Used 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport

The 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport is a smaller and more affordable version of the compact Nissan Rogue. We mean that literally: The dash is identical, and it offers many of the same tech and safety features, but in a package lacking the larger rear seat, available third row, and bigger cargo space of its bigger brother. Basically, it takes the already successful Rogue — it’s the best-selling car in its class — and makes it "fun size" to go head-to-head with other small SUVs like the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Chevrolet Trax. We wish it had more power and more modern technology — Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t available — but we’re betting plenty will find the Rogue Sport’s smaller size just right.

In car language, adding "sport" to the name is something like making a "fun-size" candy bar: all the same flavor in a smaller package. That’s certainly the case in the 2017 Rogue Sport. With 141 horsepower under the hood, a continuously variable automatic transmission, and a suspension that’s tuned to be neither too soft around corners nor too firm around town, the Rogue Sport walks the right line between comfort and control, and acceleration and fuel economy. Acceleration isn’t stunning, considering that 141 horsepower has to haul around 3,225 to 3,380 pounds of Rogue Sport, depending on model. But aside from passing on the freeway the drivetrain showed little resistance to the usual duties of getting around town. At freeway speeds noise levels were nicely controlled as well, allowing easy conversation. The Rogue Sport benefits from its bigger sibling by feeling more substantial than many competitors, without feeling bulky.

Seeing that the 2017 Rogue Sport is a Shrinky Dink version of the Rogue, it’s no surprise that the Rogue Sport’s interior design strongly resembles its larger cousin. The dash layout, center console, front door panels and much of the interior trim are all virtually identical to the Rogue, and the Rogue Sport offers similar front-seat interior space. The rear is a different story, and the shorter wheelbase translates to less rear-seat room and less headroom than the bigger Rogue. However, all the interior dimensions are in line with the Rogue Sport’s competition, including its 22 cubic feet of cargo space.

Nissan has done a commendable job making the 2017 Rogue Sport visually distinct from its larger cousin, despite sharing common Nissan styling cues like the V-motion grille and angular taillights. The Rogue Sport is bigger than most of its competitors as well, closer to the Jeep Compass than the Honda HR-V. Still, we like the tidy proportions of the Rogue Sport. From the side and rear especially, the Rogue Sport looks tidy and tightly styled, thanks to touches like the up-kick in the rear side glass, fog lights and available 19-inch wheels.

AROUND-VIEW CAMERA
Nissan was one of the first manufacturers to debut an around-view camera, and it continues to expand the technology through its lineup. Even in a smaller vehicle like the Rogue Sport, the ability to see a bird’s-eye view of your vehicle when parking is exceptionally useful.

DIVIDE-AND-HIDE CARGO
The cargo area on the Rogue Sport uses a set of movable shelves, allowing you to customize how your cargo area is configured. Lower both shelves to lower the floor, or use one as a divider if you like. Sometimes it’s the little things, right?

The base 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport S comes standard with Bluetooth phone integration with Siri eyes-free, a rearview camera and Nissan’s clever Easy Fill Tire Alert, which honks the horn once the tire pressure has reached the correct level. You also get air conditioning, manual cloth seats, remote keyless entry, and cruise control. Also standard are 16-inch alloy wheels and LED accents in the headlights. The only engine is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

The mid-level Rogue Sport SV adds larger 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, push-button start, a 6-way-power driver’s seat, and dual-zone climate control; a premium package adds blind-spot detection and the around-view monitor. The top-level SL gets 19-inch wheels, fog lights, remote start, Nissan’s Around-View Monitor bird’s-eye-view camera system, navigation, leather on the shifter, and heated steering wheel and seats. Option packages include a Platinum package that adds intelligent cruise control, lane-departure warning and prevention, and emergency braking with pedestrian detection on SL models. Unfortunately, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not currently available on the Rogue Sport.

You can have any engine you want in the 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport, as long as it’s Nissan’s 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that puts out 141 horsepower. It’s routed to either the front wheels (FWD) or all four wheels (AWD) through a continuously variable automatic transmission. The all-wheel-drive system on this SUV, however, is set up for foul weather and dirt roads, not true off-roading. The little engine delivers decent power, and even though it’s not what we’d call quick, pretty much everything in this class suffers from the same complaint. Fuel economy is good, although it trails the EPA estimates for the Honda HR-V.

2.0-liter inline-4
141 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
147 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/32 mpg (FWD), 24/30 mpg (AWD)

Note: Due to changes in EPA testing to more effectively reflect real-world conditions, some 2017 models show slightly lower fuel-economy scores than their 2016 versions.