The 2009 Nissan Rogue offers a lot for a little: Comfortable and upscale interior, smooth, car-like ride and handling, excellent brakes and superior safety. It’s everything young families want in a crossover utility vehicle.
The 2009 Nissan Rogue is only slightly smaller than the Murano, yet it offers much the same style and practicality. What’s more, the ’09 Rogue has earned a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. With a starting MSRP of $20,220, the Rogue brings new affordability to the compact crossover segment.
Built on the Nissan Sentra platform, the Rogue turns its economy car underpinnings into a smart-sized CUV with features and benefits today’s families seek but rarely find. The Rogue seats five, carries a lot, gets good fuel economy and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. If that doesn’t pique your curiosity these days, pinch yourself.
Introduced as a 2008 model, the Rogue offers a few changes for 2009. The better-equipped Rogue SL trim gets new optional features including speed-sensing door locks, a fold-down front passenger’s seat, a trip computer, an outside temperature display and luggage side hooks. Otherwise, the Rogue remains one of the best values in its segment.
The five-passenger, all-wheel drive (front-wheel drive is optional) Rogue is offered with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s good for 170 hp and 175 lb/ft of torque. There are two different trim levels. The standard model is the S while the SL model adds upscale features and accessories. The standard transmission is a CVT or continuously variable transmission – a smooth, gearless transmission that is used on many Nissan models. The Nissan Rogue front-wheel drive earned EPA fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg city and 27 mpg highway in EPA testing. In J.D. Power’s 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study designed to measure consumer delight with the design, content, layout and performance of their new vehicles, the Nissan Rogue ranked among the top three models in its segment.
The base S trim level comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, a tilting steering wheel, air conditioning, full power accessories, keyless entry and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player and an auxiliary jack.
The more luxuriously appointed SL trim level includes everything from the S model plus a bit more attitude: 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, roof rails, body-colored power outside mirrors, six-way adjustable driver’s seat, rear privacy glass and a polished stainless steel exhaust-tip.
Options for the SL trim level are organized as bundles. The Premium Package includes foglights, the foldable cargo organizer, a cargo cover, keyless ignition/entry, Bluetooth hands-free phone system and a digital Bose audio system with AM/FM/in-dash six-CD changer, eight speakers including Nd® Richbass® woofer, satellite radio and steering wheel-mounted audio controls. All-wheel drive SL models equipped with this package also receive xenon headlights and manual shift control for the transmission. The SL's Leather Package includes leather upholstery plus heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shiftknob, heated side mirrors, a six-way power driver’s seat, a one-touch up/down driver window and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. A moonroof is available as a stand-alone option.
Rogue’s standard safety equipment includes antilock disc brakes with brake assist, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side-curtain airbags and active front head restraints. This comprehensive protection earned the Rogue an almost perfect crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In front-impact tests, protection for the driver earned a top five-star rating and front passenger protection earned four stars. Front and rear side-impact tests resulted in a five-star rating. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, the Rogue received a "Good" rating (the best rating possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact tests. The Nissan Rogue has earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS. The Top Safety Pick award recognizes vehicles that provide superior overall crash protection among vehicles in their class and only includes vehicles with available electronic stability control. The Rogue comes standard with Nissan’s electronic stability control system, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC).
The Nissan Rogue has a standout interior. It’s comfortable, ergonomic and nicely installed using topnotch materials. Families love its roomy center console bin, massive glovebox and a clever underfloor organizer. As Edmunds.com pointed out, “Seating comfort, both front and rear, is as good as it gets – even when stacked up against the venerable Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.” With the rear seat up, the cargo area measures 28.9 cubic feet. With the seats stowed, stowage space jumps to 57.9 cubic feet.
With its intuitive all-wheel drive system, the Nissan Rogue senses when two-wheel drive is sufficient and powers only the front axle. It senses surface conditions and distributes power accordingly, apportioning it fore and aft as needed. Road tests confirm the Rogue nicely balances a comfortable ride with nimble handling. Calling it "ideal for those who want a more enthusiastic driving experience," Consumers Digest selected the 2009 Rogue as a winner of their Automotive Best Buy award in the compact SUV category. Consumers Digest liked Rogue's lively acceleration, accommodating interior and standard safety features.
The 2009 Nissan Rogue makes a fine family car. With its affordable pricing and economical operating costs, it’s quite a buy, too. Be sure to see and drive this attractive crossover soon.
