Quick review: The 2011 Nissan Rogue is a righteous and frugal companion for any small family

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When you find the right car for the right place, spreading the news is a good idea. This is the second Nissan Rogue I’ve driven and it’s the second time I’ve been impressed. No, it’s not a scorcher and nobody in a Jeep Wrangler is in any jeopardy of being passed by a Nissan Rogue on the hard trail.  It won’t win any drag races and its overall quality is best described as mid-pack.

The funny thing is, this 2011 Nissan Rogue isn’t ‘great’ at any one thing.

It’s quick enough – with a 2.5-liter engine putting out 170 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The 175 lbs-feet of torque, which is good for the class, does not feel as impressive via the seat of your pants. The CVT is not a sporty transmission by any means and higher-end speeds take (a long) time to accomplish.

Still, the Nissan Rogue is a nice highway companion with a sweet ride. Potholes and sharp bumps do upset the ride, but it settles quickly and generally provides the driver with soft dampening. Steering is tight and somewhat sporting for the class. Brakes are excellent with stopping distances from 60 mph averaging less than 125 feet.

The all-wheel drive (AWD) system is good enough on the street and gives the 2011 Nissan Rogue amazing grip in snow. I purposely drove through some gooey, mud-filled roads and never worried about traction. Despite the fun-sapping CVT normally slowing things down, the Rogue is downright spunky around town.

There is one issue that can’t be hidden or ignored: The blasted CVT makes the engine drone until you get to your desired speed. It’s a bit irritating and it accentuates the slow passing acceleration (especially in highway passing). All CVTs do this, but other engine notes are more pleasing to the ear.  

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When you find the right car for the right place, spreading the news is a good idea. This is the second Nissan Rogue I’ve driven and it’s the second time I’ve been impressed. No, it’s not a scorcher and nobody in a Jeep Wrangler is in any jeopardy of being passed by a Nissan Rogue on the hard trail.  It won’t win any drag races and its overall quality is best described as mid-pack.

The funny thing is, this 2011 Nissan Rogue isn’t ‘great’ at any one thing.

It’s quick enough – with a 2.5-liter engine putting out 170 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The 175 lbs-feet of torque, which is good for the class, does not feel as impressive via the seat of your pants. The CVT is not a sporty transmission by any means and higher-end speeds take (a long) time to accomplish.

Still, the Nissan Rogue is a nice highway companion with a sweet ride. Potholes and sharp bumps do upset the ride, but it settles quickly and generally provides the driver with soft dampening. Steering is tight and somewhat sporting for the class. Brakes are excellent with stopping distances from 60 mph averaging less than 125 feet.

The all-wheel drive (AWD) system is good enough on the street and gives the 2011 Nissan Rogue amazing grip in snow. I purposely drove through some gooey, mud-filled roads and never worried about traction. Despite the fun-sapping CVT normally slowing things down, the Rogue is downright spunky around town.

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There is one issue that can’t be hidden or ignored: The blasted CVT makes the engine drone until you get to your desired speed. It’s a bit irritating and it accentuates the slow passing acceleration (especially in highway passing). All CVTs do this, but other engine notes are more pleasing to the ear.   

Forward and side vision is good; rear vision is not.

Seating comfort is good, with an ideal loading level for children. My first grader was able to easily scamper into the back seat and buckle up without my assistance. The trunk area, with all seats folded, provides 57.9 cubic feet of space – which is good – and 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up.  That’s so-so.

Pricing for the Nissan Rogue is quite good with a starting price around $21,000. A well-featured, well-equipped AWD model SV with the SL package comes in at less than $29,000. That’s not too shabby; and, as this is an economy crossover (of sorts) the 22 mpg city/ 26 mpg highway is pretty good, too.

For the price and considering what the Rocky Mountains have in store for regular cars, the 2011 Nissan Rogue will make a righteous, frugal companion for any small family. Now, if Nissan opted to drop their slick little turbocharged engine standard in the Nissan Juke – AND – a manual transmission with AWD … WOW, that would make for a fine machine. As it is, the 2011 Nissan Rogue is good at being a righteous car/crossover for the Rocky Mountain state.

Greatness may not be the Nissan Rouge’s mantra.  But “goodness” certainly is.

Nathan Automotive media, racing, vehicle evaluation, wrecking yards, and car sales are just a part of Nathan Adlen’s vehicular past. He writes out of high octane passion! To read more reviews by Nathan Adlen or just to enjoy more of excellent writing please visit him on at his examiner.com page HERE.

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