2014 Nissan Rogue
After what has to be one of the longest life cycles for a compact crossover, six model years, the second generation of the nissan rogue has finally arrived for 2014. But there’s nothing wrong with taking your time, if the result is worth the wait. Especially if you bring something unexpected to the party. And that’s exactly what the new rogue does.
It may have taken awhile for the 2nd generation, 2014 Nissan Rogue to arrive, but its arrival will not go unnoticed by the rest of the compact crossover segment as Nissan is making a serious attempt to grab a much bigger piece of the market. And we can all agree that in order for that greedy sales grab to take place, the Rogue will need to stand out more than before; so Nissan has brought about much change.
This is an all new chassis, one that will be sold globally; and while the overall length is actually down an inch to 182.3-inches, wheelbase, width, and height are all up. The upgraded looks feature lots of flowing lines and substantial wheel arches; all very reminiscent of the Rogue’s big brother Pathfinder. But the Rogue’s grille with its narrowed U shape is all its own.
And that slick new shape not only looks great but cuts through the air even better and works with an uprated CVT transmission to raise all-wheel-drive Government Fuel Economy Ratings to 25-City, 32-Highway, and 28-Combined. The Energy Impact Score is also very good for a crossover at 11.8-barrels of annual oil consumption with yearly CO2 emissions of 5.3-tons.
And while few mainstream compact crossovers deliver notable driving enjoyment, and none provide extreme levels of comfort, the Rogue has enough of both to keep your commute enjoyable and vacation time very pleasant. Active Trace Control uses selective braking to mitigate understeer and Active Ride Control goes one step further by using brakes and engine torque to reduce both vehicle vibration and body motion.
And there was a definite attempt by Nissan to go more premium on the inside, with very good material quality as well as more features like Nissan Connect.
But the most unexpected surprise by far is a new 3rd row option for 7-passenger seating. Access is aided by the EZ Flex sliding second row. But, as Rogue is still a compact, 3rd row space is expectedly tight, best fit for small children. Still, most rivals don’t offer comparable versatility. And, even with the 3rd row in place there’s 9.4 cubic-ft. of luggage space. Capacity behind the second row is 32.0 cubic-ft.
And with both rows folded, there’s a mid-size like 70.0 cubic-ft. And a trick divide-‘n-hide cargo management system helps you keep things organized. Working our way forward, new Zero Gravity front seats offer excellent comfort for drives both long and short.
But the newness doesn’t make it all the way forward however, as under the hood is the same QR25DE 2.5-liter I4 as before. There are updates in the name of efficiency, but horsepower and torque are unchanged at 170 and 175 lb-ft. And the usual excessive engine noise that accompanies a CVT is on full display as you work your way from a stop light, or in our case, down a drag strip.
Power is a tad soft at launch, but once those RPM’s reach their steady peak it feels fairly decent. The simulated shifts feel more like bouncing off a rev limiter and don’t really seem to help times. 0-60 takes a leisurely 8.9-seconds, with a slow quarter mile of 16.9-seconds at 83 miles-per-hour.
The fully independent front and rear suspension with stabilizer bars and twin tube shocks performs above average, provided you keep inputs smooth thus keeping the aggressive traction control from engaging. Except for some pretty hard nose dive, braking performance is also good, with stops averaging 126-feet.
Safety conscious families can opt for one of the two Premium packages to add a Blind Spot Warning system, as well as Lane Departure Warning and Moving Object detection.
As for prices, they slot in nicely against compact CUV rivals, starting at just $23,350. Top level SL trim begins at $28,930; and all-wheel-drive can be added to any Rogue for 13-hundred-50 dollars more.
While it was definitely long overdue for a re-design, it looks to have been worth the wait; as the 2014 Nissan Rogue appears to be a much more serious player in the segment. That’s good news for Nissan and good news for buyers looking for unexpected largess in a compact crossover.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.5-liter I4
- Horsepower: 170
- Torque: 175 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 8.9-seconds
- 1/4 mile: 16.9 seconds @ 83 mph
- EPA: 25 mpg city/ 32 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 11.8 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 5.3 tons/yr
2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Baby Rover Continues To Evolve
When most people hear “Range Rover” they tend to think of high class, high performance and high dollars. But, Range Rover does the entry-level thing quite well too with this Evoque. It has plenty of posh attitude, along with some recent updates. So, let’s see how the Evoque continues to evolved.
Our involvement with the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque’s evolution began when this small utility first arrived for 2012. It looked more Spice Girl than Tough Mudder, but it packed a surprising amount of capability into its subcompact dimensions. This second gen arrived for 2020, and has gained recent updates at the most likely midway point in its lifecycle.
Intrigued but not necessarily enthused could probably best describe our history with the Evoque, but Land Rover always has a way of drawing us in with very tasteful designs. They pretty much got this one right back in 2020, so styling revisions are largely limited to new Pixel LED headlights and a reshaped front fascia. There’s also new super-red signature lighting in back, all of it done to bring the Evoque more in line with the rest of the Range Rover family.
And like all of its siblings, all-wheel drive is standard and it does have Terrain Response 2 with specific off-road modes, but no one’s expecting to see a lot of Evoques out on the trail, unless there’s a new Lululemon Outlet at the other end of it having a killer sale.
Land Rover has once again taken the P300 296-horsepower version of the Evoque’s 2.0-liter turbo-four out of the lineup, leaving just the standard 249-horsepower version under the clamshell hood. No complaints from us, its 269 lb-ft of torque is more than adequate to move this 3,900 lb. ute around.
And at Mason Dixon Dragway, it moved us to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. There was plenty of traction off the line, and while not overwhelming, power feels plentiful, staying very consistent down the track. Gearchanges in the Evoque’s nine-speed automatic transmission were quick and smooth, barely a blip in the process as we finished the quarter-mile in 16 seconds flat at 85 mph. Plenty quick for a compact utility with luxury intentions.
[It maneuvered] with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have.
It felt quite good through our handling course too, with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have. The Evoque uses selective braking to torque vector power between all four wheels, and it enabled us to cruise through the cones quickly without any excessive understeer or oversteer. There was some nosedive during our panic braking test, but the brakes were very responsive and strong enough to bring us to a halt in a short 115 feet from 60.
But, it’s the inside experience that really matters with any luxury vehicle, particularly in a Range Rover. And here things look more high-end Swedish than Tudor or Victorian, with a minimalist cabin design that’s way more visually appealing than practical. There’s real leather covering just about everything, and what appears to be just a tablet stuck in front of the dash is a new 11.4-inch touchscreen. Not only are the inner workings much faster than the previous infotainment setup, but the entire interface of this Pivi Pro system is vastly better than the split screen approach of before.
The center console that leads up to it appears much less cluttered and frees up some additional space for storage. The shifter is still here, but it has gotten much smaller. Front seat space and comfort remain high, though rear seat room is still very tight for adults. Cargo space is not bad for a small utility, with room for 21.6 cu-ft. of gear in the hold, which expands with 40/20/40 split-folding seatback flexibility to 50.5 cu-ft.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20 City, 27 Highway, and 22 Combined. That’s an average Energy Impact Score, using 13.5 barrels of oil annually, with CO2 emissions of 6.6 tons.
Land Rover has been paring things down in the Evoque lineup for years, no longer offering a two-door version or the convertible, and now have simplified things even further to just the P250 available in only two trims: S, which stickers for $51,175, and Dynamic SE, which starts at $56,375; but you can add just about every package available and still come in right around $60,000.
Luxury-minded utility vehicles are coming at us from all angles these days, but the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a bit unique in that it remains as sort of a cheat code for sneaking you into the Range Rover VIP experience. You’ll feel like you’re getting away with something every time you drive it.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.0-liter turbo-four
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 249
- Torque: 269 lb-ft
- 0-60 mph: 7.7 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 16 seconds at 85 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg): 115 feet
- EPA: 20 City | 27 Highway | 22 Combined
