The 2023 Nissan Rogue is the company’s most popular vehicle for a good reason: it provides a plethora of high-tech features at a value price point. The Rogue offers one of the best storage and cargo packages in the midsize SUV market, making the Rogue a favorable pick for drivers who prioritize interior space. But despite the high praise the Rogue has gotten from buyers, there are some clear misses the Japanese automaker makes.

2023 Nissan Rogue: what you can expect

As mentioned earlier, the Rogue is Nissan’s most popular vehicle by a long shot. With an MSRP of $27,360 to $38,990, depending on your package, the Rogue comes with a 1.5-liter, inline 3-cylinder engine that kicks out 201 horsepower. It seats five people and comes in two-wheel and all-wheel drive options. For its fuel economy, the Rogue offers a combined 33 MPG, with 30 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway.

The Rogue ranks 7 out of 14 among small SUVs, according to Edmunds. While the middle of the pack might not seem like much, the Rogue is competing with some giants in the SUV space. The uber-popular Mazda CX-5, highly rated Honda CR-V, and the Hyundai Tucson and Subaru Forester all compete in the market segment the Nissan Rogue does. 

So, when it comes to the vehicle’s performance, there is stiff competition. But the Rogue shines when it comes to interior cargo capacity and storage.

Biggest ‘hit’: 2023 Nissan Rogue cargo capacity

Storage is easily the biggest win from the 2023 Nissan Rogue, according to Edmunds. Among small SUVs, the Rogue offers one of the best interior cargo capacities at 74.1 cu-ft. For comparison, the Mitsubishi Outlander offers the most max cargo space at 79.7 cu-ft, and the Honda CR-V offers the second most at 76.5 cu-ft.

Depending on your trim level, the Rogue can function as a flat-load bed through reconfigurable floor panels. These reconfigurable floor panels can also be placed as partitions or lowered for additional space. That means you have the option of optimizing your interior for either organization or pure space.

Additionally, the Rogue comes with a lot of trays in the front and rear seats sized for drinks and smaller belongings. Altogether, the 2nd year Rogue offers an impressive package of storage options, making it an apparent hit for the small SUV.

Biggest ‘miss’: driving feel

Where the 2023 Nissan Rogue falls short is its drive feel. By drive feel, I mean both engine performance and the driver experience on the road. The transmission can occasionally lag when accelerating. However, this experience is relatively common for vehicles with a CVT or continuously variable transmission.

Despite the shortcomings of the CVT, the tester found it surprisingly quick with the turbocharged option. Then, on corners, the Rogue did not offer much road feel. According to Edmunds, there were dead spots in the steering wheel when driving through the city at slow speeds.

While it’s easy to dismiss the engine performance of a small SUV, these crossover SUVs are built for versatility—not race track performance.

The last and perhaps one of the more prominent detractors of the 2023 Nissan Rogue drive feel is its elevated cabin noise levels. According to Edmunds, when driving on the highway at higher speeds, the Rogue lets in more noise than other small SUVs.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue is a solid choice overall

For a spacious interior and plenty of trim packages, the second-year Nissan Rogue debuts with impressive marks regarding overall features. Despite its shortcomings in driveability, the Rogue still makes waves in the market for being a value-oriented small SUV that packs a lot of attributes into its immense cabin.