2025 Nissan Rogue Review: Perfectly Fine, And That's A Problem

I'm going to make an argument that won't gain me any friends among my car enthusiast colleagues: The crossover SUV segment serves the vast majority of drivers, and for most (most, not all), people, you really don't need anything else. Most come with all wheel drive, for that extra bit of controllability, most are fuel efficient enough to be practical (especially hybrids), the ride height is tall enough for seniors and seen as "safe" enough for young drivers. Just about every brand offers one or many, meaning that you aren't hurting for choice, and last, but not least, you can move around a lot of people or things.

I've seen the same argument made for minivans or larger station wagons, but good luck finding a non-expensive wagon for sale in the United States, and with only a few minivans currently on the market, you're nearly as limited there, too. If you just want a vehicle that fits most of your needs and you genuinely don't care about performance or a particularly engaging driving experience (why would you if you just need it to go to work?) then a crossover almost certainly fits the bill.

The 2025 Nissan Rogue is trying to fit that particular, extremely wide, market. As I found over the course of the week of my review, it does exactly what it's supposed to do, and not an iota less or more.

Under the Rogue's "Champagne Silver" hood is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that generates 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. That engine transfers power to all four wheels by a CVT, and it does the job just fine. Fuel economy is rated at 31 combined miles per gallon, which is fairly good considering there is no option for a hybrid. After all, a small displacement turbocharged engine and a CVT are a winning combo when it comes to uncomplicated fuel economy.

I'm not going to lie and say that I was extremely excited to be reviewing a Nissan Rogue. I had just reviewed a BMW M5, and I had gotten back from an off-roading trip in Puerto Rico. I got to enjoy several extremes of the automotive spectrum within a relatively small window. Still, I don't particularly enjoy traveling and the Rogue was a nice way to decompress on my way home from the airport. The optional Platinum trim gets you leather heated seats and a Bose sound system, so it's hard to find fault with either of those accoutrements.

The real draw of the Rogue are its normcore sensibilities, and that was no more evident than when I used the Nissan for my brief career as a medical transport shuttle, for lack of a better descriptor. My childhood best friend's grandfather needed a ride to a lengthy doctor's appointment nearby and I was more than happy to help out.

Alex Hevesy/SlashGear

For a veteran in his 80s who just needs to get to the doctor's office on time, reliability and comfort are worth their weight in gold. In a rather amusing coincidence, my friend's grandfather currently owns a 2013 Nissan Rogue, and immediately thought the 2025 model looked great, proclaiming to his wife "Honey, we gotta get one!" on the way home. 

Now, any new crossover SUV could have performed the task without issue, but I'm glad I had the Rogue when I did. I couldn't do the same task with the BMW M5, and a bigger SUV like the Nissan Armada would have been too tall to get into, especially for people with disabilities. The Rogue was just right for the job and my friend's grandfather was very grateful to have a good car to help out.

My real problem with the 2025 Nissan Rogue Platinum — and an attribute that isn't really something Nissan has had an issue with in the past — is its price. It starts on the higher end of reasonable, at $40,920 for the Platinum trim (the bare-bones base model with front-wheel drive starts at $28,590). The Platinum Premium Package gives you heated rear seats, a hands-fee tailgate, and a heads up display along with tri-zone climate control. It's $990. The Technology Package adds Nissan's ProPilot driver assistance system and rain sensing wipers. It's an unnecessary $3,200. Floor mats are $450.

Illuminated kick-plates add $405, interior accent lighting is $350, and external ground lighting is $625. Add on the $1,390 destination charge and you arrive at the as-tested price of $48,330. You're suddenly in Lexus territory at almost $50 grand. Even a decently tricked-out Honda CR-V Hybrid Touring can be had for under $43,000, and the highest trim Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited tops out at $42,000. The Nissan Rogue just isn't worth almost $50,000.

Price aside, the 2025 Nissan Rogue Platinum is certainly a nice vehicle, but it isn't much more than that. To be fair, Nissan doesn't claim the Rogue to be greatest, most interesting vehicle ever made, but the price tag might cause consternation for some and force a move towards something more economical and slightly more interesting (or about as interesting as CR-V hybrid can be). If I were buying a Rogue, I would cut down the options list and save myself the cash for something else.

More broadly, the 2025 Rogue isn't particularly special, and that both hurts and helps it. It goes in the Rogue's favor because I don't really have much to complain about. It isn't fast by any metric, but it also isn't trying to be. The fuel economy is more than fine. The infotainment system wasn't frustrating, allowing me to listen to The Doobie Brothers without any hassle, and the interior is spacious enough to fit five people without resorting to Tetris.

Unfortunately, it also hurts the Rogue because Nissan doesn't provide any one, single compelling reason to buy it, and that accusation could easily be leveled elsewhere in the automaker's lineup, too. The Rogue doesn't really elevate itself in any particular way and seems to be perfectly content in being an appliance. An optional hybrid drivetrain would've allowed the Nissan to punch above its weight class, or perhaps allowing customers to chose more exterior colors, or offering more accessories, would've added in interest. With none of that to call upon, this latest Rogue simply fails to stand out in a sea of Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV4s.