Used 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport

#6 in Best Subcompact SUVs of 2020

Not be confused with the larger Nissan Rogue, the 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport is like a scaled-down version of its larger sibling, sharing many of its styling, creature comforts and safety features. The subcompact Rogue Sport is designed for those who don’t need a big SUV, but still desire the cargo-carrying capacity and tall ride height for which SUVs are known.

It’s a similar story with the Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade, although each offers its own advantages over the Rogue Sport. The Kona offers a more powerful engine and a better warranty; the Renegade, real off-road ability; and the HR-V, better resale.

To its credit, the Rogue Sport comes nicely equipped including one of the most comprehensive sets of standard driver assists in the segment. While not big on power, the Rogue Sport does deliver impressive fuel economy and comes with a very reasonable price tag.

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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 2020 Rogue Sport. With 141 horsepower under the hood, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), 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 between 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. However, under hard acceleration, the engine and CVT create a rather unpleasant sound. The Rogue Sport benefits from its bigger sibling by feeling more substantial than many competitors, without feeling bulky.

Take a peek inside the 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport and you might think you’ve accidently chosen the larger Nissan Rogue, only in three-quarter size. But that’s not a bad thing because Nissan does a nice job presenting a handsome yet easy-to-operate dash and center console, with a 7-inch touch-screen audio system and a steering wheel full of redundant controls for everything from Bluetooth connectivity to the available drive-assist systems. The touch screen isn’t as large or configurable as in some competitors, namely the new Kia Seltos, but it gets the job done and is a good fit for those who don’t like overly busy technology.

Front-seat legroom is as generous as in the larger Rogue, but the rear seat comes up short, as does the cargo bay. Fold the rear seats down, however, and cargo volume goes from 22 cubic feet to over 60 cubic feet. The clever Divide-N-Hide cargo-management system helps keeps smaller items from rolling around when the vehicle is in motion.

This year, Nissan upgrades the Rogue Sport’s exterior with a more dynamic V-Motion grille and front-end treatment. LED daytime running lights wearing Nissan’s signature boomerang shape outline the new headlights. New 19-inch alloy wheels grace the SL trim and give the Rogue Sport an almost Infiniti-like look.

Body-color front and rear bumpers contrast nicely with the lower black molding that flows onto the rocker panels and over the wheel arches. The Rouge Sport’s long rear doors and a wide-opening rear hatch permit easy access to the interior, and although the cargo area is on the small side, it’s neatly arranged with a cool Divide-N-Hide cargo system standard on the SV and SL trims.

AROUND VIEW MONITOR
With the available Around View Monitor, the driver can get a bird’s-eye view of the outside area surrounding the Rogue Sport. Better than a rearview camera, the system allows the driver to see objects or persons that may be near the vehicle but out of his line of sight.

PROPILOT ASSIST
This optional system takes lane keeping to another level, guiding the vehicle to stay in its lane by tracing the lane markers on the road. While the driver is required to keep a hand on the wheel, the system can be invaluable should a distracted-driving incidence arise. ProPilot can also slow the vehicle to match traffic speed and then resume acceleration when the coast is clear.

Every 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport comes standard with a 7-inch touch-screen audio system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a rearview camera, Nissan’s Rear Door Alert (reminds the driver to check the rear seat before walking away from the car), automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

Standard amenities include cruise control, air conditioning, remote keyless entry, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED accent lights, rear-seat vents, power windows and power door locks. Power comes from a 2.0-liter engine mated to a CVT automatic transmission.

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. The top-level SL gets 19-inch wheels, fog lights, remote start, Nissan’s Around View Monitor, ProPilot Assist, navigation, leather seating, traffic-sign recognition plus heated steering wheel and seats.

Option packages include the SV All-Weather package (heated front seats, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel and remote start), and the SV Technology package that adds the All-Weather package plus navigation, Around View Monitor and ProPilot Assist. The SL offers the Premium package that includes 9-speaker Bose audio, 4-way-power passenger seat, fog lights, memory driver’s seat, a power sunroof and LED headlights.

You can have any engine you want in Nissan’s 2020 Rogue Sport, as long as it is 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)