2021 Nissan Rogue Sport Review

Name: 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport Review
Brand: Nissan

Price Range: $13,995 - $23,998

Nissan Rogue Sport SL 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

+189

We like that the 2021 Rogue Sport comes with a lot of advanced safety features as standard equipment. The spacious cabin and generous cargo room are nice too. But on the downside, the Rogue Sport is one of the slowest vehicles in its class. It also has an uncomfortable ride on city streets and is generally underwhelming to drive.

See all features & specs

Price & Payment

141 cars

$19,381 avg. price

Min$

Max$

See listings

Appraise My Nissan Rogue Sport

Nissan Rogue Sport model years

Nissan Rogue Sport for Sale

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport Review

byDan Frio^{Correspondent
Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to Edmunds, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.}

Pros

Cargo space is impressive for the class
Small size means good maneuverability in tight city spaces
Lots of available driving aids and tech

Cons

Engine is underpowered and noisy
Bumpy ride when equipped with optional 19-inch wheels
Front seats aren't comfortable on long trips

What's new

Base S trim comes with 17-inch wheels
Heated front seats and steering wheel, foglights and more now standard on SV
Part of the first Rogue Sport generation introduced for 2017

Overview

Don't let the name fool you. The 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport isn't the "sporty" edition of its namesake, at least not by any performance measure. The Rogue Sport has a smaller, less powerful engine than the larger Nissan Rogue. It also doesn't inspire any more appreciable driving thrill. But weighed against its competitors, the Rogue Sport makes a compelling case. It offers good head- and legroom for tall passengers, cargo space is ample, and it comes with an impressive array of advanced driver aids. It also cuts a sharp figure at rest.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale nearby

141 listings

Sort by:

Price Drop
2021 Nissan Rogue Sport
S 4dr SUV
$19,025
good price
$1,813 below market
- 24,532 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use
- 4cyl automatic
- Driveway (9 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Blind Spot Monitorin...
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
Close
Located in Chantilly, VA
CarFax No Accidents Reported,CarFax 1-Owner,Low Mileage,Apple CarPlay,Back-Up Camera,Blind Spot Monitor,Bluetooth,Brake Assist,Lane Keeping Assist,Sat...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
27 Combined MPG (24 City/30 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JN1BJ1AW4MW449671
Stock: MW449671P
Certified Pre-Owned: No
New Listing
2021 Nissan Rogue Sport
S 4dr SUV
$19,998
fair price
$262 below market
- 27,056 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- 4cyl automatic
- CarMax Dulles (3 mi away)
- Free delivery available*
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Blind Spot Monitorin...
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
Close
Located in Sterling, VA
CarMax values transparency and wants you to love your next car, not settle on it. Certain vehicles may have unrepaired safety recalls. Check nhtsa.gov...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: Yes
Features and Specs:
27 Combined MPG (24 City/30 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JN1BJ1AW8MW425972
Stock: 26181617
Certified Pre-Owned: No

See all for sale

But the Rogue Sport also forces some compromises. The underpowered engine can make highway entrances and lane changes a cautious affair. The seats, too, quickly turn uncomfortable on longer trips. We don't consider these deal-breakers overall but urge buyers to also consider other extra-small crossover SUVs such as the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul. For more on our take on the 2021 Rogue Sport, check out the categories of our Expert Rating below.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Below Average

6.9

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

6.5/10

How does the Rogue Sport drive? The Rogue Sport isn't sporty, but it is competent and stable when guided through corners. The steering is vague and lifeless, but otherwise this SUV is easy to maneuver in traffic and tight parking lots. The brakes are well tuned and allow for smooth stops.

Alas, the Rogue Sport falters in the "need for speed" department. It's one of the slowest choices available in the subcompact SUV class. In our testing, 0-60 mph acceleration took a lethargic 10.2 seconds. That's about what you get from a Toyota Prius and means that passing on the highway takes careful planning.

Comfort

6.5/10

How comfortable is the Rogue Sport? The Rogue Sport is below average in terms of comfort. On the positive side, we appreciate the availability of dual-zone automatic climate control and rear air vents. Its optional heated steering wheel is a rare offering in this class too.

Otherwise, we're let down by the Rogue Sport's cabin and road manners. The stiff suspension tuning results in a rough ride over most city streets, though the ride on the highway is more acceptable. Seat comfort and support are also lacking. Wind and road noise is reasonably suppressed, but engine noise is prominent while accelerating.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? The Rogue Sport offers spacious seating. Headroom is generous all around, and though legroom is naturally limited given the vehicle's small size, four adults should fit with ease. Visibility out of the front and side is also good thanks to the tall windows and narrow roof pillars.

The seating position is fairly natural, and only tall drivers will notice the wheel is positioned a bit low. Regardless of seating position, the dashboard controls seem a little far away. They are clearly labeled, however, and only the buttons on the steering wheel feel small. The tall doors and a low step-over height make it easy to get in and out of both rows.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? The Rogue Sport's standard driver safety aids, which include blind-spot monitoring, automatic front and rear emergency braking, and lane departure warning, help its score quite a bit. Those features, along with the optional adaptive cruise control and 360-degree parking camera system, are rare at this price point. It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, now standard in this class, along with two USB ports.

Audio quality and center-screen resolution are weak links. The SL's six-speaker Bose audio system distorts sound at upper volumes, though the subwoofer delivers good bass. The touchscreen isn't exactly small but can seem so because it's located far away from the driver. Resolution is low, which makes seeing displayed information more difficult.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? The Rogue Sport has up to 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, a solid figure. Fold the seats down and you've got one of the biggest cargo areas in the extra-small SUV class. In-cabin storage for small items is less stellar. Two cupholders, a medium-size center console, and long but skinny door pockets are average for the class. The rear door pockets are a little too small and struggle to hold a standard water bottle.

There are lower anchor points for installing child safety seats in the rear outboard seating positions. Forward-facing seats should fit fine, but you'll have to slide the front seats up some for rear-facing car seats.

Fuel Economy

6.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The Rogue Sport is underpowered and there's no real upside for fuel economy. We tested a front-wheel-drive Rogue Sport, which the EPA estimates gets 28 mpg combined (25 city/32 highway). With all-wheel drive, that drops to 27 mpg combined (24 city/30 highway). Either way this is a little below average for this class.

Value

6.5/10

Is the Rogue Sport a good value? The value of the Rogue Sport varies. On the entry-level end, it's competitively priced, especially when you consider the ample number of standard advanced driving aids. But once you start looking at upper trims or add all-wheel drive, it quickly ends up being more expensive than its primary rivals. Here the Rogue Sport feels less like a bargain because of its interior, which is kitted out in cheap-looking materials.

Warranty coverage is typical. Bumper-to-bumper coverage and roadside assistance are offered for three years/36,000 miles. The powertrain warranty is good for five years/60,000 miles.

Wildcard

6/10

We could forgive the Rogue Sport's subpar acceleration if it countered with a big fuel economy advantage or some other "surprise and delight" upside. The styling is fairly sleek, but there's really nothing here that will get you excited about owning a Rogue Sport.

Which Rogue Sport does Edmunds recommend?

With just three available trims, the middle SV trim makes sense for most buyers. The SV's modest price increase adds desirable upgrades such as heated seats, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and a better audio system.

Compare 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport models

The 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport is a five-passenger extra-small SUV offered in three trim levels. The S base trim comes with respectable standard comforts and impressive driver safety aids, while the SV adds more features and desirable options. The SL heads upscale with comfort and style upgrades such as 19-inch wheels, leather seating and navigation.

All Rogue Sport models come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (141 horsepower, 147 lb-ft of torque) and a continuously variable automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is optional on all trims.

Rogue Sport S
The base trim S comes with essentials such as:

17-inch alloy wheels
Automatic headlights
Cloth upholstery
Height-adjustable driver's seat
60/40-split folding rear seats that slide and recline

Standard technology and safety features include:

7-inch touchscreen display
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration
Satellite radio
USB input
Four-speaker sound system
Blind-spot monitoring (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)
Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while you're in reverse)
Lane departure mitigation (warns you of a lane departure when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position)
Rear automatic braking (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)
Rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind the vehicle when parking)
Forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)

Rogue Sport SV
Adds more convenience features such as:

Remote engine start
Push-start ignition
Foglights
Keyless entry
Heated side mirrors
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Heated front seats
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel
Six-speaker sound system

Optional for the SV is the SV Technology package that adds:

Cloth and simulated leather seat upholstery
Driver's seat memory settings
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Rogue Sport and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Rogue Sport and the car in front)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)

Rogue Sport SL
Gains more style and tech features including:

19-inch alloy wheels
Leather seating
Navigation system
The driver safety features from the SV's Technology package

The Premium package for the SL includes:

Sunroof
LED headlights
Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Driver's seat and side mirror memory settings
Power-adjustable passenger seat
Eight-speaker Bose sound system

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $2.88 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$128/mo

$156/mo

Avg. Compact SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

See pricing history

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4.5/5Excellent

#2 out of 29 among Compact SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Nissan Rogue Sport from 2008-2022.}

$431/yr

vs. $465/yr
for Average Compact SUV

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.38x/yr

vs. 1x/yr
for Average Compact SUV

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

9.4%

vs. 11.5%
for Average Compact SUV

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Nissan Rogue Sport Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.9

29 reviews

5(62%)

4(6%)

3(8%)

2(10%)

1(14%)

Write a vehicle review See all 29 reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport

Rolando Masferrer Sr., 01/31/2020

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport SV 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)

Recently we leased a 2020 Rogue Sport SV and so far we are very happy with our decision. The trunk space is very good, rides well, seats are comfortable and overall a very good SUV

Unreliable

Catwoman 75, 11/08/2020

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport SV 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT)

Bought the car in July. In August, the collision warning light came on every morning with no object near the car (and therefore the automatic breaking system engaged). The dealership replaced the "faulty" sensor (it took 6 weeks to get the part). Next day, the collision warning sensor came on: took it back to the dealership. Diagnosis: faulty sensor...Ordered a replacement for the …

Sticking Accelerator pedal

Fran Rubal, 03/30/2021

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport SV 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)

Twice within 3 months the accelerator pedal on my Rouge sport has stuck. The only way to slow the engine from accelerating was to place the transmission in neutral and pump the brakes. After a quarter mile there was a noise like a spring popping and the vehicle slowed down and I was able to stop. The dealer says they could not find anything wrong. Are there others out there with …

Love it!

Jessntime, 07/16/2020

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport SV 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT)

I just bought my SV AWD Rogue Sport 3 days ago. The gas mileage is amazing and it has quite the pep for the small engine. I think it drives smooth and is comfortable, though I haven’t taken it on a long trip just yet. I got the version with heated seats/steering wheel which I’m looking forward to this winter. My aunt has had three of these (leases them) and recently bought a new one …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport, so we've included reviews for other years of the Rogue Sport since its last redesign.

See all 29 reviews of the Nissan Rogue Sport

Write a vehicle review

2021 Rogue Sport Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$24,160
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	28 MPG
Cost to Drive	$128/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	22.9 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Rogue Sport models:

Blind-Spot Warning: Notifies you when there's a vehicle in the Rogue Sport's blind spot.
Lane Departure Warning: Warns you when the vehicle is drifting out of its lane without the turn signal engaged.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Helps avoid collisions by warning the driver of approaching vehicles while the car is in reverse.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover15.9%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport Review

Price & Payment

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale nearby

2021 Nissan Rogue SportS 4dr SUV

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2021 Nissan Rogue SportS 4dr SUV

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Rogue Sport does Edmunds recommend?

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport models

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $2.88 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Nissan Rogue Sport Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport

Unreliable

Sticking Accelerator pedal

Love it!

2021 Rogue Sport Highlights

Safety

Related Used 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Nissan

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport
S 4dr SUV

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport
S 4dr SUV

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $2.88 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}