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A Sporty, Family Crossover for All Seasons: The 2021 Nissan Rogue

January 12, 2022 by Jill Robbins Leave a Comment

2021 Nissan Rogue

The sporty 2021 Nissan Rogue lives up to its name. 📷 Jill Robbins

I spend a lot of time in my car—probably more than I want to—so I value comfort above all.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue threw its hat into the ring as a formidable competitor for one of the most comfortable cars I’ve reviewed lately.

This was my second time driving a Nissan Rogue. I rented one in 2018 for a road trip (I didn’t want to put the miles on my car, so I opted to rent), and I didn’t love it. When I had the opportunity to drive the 2021 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWD, I was curious to see if my opinion would change.

2021 Nissan Rogue

I drove a 2018 Nissan Rogue and I like driving the 2021 model much better. It’s much easier to drive and park. 📷 Jill Robbins

If you’ve driven a Nissan Rogue in the past and didn’t like it, this one is definitely worth a second chance. My biggest issue in the earlier model was that the front end felt too boxy, and I had a hard time getting used to the car’s boundaries. I never felt 100 percent comfortable in it. The 2021 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWD was instantly comfortable for me, and I had none of that “and where is my front end now” feeling. This new model measures 1.5 inches shorter and 0.2 inches lower than the previous generation Rogue, enhancing driving maneuverability. It made a ton of difference for me. 

Related: 2020 Nissan Sentra: Newly Redesigned And Extremely Stylish

2021 Nissan Rogue

Photo: Jill Robbins

Premium Comfort No Matter Where You Sit

The interior of the 2021 Nissan Rogue has a premium feel that’s classy but sturdy enough to handle kids and all their stuff getting in and out on a regular basis. There are front and rear Nissan Zero Gravity seats that provide comfortable support on long and short trips. As I said, I spent more time in my car than what I think is ideal. I’m definitely in the “Chauffer the kids everywhere” season of life, and it’s important that the driver’s seat be comfortable. This was. 

There’s also plenty of leg room for an adult to sit in the rear seats, if need be. 

2021 Nissan Rogue

The interior leather is soft and gorgeous. 📷 Nissan

 

Related: Nissan goes rugged but approachable with it’s 2022 Pathfinder and Frontier

The Connected Family Hub Helps You Get It All Done

Car buyers in 2021 need—and expect—their ride to be tech-forward. One of the things that impressed me about the Rogue is the ease of connecting without cords. It has wireless Apple CarPlay, which allows the driver or passenger to initiate CarPlay while leaving their iPhone in their pocket, purse or bag. How many times have you started driving and realized you’re sitting on your phone or it is in the bottom of your bag that you can’t reach? 

2021 Nissan Rogue

Looks good in my driveway, doesn’t it? 📷 Jill Robbins

A couple of years ago, wireless smartphone chargers were the new, fancy thing. Now, they’re rapidly becoming something the consumer expects. I love being able to lay my phone down on the charger without fiddling with a cord. I have an Otterbox, and my phone was able to charge in its case. There’s also both USB Type-C and Type-A charging ports in the center console, so you’ve got options. 

I really loved the one-touch fold down seats that can be configured to carry whatever you need to carry and the motion activated liftgate. If you need to change up the configuration to load something or to get groceries or other cargo into your car, there’s not a lot of messing around to get it done. 

Even though the Rogue is oh-so-practical, I think it does live up to its name. The sleek design style also managed to be sporty and fun and a little bit edgy.

Related: The 2021 Acura MDX: The Luxury 3-Row SUV You’ll Need to Hear to Believe

ProPILOT Assist with Navi-Link

ProPILOT Assist is a hands-on, driver-assist technology that reduces the hassle of stop-and-go highway driving and makes long drives on the open highway easier. I drove mostly in town and on suburban streets, so I didn’t get a chance to fully test out how this works. It’s a neat feature that makes the driver’s life easy on long drives. If you’re a road tripper or a commuter, this is something you’ll definitely want to scope out. 

This feature is standard on the Platinum and available on the SL model. 

 

Car Basics: What you need to know

The 2021 Nissan Rogue is great for small- to medium-sized families. We’re a family of four, and it would meet our needs most of the time. Everyone is comfortable, and it’s got plenty of room for sports equipment, luggage and groceries. 

2021 Nissan Rogue

Wondering where to store your milk so it won’t rattle around in the back of your car? 📷 Nissan

Whether you’re looking for a family car or not, the Rogue can meet your needs if you require space and flexibility at a solid mid-range price. It starts at $25,750 for the S model and $36,930 for the Platinum, which is the one I drove. 

There are four different trim levels: S, SV, SL and Platinum, which is what’s pictured here.

There’s quite a jump in pricing between the S model and the Platinum. Some of my favorite features on this car are only available at the premium trim levels, such as the wireless charger, motion activated liftgate and the heated rear seats. My kids just got out of booster seats, and they’ve got a newfound appreciation for heated rear seats. 

2021 Nissan Rogue

Both my kids are FINALLY tall enough to ditch their booster seats AND we test drove this car during some of the coldest weather they’ve experienced. Naturally, their favorite feature was the heated rear seats. 📷 Jill Robbins

The 2021 Nissan Rogue gets 35 MPG on the highway and 27 in the city. It’s available with 4WD or AWD. I love that this choice is offered. The type of terrain you typically drive on makes a difference in what you choose and if you want a Nissan Rogue, you do have the choice to get what fits your life and your drive style. 

  • Bio
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Jill Robbins

Jill Robbins

Jill is the oldest mom with the youngest kids pretty much everywhere she goes. She has a 29-year-old daughter and two 11 year-old sons. She realizes that yes, that’s a really big gap between kids. Jill is passionate about travel and experiences and strives to minimize "stuff" and clutter in her everyday life. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Woman's Day and more. She loves writing about cars because she spends more time than she cares to admit in the drop off line and other mom-related errands. She lives with her husband and two sons in the San Antonio area. You can find out what Jill is up to by reading her blog, Ripped Jeans and Bifocals, where she writes about travel, adoption, and her spin on everyday life.
Jill Robbins

Latest posts by Jill Robbins (see all)

  • The Plug-in Hybrid Electric Car Debate In My House - June 22, 2022
  • Road Tripping With Kids? Here Are 6 Tips To Keep Your Car From Getting Totally Gross - June 13, 2022
  • Best Podcasts to Listen to While Driving (Because We Love Multitasking) - June 4, 2022

Filed Under: Car Reviews, Nissan Tagged With: crossover, NIssan, Nissan Rogue, review

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