2012 Nissan Rogue: Reliable, Rational, Reasonable... but Roguish?

If you're ever in Vancouver, there is just one single tourist non-attraction that I'd entreat you to experience: the Granville Street bridge. Although a monolithic, bland, and architecturally boring structure almost devoid of any interesting or unique devices (the Lions Gate and Burrard bridges have that amply covered), should you happen to cross its span around sundown, you'll be treated to the single most breathtaking urban landscape extant. The gleaming blue waters of English Bay to the west. Innumerable snow-capped, craggy Coastal Mountain peaks to the north. And dead ahead? A gleaming superstructure of glass and steel drizzled in honeyed hues that are achingly, intoxicatingly beautiful. Yes indeed, for the two or three days a year when that view isn't obscured by monochromatic low cloud cover, a nauseating drumming of rainfall, and the road spray coming off the back of the #10 bus, it's absolutely great. But, for the other 362 or so days of the year, you're going to need to look elsewhere for your entertainment. 

And that's precisely what Vancouverites have been doing for eons. Here, to head for the hills isn't a last resort, it's the only resort (and coincidentally, where more than a few resorts are located!). So it was that, after countless days imprisoned beneath a sorrowfully misplaced tropical weather system, I found myself winding up the snaking series of switchbacks otherwise known as Cypress Mountain's access road. Having unleashed record-setting amounts of rainfall upon Vancouver's lower regions, the weather system, displaced from the tropics to our northern latitude by the godforsaken jet stream, had also dumped a modicum of snow upon the local mountains, making for quite excellent snowshoeing conditions. But, the best snowshoeing conditions often make for terrible driving conditions. 

However, safely seated in the well heated confines of an all-wheel drive Nissan Rogue, I certainly didn't feel like I was in any sort of jeopardy. A long running favourite in the Nissan stable, the diminutive Rogue has proven a perennial sales performer; it's blend of safe styling (at least compared to the Juke!), available all-wheel drive, and a small overall stature having earned it more than a few happy homes across the country. And I could understand why: although hardly implementing the high-tech wizardry of the indomitable GTR or even the Infiniti G37 AWD's drivetrain, the Rogue AWD proved more than a match for the white stuff in a way that I'd certainly not forseen. 

And although part of the credit for the Rogue's reasonable impression of a mountain goat deservedly goes to the aggressive snow tires it was shod with, equal measures of responsibility are owed to the little 'utes interesting all-wheel drive system. Directing 100% of the available torque at the front axles during regular cruising conditions and at a stop, the Rogue attempts to pre-empt wheelspin by reading inputs and adapting a prescribed script that induces a 50/50 torque split during acceleration from a stop, and a 70/30 torque slip while rounding moderate to tight corners. This hopes to preclude the tiny amount of wheelspin that is usually required before many front-biased all-wheel drive systems even begin to engage. And it works stupendously well on even slick pavement. Around Vancouver's wet streets, no amount of throttle abuse could elicit even the slightest of tire chirps, and the system certainly does allow you to get on the power quite a bit earlier than you'd think. But, trade that macadam for snow, and the fact that 58% of the Rogues weight sits over its front end begins to conspire against it. 

However, dialling back from max attack, and I quickly came to appreciate what is probably the Rogue's second best attribute: it's interior. Comfortable enough (although those of us with long, gangly legs could use a slightly longer steering column), benefitting from a somewhat commanding view,  and trimmed in Nissan's trademark mottled textures, it's not a terrible place to pass the time... but it's not exactly as interesting as either the Juke and Murano that bracket it within the Nissan lineup. But, as is so often the case with Nissan products, the simplicity of its design comes paired with an overall feeling of excellent build quality. The door panels, dashboard, and controls all fit nicely together, and there's nary a squeak or rattle to be heard. The cupholders offer up a pair of different sizes, and the centre console is just large enough to fit DVD cases in, so long as you stand them on end. However, I wouldn't mind seeing a couple more cupholders molded into the dismally small lower door pockets for those longer drives, as well as a bit more interior lighting. With just a single amber LED illuminating the centre console in a wash of black plastic, it's a pretty dim place to be after the sun's gone down. 

If the passenger compartment proved sufficient, if somewhat bland, the Rogue did prove itself more than capable of handling it's fair share of gear. Even though the little utility vehicle may not boast the greatest cargo capacity in its class, the combination of its well-shaped rear loadspace and 60/40 folding rear seatback ensured I had no difficulty hauling everything from snowshoes to rucksacks to '73 Land Rover bumpers and wheels. Additionally, there's a handy little plastic tub located beneath the rear floor that serves as an excellent storage space for wet objects deserving cargo-hold segregation... like wet socks and snow-soaked sweaters. 

Heading back down the mountain at the end of the day, I came to appreciate something I probably slough off as unimportant in too many cases: the features. As someone that's innately drawn to a car's mechanical features, I'm often bored by the continued onset of electronic systems in many cars, and am loath to experiment with things like Sport modes and adjustable transmission shift patterns. However, in the case of the Rogue, I did make some exceptions. First off, and perhaps the biggest news for the Rogue's 2012 model year, is the inclusion of Nissan's compelling Around View Monitor. Using a system of four cameras and what I can only surmise is witchcraft to combine their images, the system provides a now-familiar bird eye view of your vehicle's surroundings ala Grand Theft Auto 2. However, the additional Camera button (located above my arch-nemesis, the Sport button, I might add) allows you to also view both the front and side view cameras independent of the top-down system, which I will say, makes parallel parking an absolute breeze. By week's end I'd gotten so used to using the various cameras that I could put the Rogue on a postage stamp if required; an ability that can prove quite handy around Vancouver. 

Combine this whole whack of practicality and features with the Rogue's very attractive price point, and it's no surprise that you can't go more than a city block in downtown Vancouver without tripping over one of the damn things. Although nowhere near as entertaining the Juke, nor the solid performer that the Murano's grown to be, the Rogue remains to serve a very important role within the Nissan brand and provides its owners with go-almost-anywhere-in most-conditions ability without sacrificing on things like overall size and fuel economy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an umbrella to buy.