There are a lot of great daily drivers out there, but one of the most popular – especially since the generational overhaul – has been the Nissan Rogue. It’s no shock that a lot of shoppers out there looking for a roomy, feature-rich compact SUV will have their sights set on finding a Nissan Rogue for sale. One of the big reasons for the popularity of the Rogue is that it makes for a great daily driver; this is because of the Rogue’s gas mileage and smooth handling on the road.
However, just because the Nissan Rogue is known for being a great daily driver doesn’t always mean it’s easy pickings when it comes to selecting the right model and trim to fit your daily driving needs. Not every trim comes with every feature, and maybe not every feature is something you want. There are also different ratings for gas mileage depending on a few factors, which is also worth considering. So consider this a buyer’s guide for finding the right kind of 2023 Nissan Rogue for daily driving.
Do You Need Front-Wheel Or Intelligent All-Wheel Drive?
The 2023 Nissan Rogue is available in two different configurations: front-wheel drive and Nissan’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. The difference between the two is in the handling capabilities as well as the fuel economy. With front-wheel drive, you have a maximum fuel economy of up to 37 MPG on the highway and up to 30 MPG in the city, for a total combined fuel economy of 33 MPG.
With Nissan’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, you have a total fuel economy of 35 MPG on the highway and up to 28 MPG in the city, for a total combined fuel economy of 31 MPG. Both the front-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations are paired up with a continuously variable transmission and are attached to a single 1.5-liter VC-Turbo inline 3-cylinder engine. Interestingly enough, the VC-Turbo was introduced with the 2022 model year Rogue, replacing the outgoing 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline 4-cylinder. Even though the VC-Turbo has a smaller displacement and one less cylinder than the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, it actually produces more power at 201 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque and offers better fuel economy.
When it comes to whether you should opt for front-wheel or all-wheel drive is based on where you drive and how often. If the majority of your travels are limited to back-and-forth commutes on paved roads day in and day out, the front-wheel drive makes the most sense. You get the highest level of fuel economy and the best fuel-saving potential there. However, if the weather is an issue – such as potential torrential downpours or lots of heavy snow, or you occasionally find yourself having to travel across dirt or gravel roads – then the Intelligent All-Wheel Drive makes sense for the daily driver. The tech enables immediate power distribution for stable on-road handling, traction control, and stability management, so when the ground is slippery, wet, or loose, you can maintain even handling.
How Long Will You Be Driving Each Day?
Drive times are an important factor. If you’re looking for a Nissan Rogue for sale specifically as a commuter vehicle, and you have long commutes or short commutes, then you’re going to want a trim that fits into that profile. This is segmented perfectly by the Nissan Rogue’s trim line-up, going from a basic compact SUV to a luxury-oriented utility vehicle.
If you need a daily driver for mostly short commutes on a day-to-day basis, then you probably aren’t going to be too concerned with certain interior amenities. For the shortest of trips, where you’re only in the vehicle briefly going to and from your destinations, having high-end seating arrangements and infotainment features may not be a top priority. In this case, the Nissan Rogue S would more than handle what you need. It offers the best fuel economy and allows you to access all of the basic infotainment amenities you would need.
If you spend more than half an hour on the road getting to your destination and more than half an hour coming back, comfort is going to be a major issue. The SV offers an 8-way power driver seat and 2-way power lumbar support. Basically, your commute to and from your destination is going to be much more comfortable than the 6-way manual driver seat found in the Rogue S trim.
Maybe you also commute with passengers? On short trips, the S, SV, or Midnight Edition would more than accommodate your needs thanks to the seating arrangements, optional leather upholstery, and the availability of optional heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, making the Rogue perfect for chilly or cold weather. However, if you travel long distances each day with multiple passengers, comfortable seating might be more essential, in which case the SL or Platinum might be preferable. The added driver memory seat, power front passenger seat, heated seats, and heated steering wheel with available rear heated seating, makes sense for keeping everybody comfortable during long hauls to and from your destination.
How Many Passengers For Your Daily Driving Habits?
Comfort is a big part of daily driving, but so is convenience. For short trips, it’s not too bad, and whether you’re carpooling with coworkers or dropping kids off at school or extracurricular activities, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is equipped for the task(s) and is accommodating for travel times. The great part about it is that if you’re looking for a Nissan Rogue for sale, the vehicle scales based on what you need.
For medium and long drives, keeping occupants occupied during the commute and also comfortable is a big part of making a daily driver worth its value. Thankfully, all of the trims come with basic interior cabin amenities, such as sun visors, cup holders, bottle holders, and seatback pockets. There are also a lot of convenience features across the trim line-up above the S trim, such as dual zone automatic climate control for the mid-tier trims and tri-zone automatic climate control for the luxury trims. Every trim, however, comes with rear passenger vents and air conditioning, so maintaining a comfortable climate inside across both rows is not a problem, regardless of the model you opt to go with.
Power locks, power windows, and rear door alerts are also all standard features, great if you’re taking kids to and from destinations and you want to keep everyone safe inside. The base trim comes with an 8-inch NissanConnect infotainment suite, and every trim comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. However, the 9-inch NissanConnect HD touchscreen is limited to the upper trims such as the SL and Platinum, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, which might be useful if you have passengers who want to wirelessly sync their smartphone to the vehicle for media/app access from the second row.
What Kind Of Traveling Do You Do?
Now if your daily travels consist of having to go to different or unknown parts of town due to work, it might be wise to consider the SL or Platinum. Nissan offers NissanConnect services with Nissan Door-to-Door Navigation. If your job or travels consistently take you into parts you’re not familiar with, the navigation suite is extremely helpful with getting you to your destination on time, as well as informing you about the traffic conditions. Navigation software is an absolute must if some of your work requires timed deliveries or getting occupants to a destination within a specific time frame.
Additionally, if you do a lot of traveling in your vehicle and need a daily driver where you can also handle business calls, personal calls, or other multi-tasking through a smart device, every trim comes standard with voice recognition, so you can send texts or make calls without taking your eyes off the road. If you were looking for a Nissan Rogue for sale, you don’t have to worry about any trim-specific version to make use of some of the basic infotainment and tech features.
If you regularly have to do a lot of daily driving where it’s long stretches of road, then features like ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link and the additional driver-assisted technologies would come in handy. The ProPilot features are only available on the SV trim or higher, which enables you to make use of intelligent cruise control features to make driving easier and more relaxing. It’s a great suite of features for those who want to remove some of the stresses from daily travel.
A Trim For Every Driver
The 2023 Nissan Rogue is designed to appeal to a wide range of different daily drivers. Finding the right trim for you boils down to figuring out what you want from your daily driver and adjusting that to your budget. Thankfully, Nissan makes it easy with the Rogue to find something affordable and accommodating for long or short commutes. It’s just a matter of refining the features down to what you feel is necessary or worth the extra expense depending on what you’re looking for out of your daily driver.
