2015 Nissan Rogue – A Perfectly-Sized CUV But…

One-week vehicle loan was provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Type: CUV Price: $23,040 Fuel Efficiency: 26 city/33 hwy Seats: 5

Best Suited For: People with elderly parents Notable Features: Raised ride without excess height, doors that open wide, nice backup/parking cameras Links: Official site

The 2015 Nissan Rogue popped onto my radar several months ago. In addition to the fact that I was seeing them everywhere, something my mom said really stuck with me. One of her friends was looking for a car and found the Rogue on a list of the top ten cars for seniors. They needed a car that her elderly parents could get in and out of fairly easily and this car happened to fit their needs just right. How does it measure up in other aspects though? That’s what I was finally able to find out!

2015 Nissan Rogue Review – Performance

The handling and suspension is decent but the main drawback is the torque (“go” power). It’s really a shame that there’s such a lag on the engine. You can step on the gas pedal and hear the engine but the car doesn’t actually move until several moments later. Let’s just say that this makes for a lackluster and somewhat frustrating drive.

2015 Nissan Rogue Review – Accessibility

I have to agree that the height proportions are definitely plus. You’re able to sit a little higher on the road (see how it compares to the Versa below, review of that coming soon) without having to use a ladder to in and out.

Plus, the doors open wide for easy access and passengers can easily slide across the back row. There’s plenty of leg room, even for the person designated for the middle seat since the floor is almost flat.

I did find the middle seat release to be somewhat awkward. How did this pass quality check?

As for the cargo area, the optional shelf is always a nice touch.

2015 Nissan Rogue Review – Features

The cockpit layout is simple and everything is pretty easy to find. Be careful about the seat warmers switches though. They are manual buttons so, once you turn the heaters on, you’ll have to remember to actually switch them off too.

Despite the overall no-frills feel of this CUV, there is a feature I absolutely love – the camera views. Thanks to the nifty cameras embedded in the side mirror, you get a fantastic 360° view while parking.

That’s not just while backing up though! You can also turn the camera on when in DRIVE so you can get the perfect park all the way around. Look at that “almost but not quite” curb check!

2015 Nissan Rogue Review – Summary

The 2015 Nissan Rogue is a good choice if you have specific needs. The height is decent and the operation is pretty straight-forward. However, if you have any desire of moving faster than 25 miles per hour, this might be on your secondary shopping list.