Affordability and availability are the 2020 Nissan Rogue’s most endearing qualities, and we reward those virtues here. 

The Rogue lacks the panache and polish of some of its rivals, but its low starting price of $26,245 has an appeal all its own. Paired with Nissan’s generous incentives and sales efforts, more shoppers may consider a 2020 Rogue.

Those shoppers could do worse. Every Rogue gets life-saving safety tech that we cover above, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and power features. Those are good features among small crossovers for Rogue’s starting price, $26,245, but we doubt many people will be asked to pay that much. On our feature scale, the Rogue gets points above average for its base features, value, and 7.0-inch touchscreen. It’s an 8. 

Like last year, the Rogue is available in S, SV, and SL trim levels. All-wheel drive is optional on trims and costs $1,350 extra. 

An optional package on base Rogue S models adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, and nicer exterior trim pieces for $800. Unless keyless ignition with remote start for cold days and available driver-assistance features were must-haves, that’s the model we’d pick with our money. 

For $27,645 to start, the Rogue SV adds to base versions more speakers for the audio system (six vs. four), keyless ignition, power-adjustable heated front seats, and more available options such as adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, embedded navigation, driver-assistance features (that we cover above), premium audio by Bose, and unique wheels. Those packages can add $1,800 to $3,500 to the bottom line, so we would tread carefully. 

The top-trim Rogue SL adds leather upholstery, 19-inch wheels, and everything listed above. For $32,635, the Rogue SL’s value proposition falls down against others in its class. 

Nissan infotainment

Unplug the base Nissan infotainment system and plug in a smartphone—in a hurry. 

Although the Rogue’s touchscreen is generously sized compared to others in its class, the menu system and baked-in navigation feels stuck in 2008. What’s worse, we’ve noticed that the screen in the Rogue washes out in direct sunlight easily, making it relatively hard to use for passengers and especially in cars equipped with a sunroof. (Mercifully, there are redundant hard buttons for menu, back, track selection, and contrast.)

Provided you can see the screen, the base Nissan system is straightforward with big, easily readable icons that help us dive into menus. Drivers would do well to set it and forget it—then find an Apple CarPlay- or Android Auto-compatible device for the duration.

Review continues below