Since my Chevrolet Cruze rental review thread was quite successful, I feel compelled to offer a review of a 2017 Nissan Rogue rental I picked up from Enterprise while my BMW is in the shop again.
Hits:
Fuel economy - the trip computer shows a real world average of 29.8mpg over a lifetime of 20,000 miles. That's excellent for a vehicle this size.
Steering feel - Direct, and well-weighted. Smooth.
Braking - Easy to modulate, although the pedal has a little more mush than ideal.
Gauges - Intuitive and well designed, and well-placed.
Interior - Good quality feel for this vehicle's price range. Seats are comfortable.
Misses:
Engine - More vibration than I think is acceptable for a 2017 car. It's a QR25 from what I could tell when I opened the hood. A tiny non-turbo four cylinder. While I drove the car I thought to myself "This car feels like it has a 180hp/200tq engine, weighs 3800lb, and has a 0-60 of probably 9 seconds." Well, I overestimated the HP and the weight, but the 0-60 was spot on. Car & Driver clocked it 9.1 to 60 here: http://www.caranddriver.com/nissan/rogue
Nissan has been good at wringing decent acceleration and fuel economy out of its four cylinder models, but this particular one is underpowered. Midrange power is lacking and it struggles to accelerate up steep hills.
Cargo space - Very disappointing. For hauling it has two huge humps for the wheel wells and interior trim that severely curtail the width of any object you want to place flat. Forget about drywall or OSB, even diagonally, there just isn't enough space.
Interior controls - Some buttons and dials were placed in counter intuitive spots. For example, 'sport' and 'eco' modes were put to the left on the dashboard in no man's land, where in other cars it usually straddles the shift selector.
Handling - A lot more sway and plowing than you'd expect. Felt mushy like a 1990s car when taking turns. Not confidence inspiring in spirited driving. Nissan is a 'sport' presenting brand but this model, for all of its racy looks, does not handle the part.
Overall, I think this car would have been great for 2007. But today the marketplace is simply more competitive and this offering feels like its behind the times. I think Car & Driver's rating of 3/5 suffices.
Hits:
Fuel economy - the trip computer shows a real world average of 29.8mpg over a lifetime of 20,000 miles. That's excellent for a vehicle this size.
Steering feel - Direct, and well-weighted. Smooth.
Braking - Easy to modulate, although the pedal has a little more mush than ideal.
Gauges - Intuitive and well designed, and well-placed.
Interior - Good quality feel for this vehicle's price range. Seats are comfortable.
Misses:
Engine - More vibration than I think is acceptable for a 2017 car. It's a QR25 from what I could tell when I opened the hood. A tiny non-turbo four cylinder. While I drove the car I thought to myself "This car feels like it has a 180hp/200tq engine, weighs 3800lb, and has a 0-60 of probably 9 seconds." Well, I overestimated the HP and the weight, but the 0-60 was spot on. Car & Driver clocked it 9.1 to 60 here: http://www.caranddriver.com/nissan/rogue
Nissan has been good at wringing decent acceleration and fuel economy out of its four cylinder models, but this particular one is underpowered. Midrange power is lacking and it struggles to accelerate up steep hills.
Cargo space - Very disappointing. For hauling it has two huge humps for the wheel wells and interior trim that severely curtail the width of any object you want to place flat. Forget about drywall or OSB, even diagonally, there just isn't enough space.
Interior controls - Some buttons and dials were placed in counter intuitive spots. For example, 'sport' and 'eco' modes were put to the left on the dashboard in no man's land, where in other cars it usually straddles the shift selector.
Handling - A lot more sway and plowing than you'd expect. Felt mushy like a 1990s car when taking turns. Not confidence inspiring in spirited driving. Nissan is a 'sport' presenting brand but this model, for all of its racy looks, does not handle the part.
Overall, I think this car would have been great for 2007. But today the marketplace is simply more competitive and this offering feels like its behind the times. I think Car & Driver's rating of 3/5 suffices.
