EXTERIOR

While I'm not wild about the Rogue's looks, it is a unique-looking vehicle, and I respect that. The grille has a perforated, hole-punched look. It leans much more toward a sporty look than the utilitarian looks of its competition such as the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

Whatever I think of the looks, the Rogue does a nice job with the kids. The doors aren't too heavy or wide, so my kids could open them with ease and get in without incident. Parking-lot door dings and struggles to close the doors once the kids are in the car are a rarity in this five-seater. However, the step-in height will be a little high for preschoolers. The doors are a perfect height to get those infant carriers in place or buckle up your child without chronic head-bonking.

The Rogue's cargo door is easy to reach and operate. This may sound strange, but the liftgate stays low enough when open for shorter people to reach it easily. It's not too heavy, either, so I didn't have to figure out how to leverage my body weight to close it in one pull. For this, I thank you, Nissan.

The Rogue has a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and uses regular gas. A front-wheel-drive Rogue gets an EPA-estimated 22/27 mpg city/highway. The all-wheel-drive Rogue gets 21/26 mpg.

    See also:

    Waxing
    Regular waxing protects the paint surface and helps retain new vehicle appearance. Polishing is recommended to remove built-up wax residue and to avoid a weathered appearance before re-applying wa ...

    Using the system
    Depress the brake pedal and hold it down. Depress the brake pedal with firm steady pressure, but do not pump the brakes. The ABS will operate to prevent the wheels from locking up. Steer the vehic ...

    Outside mirrors
    The outside mirror remote control will operate only when the ignition switch is in the ACC or ON position. Move the small switch (1) to select the right or left mirror. Adjust each mirror to ...