Used 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport S SUV Review

With increased demand for crossovers, Nissan has parlayed the success of its larger Rogue into the smaller 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport. It seats five passengers, offers good cargo space, and has a lower profile and sleeker look than its counterpart. Alongside competitors such as the Honda HR-V and the Mazda CX-3, the Rogue Sport offers innovative tech and driver assistance features to help it stand out.

Despite its size and entry-level spot in Nissan's SUV lineup, the 2018 Rogue Sport offers a lot of cargo capacity for the class, plus available safety features that include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and a surround-view camera. Few other subcompacts can be so roundly equipped.

But while its virtues are impressive, the Rogue Sport is outrun — literally — by its faster Honda and Mazda rivals, and it also struggles to deliver the refinement of other competitors. Overall, we think the Rogue Sport is a good choice if utility is a priority, but it's worth considering some of the more well-rounded choices in the class.

The new 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport is a five-passenger compact crossover SUV with three trim levels: S, SV and SL. The S trim is pretty basic but SV and SL get some desirable upgrades. All Rogue Sport trims come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (141 horsepower, 147 pound-feet of torque) and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is optional.

Note that standard equipment for the Rogue Sport can vary slightly depending on when it was built. The following information is for the so-called 2018.5 Rogue Sport; Rogue Sports built earlier in the model year lack some of the driver safety aids that Nissan added as standard equipment to the 2018.5.

Standard feature highlights for the S include 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, air conditioning, cloth upholstery, 60/40-split folding rear seats that slide and recline, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, a 5-inch infotainment display, Siri Eyes Free iPhone control, and a four-speaker CD player with a USB input and satellite radio. Also included is blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and forward collision warning with automatic braking.

The Rogue Sport's SV trim adds a few creature comforts and upgrades such as 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, automatic headlights, keyless entry and ignition, a cargo management system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable driver's seat and a six-speaker audio system.

The top-of-the-line SL trim includes 19-inch wheels, foglights, heated mirrors, remote start, adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, a 7-inch touchscreen, a surround-view camera system, NissanConnect emergency and convenience telematics, and a navigation system.

Seventeen-inch wheels are available for base models via the S Appearance package, and most of the SL's standard features, such as heated seats and upgraded navigation/multimedia, are optional for SV trims in the SV Technology package.

The SL Premium package adds a sunroof, LED headlights, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist.