Nissan has designed their best-selling Rogue to meet the needs of today’s young families. And thinking back to when Maddie was little, this Rogue would have been great for us: it’s reasonably priced from under $27,000, there’s available all-wheel drive, up to 30mpg in mixed driving, lots of room for kids and cargo and depending on how rogue you want to go Nissan has added this new Platinum trim brimming with all of the good stuff. This two-tone Blue/Black example with a smattering of options checks in at $40,060 including delivery. That’s eye opening but keep in mind that the Rogue is not a compact SUV but rather a midsize. At one point you could actually get it with a 3rd row. But that option and the hybrid powertrain are no longer. As compared to the previous model, this Rogue is a little shorter with a tad less ground clearance, drops a little weight, picks up a bit more power, can tow about 300 pounds more and adds rear seat legroom despite the deletion of the Slide-N-Recline seat. It’s been redesigned with newfound presence that’s evocative of something more rugged yet upscale…look closely and there’s a hat tip to Land Rover in the body. The sole powertrain continues to pair a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder to a continuously variable transmission but it now uses direct fuel injection to produce more low-end torque, more horsepower and better fuel economy. It’s rated at a modest 181 horses and 181 pound-feet returning 25mpg city/32mpg highway on regular.
