2022 Nissan Rogue Sport

It is unusual for a manufacturer to present two vehicles that compete within the same segment, which makes the Nissan Rogue Sport a bit of a novelty. While it still falls within the subcompact category, it's a bit larger than the Nissan Kicks and benefits from quite a few elements drawn from the larger Rogue with which it shares a platform. Unfortunately, the powertrain is not among those benefits, with the Rogue Sport being powered by an only adequate four-cylinder engine that develops 141 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque. Rivals in this segment include the solid Honda HR-V and Korean alternatives like the distinctively styled Hyundai Kona. In the Kona's case, you can specify it with a turbocharged engine that will leave the Rogue Sport eating its dust. But despite this, and even though it may cost a bit more than the average subcompact in the US, but Nissan's crossover is certainly worth your consideration.

The base Nissan Rogue Sport's price is higher than most of the segment rivals; the S starts at $24,460, where the leading competitors try to stick around the $20k mark. Upgrading to the mid-tier SV is a modest step up in price to $26,030, while the top-of-the-range SL is quite a bit more expensive with its $29,090 price tag. All-wheel drive can be added to any of the three trims for an additional cost of $1,500. These prices are MSRP and don't include tax, registration, licensing, or Nissan's $1,225 destination charge.

The Sport title tagged on to the end of the Rogue's nameplate can be a bit misleading. This is not a crossover designed for thrill-seekers. The powertrain isn't truly underpowered, but the moment you apply any real pressure to the gas pedal, it runs out of steam. However, around town, you will seldom feel the need to draw on more than half of the engine's potential, so the average driver will probably never feel that the SUV is lacking. This changes on the highway, though.

Much like the powertrain, the steering seems designed with a focus on town driving. It is light and perhaps a bit too responsive at times, but this is ideal for quick maneuvers around congested city streets or packed parking lots. There is a little feedback, but you will still be thankful for the excellent visibility of the high seats to help you see exactly where the edges of the SUV are.

As long as you drive the Rogue Sport with a modicum of restraint, it should remain well-mannered on the road. Body lean is well-controlled, for the most part. Try to push the crossover's limits, however, and you will discover it suffers from excessive understeer. Most road abrasions are handled quite well by the suspension, but it's just a pity you can't option smaller wheels on the upper trim, as the 19-inch alloys hurt ride quality quite a bit.

There's a lot to like about the Rogue Sport, but it isn't all rainbows and sunshine. The subcompact is a bit bigger than its segment sibling, the Nissan Kicks, which gives it a more spacious interior, both for passengers and cargo. Only select rivals like the Kia Soul can boast a higher trunk capacity, but they lack the more upscale interior and comprehensive list of available features that can be found on the Nissan Rogue Sport.

Plenty of advanced safety specs come standard on Nissan's subcompact, such as forward-collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. It also gets the basic infotainment features you would expect, such as smartphone integration and available navigation. But all these semi-luxurious features come at a cost. Most people look to subcompacts for how much value they offer, and while the Rogue Sport certainly does offer quite a fair number of features for a relatively reasonable price, it is still a lot more expensive than some rival subcompacts, like the $5k-cheaper Kia Soul. It also doesn't get particularly impressive mileage figures for the segment, and its handling dynamics are a mixed bag.

Though the Nissan Rogue Sport is an adequate performer in the segment, with some really standout features, those who want the best deal for their limited money might be better served taking some of the more affordable options on the market for a test drive instead.

Despite being slightly more expensive than class-leading rivals, the Nissan Rogue Sport is still a highly affordable crossover in the USA. So, unless you are truly strapped for cash, we would suggest aiming for the top to get the premium features and options that are only available to the SL, such as the handy surround-view camera, the high-tech ProPilot Assist system, and the available power moonroof if you want an extra splash of panache. If you can't afford the $5k price hike over the base S model, you can still feel confident in your and your family's safety thanks to Safety Shield 360 coming standard on every model, and the base infotainment suite featuring all the essentials, too.

The Nissan Rogue is the compact sibling to the subcompact Rogue Sport. As such, it's bigger and better in just about every way. Under the hood of the larger SUV is a much more modern turbocharged engine that develops 201 hp and 225 lb-ft, giving the Rogue a lot more kick than its family member. This powertrain is also more fuel-efficient, getting 30/37/33 mpg in its front-wheel-drive guise. Add to this the much larger cargo capacity of 36.5 cubic feet, and the bigger Rogue seems like the obvious choice. Yes, you do have to pay more for the larger Rogue, with a starting MSRP of $26,700, but it's a minor price hike for so much extra everything and a brand-new model generation on top of that. There are certainly better compact SUVs out there, but between these two crossovers, the new, larger Rogue is better value for money.

A year older than the Nissan Rogue Sport, the Honda HR-V is still going strong in the market. Similarly powered with a four-cylinder engine developing 141 hp and 127 lb-ft, the HR-V is about $2,500 cheaper than Nissan SUV. Don't let this fool you into thinking it is lower-quality, though. The Honda crossover is well-appointed, especially at the higher trim levels, where it still manages to remain well below the $30k mark. It doesn't get smartphone integration on the entry-level trim, which is a bit unfortunate, but the HR-V offers quite a bit more cargo space and it gets a few more miles to the gallon than the Rogue Sport at 28/34/30 mpg with front-wheel drive. To be honest, this is a fairly close match-up, and the winner will most likely come down to personal taste and brand loyalty. We, however, feel the HR-V is more practical for less money.