off trucks and stuck cars — even a four-wheel-drive F-250. I also learned that being late can pay off, as security rushed us through, and we hopped on the plane without waiting in line. It was like going through security in Des Moines or Fort Myers.

That’s a long way of saying I’m confident in the Rogue’s winter handling.

Driver’s Seat: Back to the 2024 model, Nissan has found a nice semi-aniline leather seating material that makes the ride pleasant. I wasn’t sure at first, but Mrs. Passenger Seat loved it from the start.

The gauges — dials with various info around the sides — provided clear reads on everything going on.

One troubling aspect to the driving experience came from the ebony strip underneath the infotainment unit. It’s set at a 45-degree angle, so I expected there might be some glare.

On a sunny Sunday, I was proven even righter than I usually am — the early afternoon sun bounced directly into my eyes, piercing even dark sunglasses. If I owned the Rogue, I’d be crafting something to cover this and swearing the whole time that I even had to bother.

Friends and stuff: Rear seat room is generous all around, but the seat lacks the comfort of the front, feeling a little too hard, with its indentations in the wrong place and the nonadjustable seat back at a not-great angle.

There’s 36.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat, 20% larger than the Equinox, but no report on space with the seat folded. It’s a long stretch to the rear seat lever, but Nissan put a nice spring release in it, so it’s easier to handle than you think. A mountain bike fit in nicely.

One more downside: The doors close very unconvincingly. Even Sturgis Kid 4.0 complained.

Play some tunes: Sound from the Bose Premium stereo system is excellent, about an A.

Operation of the system was excellent, as well, as there’s a slider icon for all the adjustments on the large 12.3-inch home screen, which has undergone a big growth spurt since last year’s 9-inch model. One downside — my USB-C-connected iPhone kept disconnecting.

Keeping warm and cool: Dials control the temperature, and buttons handle everything else.

Rectangular vents don’t allow for great air direction, which matches the Equinox for performance.

Fuel economy: I averaged an unimpressive 24 mpg in the usual round of Mr. Driver’s Seat testing, also matching the Chevrolet model.

Where it’s built: Smyrna, Tenn.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Rogue reliability to be a 3 out of 5.

In the end: If we were to choose between the Rogue and last week’s Equinox, well … the Equinox costs less, but the Rogue is a nicer ride. With the Forester, CX-50, Sportage, and RAV4 in the competition, try to make better choices.