2012 Nissan Rogue

Nissan has offered only trims S and SV with the three available option packages - Special Edition, Premium Package, and SL Package. The base variant is priced at $22,070 and gets some good-to-go features like 16-inch steel wheels, all-season tires, body-colored exteriors, halogen lamps, fabric seats, and air conditioning while the upper trim SV costs $24,510 and gets some added features.

The Special Edition package allows the consumer to add more features of SV trim into the base trim of the car. The list of these features includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a 4.3-inch audio screen, rear privacy glass, foglights, rearview camera, and an upgraded sound system with a USB/iPod interface. While the other two Premium and SL packages are only for the SV trim which packs the SV trim with:

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The upper trim ‘SV’ costs approx $2400 more than the base trim ’S’ and it doesn’t have many features either related to convenience or entertainment. Special Edition pack adds some features to the base pack but they are only just good to go features, the car still overlooks some important tech like rearview camera, Bluetooth, etc. Keeping in the mind all the things SV trim without any Package seems the right choice and if are tech head then opt and addition SL Package.

2012 Nissan Rogue is offered with only one engine option, a 2.5-Liter inline-four gas engine. It’s a decent engine that produces a total power of 170 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. Nissan has designed this engine for daily driving and to overcome mundane tasks, but if you are someone who lives in the mountains and needs that snappy gearbox for a quick shift then its CVT might disappoint you as it is the only option for changing gears.

Figures say that Nissan has the third most powerful engine and the best weight hauling capacity but it’s the last one to achieve a speed of 60 mph and complete quarter-mile time clocking 9.5 and 17.3 seconds. Other cars in this category are offering best in class automatic transmission except for Toyota and Nissan, they are still sticking to their 4-speed automatic and sluggish CVT. As per the performance and the engine specs anyone can predict that Nissan is neither made for overhauling nor for off-roading, it’s rather a simple family car. The Kia Sportage is the quickest taking 8 seconds to 60mph, followed by its Korean sibling, the Hyundai Tucson that takes 8.8 seconds.

Nissan’s engine feels sluggish and the reason is, its not up to the mark CVT. But the fuel economy that this car claim is somewhat going to be easy on your pocket, as this car gives 23 mpg in the city conditions, 28 mpg on the straight highway, and 25 mpg with the combined driving conditions. Let’s take a look at the fuel economy of the rivals of Nissan rogue.

The information given above proves that Nissan has the best engine and transmission combo in terms of fuel efficiency. After Nissan, Hyundai takes over second place followed by Toyota but its tank-to-tank range in both highway and city is better than that’s of Hyundai. Nissan has the biggest fuel tank and it wins the heart of those, who just want to go on a long road trip with their family without any worries about efficiency and fuel tank capacity. 

The 2012 Nissan Rogue can hold 5 passengers at a time and it offers the best-looking cabin of any crossover SUV. Unlike rivals, the interior of Rogue is well put together, It has comfortable seats, a sturdy dashboard, soft-touch inputs, and low cabin noise. With plenty of storage spaces like a center console, bin & massive glovebox makes it practical for family use. But rear seats are less comfortable as compared to the front row as unlike Toyota, the rear seats of Rogue neither have a recline nor do they slide and there is no central armrest in the rear row.

Nissan and Toyota offer almost the same front row dimensions but in the rear row, Toyota takes the leap just by a couple of inches while Kia and Hyundai have the least room in the front & rear row. With the spacious cargo of 36.4 cu-ft Toyota wins the race leaving behind the Nissan by 7.5 cu-ft. In the end, it depends on the consumer to choose either the biggest cargo of the 2012 Toyota RAV4 or go with the high-quality interior of Nissan.

Some interior features include:

• Cruise controls
• A tilt-only steering wheel
• Air conditioning
• Full power accessories
• Push start button (on SV trim)
• 6-Way power driver seat with power lumbar adjustment(on SV trim)
• A fold-down front passenger seat (on SV trim)

Infotainment System

The base trim isn’t packed much with awesome entertainment technology, what it gets is a CD/ MP3 player that plays the track in a basic 4-speaker sound system and auxiliary audio input allows one to connect their smartphone directly to the audio system. The Special Edition Package which is only available for the base trim surely enhances the entertainment system of the vehicle, this package adds up features like a 4.3-inch display audio screen, satellite radio, steering wheel audio controls, and an upgraded sound system that also supports USB/iPod interface. Other than that all the entertainment features that come as standard and optional are listed below:

• AM/FM stereo 
• CD player
• Auxiliary audio input
• MP3 player (optional)
• Satellite radio (optional)
• 4.3-Inch display audio system (optional)
• USB/iPod connectivity (optional)
• 5.0-Inch touch display (upper trim)

2012 Nissan Rogue is not a head-turner but it surely does stand out in the mid-size crossover SUV segment. Most of the exterior retains the same last year’s design but it’s not like that they haven’t improved anything. This year Nissan introduced a new graphite blue color & a 17-inch alloy wheels option, all these exterior features looks good on the upper trim, the base variant still looks dull. The one thing that bothers in the exterior styling of Rogue is the Murano-inspired rear design as it somewhat limits the visibility from the back. 

Nissan is the second heaviest after Toyota and has the largest wheelbase and overall length, which would make it uneasy to maneuver in tough traffic conditions. Whereas Kia and Hyundai are sitting in the competition with the shortest wheelbase and are also the lightest but their ground clearance is not much impressive as Nissan with 8.3-inch and Toyota with 7.5-inch clearance.

Some salient exterior features include:

• 16-Inch steel wheels
• 16-Inch alloy wheels (with Special Edition package)
• Foglights (with Special Edition package)
• Rearview camera (with Special Edition package)
• 17-Inch alloy wheels (on SV trim)
• Keyless entry (on SV trim)
• Sunroof (with Premium package)
• Automatic Headlamps (with Premium package)

The 2012 Nissan Rogue secures an excellent four out of five stars rating in the overall crash test and the complete 5 stars in the side-impact test when tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It has also received a Good rating in frontal and side-impact crash tests. The vehicle has good handling and stops from 60 mph to 0 within 121 feet of distance which is fair for an SUV of this size. Let’s take a look at what makes this car that much safe:

• 4-Wheel antilock braking system
• 4-Wheel disc brakes
• Brake Assist
• Child Safety Locks
• Traction Control
• Electronic Stability Control
• Front Tow Hooks
• Front row airbags

The Nissan Rogue is a proper family car with mild engine performance that feels planted when taken on the highways. With the overall high-quality interior and super comfortable seats, it becomes suitable for long-distance cruising with the family. Some things are to be kept in mind while going for this car such as its poor visibility from the back windshield, noisy CVT, average engine performance, and only good-to-go entertainment features in the base trim. If you aren’t bothered by those issues and just want a car to ride with children with good quality interior then go for it.