2021 Nissan Rogue

Is the Nissan Rogue a Good SUV?

Yes, the Nissan Rogue is a good compact SUV. It comes with a long list of features, bests nearly all classmates in cargo space, and offers two rows of welcoming seats. When it comes to performance, the Rogue's powertrain proves a little uninspired, but this crossover gets great fuel economy estimates. Solid handling and a good predicted reliability rating round out this Nissan's positives.

Why You Can Trust Us: XX Reviews Analyzed

We analyzed XX Nissan Rogue reviews – along with reliability ratings, fuel economy estimates, and more – to help you decide if the 2021 Rogue is the right new car for you.

U.S. News Best Cars has been ranking and reviewing vehicles since 2007, and our staff has more than 75 years of combined experience in the auto industry. To ensure our objectivity, we never accept expensive gifts from carmakers, and an outside firm manages the ads on our site.

Should I Buy the Nissan Rogue?

The Rogue’s expansive cargo area and long list of standard equipment make it a compelling choice in this class, but its high base price keeps it from being a slam dunk. The Honda CR-V has a similar starting price but provides more cargo and passenger space. If performance is high on your list, take a look at the Toyota RAV4 and its stronger engine.

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2020 vs. 2021 Nissan Rogue: What's the Difference?

The Nissan Rogue is fully redesigned for 2021. It rides on a new platform with enhancements to the steering, suspension, and transmission. It also sees a gain of 11 horsepower. Additionally, the new Rogue offers more standard and available features, such as larger infotainment screens, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging, tri-zone automatic climate control, and a fully digital instrument cluster.

Compare the 2020 and 2021 Rogue »

Here are the key changes for the Nissan Rogue over the last few years:

• 2017: refreshed interior and exterior design; gained available automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control
• 2018: Android Auto and Apple CarPlay introduced and made standard; available ProPilot Assist debuted; third-row seating discontinued
• 2019: lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and automatic high-beam headlights added to standard features list; reverse automatic emergency braking and rear parking sensors became available
• 2020: no major changes to gas-only model; Rogue Hybrid discontinued
• 2021: fully redesigned

If you're considering an older model, be sure to read our 2018 Rogue, 2019 Rogue, and 2020 Rogue reviews to help make your decision. Also, check out our Best New Car Deals and Best New Car Lease Deals pages to learn about savings and discounts you can find on new vehicles.

How Much Does the Nissan Rogue Cost?

The 2021 Nissan Rogue's base price of $25,650 is high for the compact SUV class. There are three higher trim levels that retail for $27,340, $32,000, and $35,430. All of those figures are for front-wheel-drive models; all-wheel-drive variants cost an additional $1,400.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Nissan dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Nissan deals page.

Nissan Rogue Versus the Competition

Nissan Rogue vs. Honda CR-V

The high-ranking Honda CR-V is one of the few crossovers in the class with more cargo room than the Rogue. It also offers a few extra inches of rear legroom. The CR-V's standard turbocharged engine and slick-shifting automatic transmission provide potent acceleration, vastly outperforming the Rogue in that regard. Both rivals return great fuel economy, have impressive interiors, and provide composed handling. The Nissan has a longer list of standard features, and its touch-screen interface is more intuitive than the Honda's, but the CR-V’s better performance and larger cargo area make it the pick here.

Compare the Rogue and CR-V »

Nissan Rogue vs. Toyota RAV4

The Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4 place close to each other in our compact SUV rankings, though with some distinct differences. The RAV4 has peppier acceleration, while its comfortable ride and great fuel economy factor in to one of the highest performance scores in the class. The Rogue has a higher predicted reliability rating and is a little less expensive than the RAV4. Interior quality, passenger and cargo space, and infotainment usability are comparable between these two. If performance is your top priority, the RAV4 is the pick. Otherwise the Rogue is a slightly more well-rounded SUV.

Compare the Rogue and RAV4 »

Compare the Rogue, CR-V, and RAV4 »

Rogue Interior: Good All-Around

Rogue Cargo Space

With up to 74.1 cubic feet of cargo space with its rear seats folded flat, the Nissan Rogue has one of the most expansive cargo areas in the compact SUV class. You get 31.6 cubic feet when the rear seats are up. SL and Platinum models come with the Divide-N-Hide configurable cargo floor, which increases space behind the second row to 36.5 cubic feet. Furthermore, the wide hatch opening makes it easier to load bulky items.

How Many People Does the Rogue Seat?

The Rogue seats five people and provides an impressive amount of passenger room for a subcompact SUV. Both front and rear occupants enjoy plenty of head- and legroom. The rear doors open to almost 90 degrees, making it a cinch to get in and out of the vehicle. Nissan employs its NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats in both rows to deliver enviable levels of comfort. The rear seats also recline for more relaxation on long trips.

Rogue and Child Car Seats

There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats.

Rogue Interior Quality

The previous generation of the Rogue was lauded for having a refined and classy cabin, and that continues with the redesign. There’s a decent amount of soft-touch materials, and the entire design is sharp and modern.

Higher trims have impressive touches like wood accents and quilted leather upholstery, and while lower models have more plastics, nothing feels cheap.

Rogue Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

The Rogue's infotainment system is pretty straightforward thanks to easy-to-navigate menus and a host of physical controls and buttons for other functions. If there's a gripe, it's that the interface can sometimes be slow to process inputs. Screen graphics and icons look good, especially on the larger high-definition screen.

• Standard infotainment features: an 8-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a four-speaker stereo, two USB ports, Bluetooth, and satellite radio
• Available infotainment features: a 9-inch touch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker stereo, a 10-speaker Bose premium stereo, navigation, wireless device charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, two rear USB ports, and a Wi-Fi hot spot
• Other available features: dual-zone automatic and tri-zone automatic climate control, proximity keyless entry, remote start, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a universal garage door opener, and a panoramic moonroof

Read more about interior »

Rogue Performance: Solidly Serviceable

Rogue Engine

The sole engine offering in the redesigned Rogue is a 181-horsepower four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). From a standstill, it propels you with alarming mediocrity. It’s also slow to respond when you hit the gas pedal hard to try to get up to highway or passing speeds quickly. The CVT is refined most of the time, but it can create a loud droning noise when pushed hard.

Rogue Gas Mileage

A high point of the Rogue's oft-disappointing powertrain is excellent fuel economy. With standard front-wheel drive, the 2021 Rogue returns an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. Gas mileage with all-wheel drive is rated at up to 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Rogue Ride and Handling

Nissan revamped the Rogue's chassis and outfitted it with a new multilink rear suspension for this latest generation. Those changes result in more polished handling than with the outgoing model. While still not overly athletic, the new Rogue handles with poise and exhibits glimpses of sportiness. Ride quality is good as well.

Read more about performance »

Rogue Reliability

Is the Nissan Rogue Reliable?

The 2021 Nissan Rogue has a good predicted reliability rating of four out of five.

Nissan Rogue Warranty

Nissan covers the Rogue with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Read more about reliability »

Rogue Safety

Rogue Crash Test Results

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash tested the 2021 Rogue.

Rogue Safety Features

Standard advanced safety features:

• Forward collision warning
• Pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Forward and reverse automatic emergency braking
• Lane departure warning
• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Driver attention monitoring
• Automatic high-beam headlights
• Rearview camera
• Rear parking sensors

Available advanced safety features:

• Surround-view parking camera system
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keep assist
• ProPilot Assist (maintains your set speed and keeps you in your lane on the highway)
• Traffic sign recognition
• Front parking sensors
• Head-up display
• Navigation-linked ProPilot Assist

Read more about safety »

Rogue Dimensions and Weight

The Rogue is 15.3 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 3,371 to 3,633 pounds, and its gross vehicle weight rating is between 4,619 and 4,486 pounds.

Where Is the 2021 Nissan Rogue Built?

Nissan builds the 2021 Rogue in Tennessee.

Which Nissan Rogue Model Is Right for Me?

The 2021 Nissan Rogue comes in four trims: S, SV, SL, and Platinum. A four-cylinder engine, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), and front-wheel drive are standard in all trims; all-wheel drive is optional in each trim for $1,400.

While the base model offers a long list of driver assistance technology and a well-equipped infotainment system, the SV trim provides many more comfort and convenience features for only about $1,700 more. The SV is also available with an optional package that lets you get features for around half the price of upgrading to the SL trim.

To get infotainment features such as a larger touch screen, navigation, and a Bose stereo, you'll have to buy the SL trim with its optional package or step up to the Platinum trim.

Nissan Rogue S

The 2021 Nissan Rogue starts at $25,650. Standard features include cloth upholstery, a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, a four-way manually adjustable passenger seat, and an 8-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a four-speaker stereo, two USB ports, Bluetooth, and satellite radio.

The Rogue also comes standard with forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, automatic high-beam headlights, a rearview camera, and rear parking sensors.

Nissan Rogue SV

Starting at $27,340, the Nissan Rogue SV adds heated outside mirrors, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, a six-speaker stereo, two rear USB ports, a Wi-Fi hot spot, dual-zone automatic climate control, proximity keyless entry, and remote start. Additional driver assistance features include a surround-view parking camera system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and ProPilot Assist.

The Premium package ($2,660) adds synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, second-row sunshades, a power liftgate, and a panoramic moonroof.

Nissan Rogue SL

The Nissan Rogue SL carries a starting price of $32,000. The SL trim gains genuine leather upholstery, heated front seats, a four-way power-adjustable passenger seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a universal garage door opener, tri-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel, a panoramic moonroof, a hands-free power liftgate, and fog lights.

The Premium package costs $1,320 and includes a 9-inch touch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, navigation, a 10-speaker Bose premium stereo, traffic sign recognition, and front parking sensors.

Nissan Rogue Platinum

The range-topping Nissan Platinum costs $35,430. Standard features include quilted leather upholstery, heated rear seats, a 9-inch touch screen, a 10-speaker Bose premium stereo, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a head-up display, traffic sign recognition, and navigation-linked ProPilot Assist.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Nissan dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Nissan deals page.

See 2021 Nissan Rogue specs and trims »

The Final Call

The fully redesigned 2021 Nissan Rogue is a well-rounded compact SUV. It delivers solid quality, utility, value, and fuel economy. However, many rivals offer these same attributes along with other advantages, so you'll definitely want to shop around.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

• "The improved driving dynamics are a big win, and the interior styling on its more expensive trims helps it stand out. However, nearly every entry in this segment is damn good at being a small family runabout. The new Rogue isn't good enough to climb to the top of the heap, but it is much closer than before." -- Autoblog
• "It's hard to fault Nissan for playing it straight with the 2021 Rogue. … Is the Rogue the most attractive, most fun-to-drive small SUV? No. But it's comfortable, spacious, economical and priced right, and those are pretty strong laurels on which to rest." -- CNET
• "The new Rogue is a considerable improvement over the outgoing model. It has vastly upgraded interior materials and better interior storage and is more dynamic from behind the wheel. While the Rogue isn't quite good enough to dethrone the Honda CR-V, we can unequivocally say it's among the best small SUVs on the market." -- Edmunds