2021 Nissan Rogue Yearlong Review Verdict: Worthy of Recommendation?

As automotive writers, we get asked a lot of questions. "What's your favorite car?" and "What's the most expensive thing you've driven?" are, predictably, the most common ones. The other day, someone asked a question that was a little different: "Is it kind of unsettling to switch cars all the time? For most people, a car is like their second home." We hadn't thought about it, but as much as we enjoy driving various vehicles every month, it can be a little disruptive moving your stuff, your memories, and your music from car to car. For a decent portion of this past year, a 2021 Nissan Rogue became this author's second home. So, the natural question is: Did the Rogue feel like home?

The Rogue has accommodated big events in my life this year, from the birth of my second child to various trips across state lines to see family. Now more than ever, I find a car really needs to act like a second home. Interior space is an important consideration for any home, and in this area, the Rogue performed well.

In the relatively spacious back seat, the Rogue had no problem fitting two car seats and a small person in the middle. The roomy interior let us settle into long drives much more easily than we could in midsize sedans that until recently were the default choice for most American families. Adding to the practicality quotient, the Rogue's doors open wide for easy entry and exit. There never seems to be enough cargo room when you have two kids under two, but the Rogue managed to squeeze in all our essential gear. The Rogue's spaciousness isn't unique to the segment, however—rival compact SUVs such as the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester also offer cavernous interiors.

Throughout the year, I took comfort knowing the 2021 Nissan Rogue earned high safety marks from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Another factor that made the Rogue more livable was its driver assist technology. Nissan's ProPilot Assist feature, consisting of adaptive cruise control and lane centering tech, eased the burden of highway drives and made long trips much more comfortable. Although the steering assist function isn't as precise as it is on some other cars I've driven, I would consider ProPilot Assist a must-have for road trips. We weren't quite as satisfied with the infotainment tech, though. The 8.0-inch screen, which is standard equipment on the Rogue, isn't as crisp or responsive to touch as I'd like, especially when using Google Maps from my Android phone.

Potent acceleration is far down on my priority list, but I appreciate a car with enough grunt for everyday maneuvering. Although I wished the Rogue had a little more get-up-and-go from its 181-hp 2.5-liter I-4 for merging onto the freeway, the SUV feels powerful enough around town. In our instrumented testing, the Rogue hit 60 mph in 8.4 seconds, which is about average for the compact SUV segment. Although the EPA rates our Rogue as able to travel 406 miles on a tank of gasoline, I was filling up after much shorter distances, according to my fuel log. Whenever I depleted at least 13 gallons of the 14.5-gallon tank, I was traveling an average of just under 300 miles.

Other than a minor cargo door issue, our Rogue had no problems during the year. We spent $139.23 on two service visits for the Rogue, not bad considering our long-term 2018 Honda CR-V LX cost $286.32 for three service visits over 17,737 miles. But it's not the lowest maintenance cost we've seen in the compact SUV segment. The 2019 Toyota RAV4 XLE we drove for a year didn't cost a dime extra to service thanks to that automaker's 2-year/25,000-mile free routine maintenance program.

So far, so good. On the basis of interior space, safety, tech, performance, and my dealership experience, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending the Rogue, and our mid-level SV model in particular, at least on a feature-per-dollar basis. This trim provides the essential comfort and driver assist features for a reasonable price of around $30,000. There's just one loose end that gives me pause: five-year ownership costs. After looking at factors such as depreciation, insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs, our colleagues at IntelliChoice gave the 2021 Rogue SV a value rating of Poor. The more expensive Platinum 2WD trim performs the best with an Average value rating.

So what's our final verdict? Spacious, smart, and safe, the 2021 Nissan Rogue makes a good second home. It's a viable option for individuals or small families, but only if you can live with its unimpressive five-year ownership costs. Of course, many other SUVs in this segment are also worthy of consideration. The Mazda CX-5 boasts sharp driving dynamics, the Hyundai Tucson will lure in tech-focused buyers, and the CR-V is the most well-rounded candidate in the segment. The Rogue may not be an objectively superlative vehicle, but I'll miss its practical charm.

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