The compact crossover market is getting ever more popular and competitive. The 2015 Nissan Rogue was fully redesigned last year and hit the ground running. Rogue’s sales for 2014 grew by 22.4% over the previous year. As impressive as this growth is, the Rogue was in fifth place overall within its class. Can it move up the ladder and challenge the Chevy Equinox and Toyota RAV4 to get into the top three in terms of sales?
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2015Â Nissan Rogue SV AWD | $25,840 | $28,500 | 170 / 175 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | Curb Lbs | |
| Rating: BUYÂ IT! |
 25 / 32 / 28 | 25.1 | 3393 |
The Rogue is well-equipped for continued success. It combines a comfortable and cavernous interior with a good ride and efficiency. It is the only crossover in the segment with optional third-row seats. This tester was a mid-grade SV model in five passenger-configuration and equipped with all-wheel-drive.
There is only one choice of powertrain. The 2.5-L four-cylinder engine makes 170 HP and 175 lb-ft of torque. This does not sound like a lot of power, but Nissan’s Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) makes the most of it. You can get the Rogue with FWD or AWD. The CVT mimics a more traditional automatic under hard acceleration and can also reduce momentum on a downhill grade. Although it isn’t a powerhouse, the Rogue is quick enough for a daily commute.
The 2015 Nissan Rogue provides a relatively tall driving position and the “Zero Gravity” seats are some of the most comfortable in the industry. The overall interior feel is upscale and high quality. While it isn’t a full-blown luxury vehicle, it is certainly a nice space in which to spend your time. The gauges and center-stack controls are clear and easy to understand, but the steering wheel controls’ functionality takes some time to decipher.
The Rogue is set up for more comfortable ride and handling. It is not meant to be a sporty crossover, as it does lean a bit in corners and there is not much road feel coming through the steering wheel.
The 2015 Nissan Rogue’s primary mission, however, is to carry people and things on a daily basis, and at that, it is quite good. The second-row seats slide fore and aft to allow for additional leg room or cargo space. The interior is very spacious for this class – there is more than enough space for the big and tall. The optional third row is the exception, and merits a first-hand look if you can. In my testing, I feel it is best meant for persons of tiny proportions. If you need true three-row capability, look at a larger crossover such as the Nissan Pathfinder.
The Rogue also offers very good fuel economy and overall value. This AWD model is rated at 28 MPG combined. Â I managed 25.1 MPG on my regular mixed driving loop, but ambient temperatures were cold (below 20 F), which generally has a negative effect on efficiency.
My 2015 Nissan Rogue SV AWD test car rang up at $28,500. This included handy features such as surround-view and backup camera systems, pre-collision warning, a power liftgate, and an all-wheel-drive lock feature with hill descent control.
Speaking of the AWD system. It works very well. We tried it on the icy and snow covered road with all-season tires (as you can see in the video below). The system provided enough grip to climb the steepest country road with confidence; I never felt stuck. Of course, the braking performance on ice is decided by the tires which, in a snowy climate, are best wrapped in dedicated winter rubber.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2015 Nissan Rogue SV AWD a Buy it!
Watch this icy and windy tire comparison test including the 2015 Nissan Rogue.
