Nissan’s new small crossover is more squire than scoundrel

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2008 Nissan Rogue – Comfort

Front Comfort
The driver and passenger seats are the basic, four-way manual variety. The seats are firm and offer good support. Headroom in our test vehicle was quite good, partly because there wasn’t a sunroof. Leg and shoulder room are adequate, but hip room will be tight for larger people. One unfortunate issue is that the glove box door bangs into the front passenger’s shins because of its size and location. The center and door armrests are padded, cloth covered and comfortable.

Rear Comfort
People well over six-feet will be a bit cramped in the back seats. While there is good head and shoulder room for those of average height, hip room will be an issue with three adults. Legroom is good when the front seat is pushed all the way back, and foot space under the front seats is very good. While there is no center armrest, those on the door are padded and cloth covered.

Interior Noise
The Rogue won’t win any awards for being quiet, but it is placid enough to listen to the audio system at reasonable levels or talk with passengers. Road noise is the most noticeable, even on smooth asphalt. Wind noise is only pronounced around the mirrors at freeway speeds. Engine noise wouldn’t be much of a problem except the CVT keeps the engine speed higher than a normal automatic would. The CVT also produces some noise of its own. Below 3,000 rpm it’s quiet, but when it’s wound up, it whines.

Visibility
From the driver’s seat, the view is good to the front, sides, over the left shoulder and through the right-side back window. The fat D-pillar with small porthole window is far enough back not to be a huge problem, but there were situations where its obstruction caused moments of doubt. The small rear window doesn’t afford much visibility except straight back.