Your Nissan Spotlight: The Rogue vs The Rogue Sport

The Nissan Rogue is one of the best-selling SUVs in the country because of its impressive performance, spacious interior, and its vast array of tech, safety, and driver-assist features that also make it one of the best-value vehicles on the road. But what makes it different from the Rogue Sport? As your Louisville Nissan dealer, the team here at Coyle Nissan gets this question a lot, which is why we’re happy to show you the biggest differences and our favorite features on the Nissan Rogue and Rogue Sport.

Pointing Out the Differences

Pricing and Trims

At first glance, the price of the Rogue Sport and the Rogue is the most noticeable difference between the two models. The 2021 Rogue Sport starts at $23,860, and the 2021 Rogue starts at $25,650. What makes the Rogue more expensive? The modest price difference reflects the Rogue’s larger powertrain, longer length, bigger interior, and many added tech features. This is what makes the Rogue a premium SUV compared to the smaller and more agile Rogue Sport.

Another difference between the Rogue Sport and the Rogue is the available trim options. Nissan offers the Rogue Sport in the S, SV, and SL trims. The S starts at $23,860 and includes the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Warning, a 7-in color touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and a rear door alert.

The middle trim option is the SV and is priced at $25,430, which includes the Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition as well as Remote Engine Start and Intelligent Climate Control. Additional features include roof rails, a Nissan exclusive cargo system, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. For $28,590, drivers can opt for the Rogue Sport SL that includes premium leather seating, advanced driver-assist technology like the ProPILOT Assist suite, as well as exclusive technology like NissanConnect Services and Nissan’s Door-to-Door Navigation with Premium Traffic.

Nissan seals the Rogue’s fate as its premium SUV by offering four trim options beginning with the S, which is priced at $25,650. The S offers the same standard Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite and connectivity features as the Rogue Sport in addition to LED headlights and running lights, an advanced drive-assist display, an 8-in touchscreen display, rear privacy glass, and intelligent automatic headlights. The Rogue SV is next in the lineup and starts at $27,340. The SV includes everything from the S and adds ProPILOT Assist, the Intelligent Around View Monitor, remote engine start, Intelligent Climate Control, NissanConnect Services, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.

The top two trim options on the Rogue truly set the SUV apart from its smaller sibling, the Rogue Sport. The Rogue SL starts at $32,000 and adds features like a motion-activated liftgate and a dual-panel panoramic moonroof. The SL also ensures drivers and passengers are comfortable with tri-zone automatic temperature control and heated front seats. The Rogue Platinum offers the ultimate in luxury with a starting MSRP of $35,430 that gives drivers the ProPILOT Assist suite, heated rear seats, a wireless charging station, premium leather seats, a digital dashboard, navigation, a head-up display, and a Bose premium audio system.

Performance

We mentioned the Rogue has a larger powertrain, and that’s certainly something to consider if you’re trying to choose between the Rogue and the Rogue Sport. The Rogue Sport is designed for urban handling, which is why it’s equipped with a smaller 2.0-liter engine that delivers 141 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque. The Rogue is larger and requires a bigger engine, which explains the beefy 2.5-liter under the hood that produces 181 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque.

Size

The most prominent difference between the Rogue and the Rogue Sport is size, with the Sport measuring quite a bit smaller than the Rogue. The Sport measures 172.8 inches in length while the Rogue stretches to 183 inches. The Sport is also shorter at 62.6 inches compared to the Rogue at 66.5 inches. This translates to a larger interior cabin, with the Sport offering a max of 61.1 cu.ft. of cargo space and the Rogue offering up to 74.1 cu.ft.

The size difference between the Sport and the Rogue is something to consider if you plan to haul passengers and cargo frequently or if you have a growing family. While both SUVs offer seating for five, the Rogue gives passengers more room than the Sport. This also means that, without passengers, the Rogue can haul even more gear for adventures both big and small.

Features We Love

Whether you choose the Rogue or the Rogue Sport, you’re getting a reliable and capable SUV that offers a suite of exceptional connectivity, driver-assist, and safety features. Some of our favorite features that you’ll find on the Rogue and Rogue Sport are Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist, the Standard Safety Shield 360, and Nissan’s Door-to-Door Navigation. These features ensure the driver has all the tools they need the moment they start the engine.

Nissan ProPILOT Assist

Do you ever get in the zone when you’re driving? Nissan calls this your chill zone and helps ensure you get there safely with their ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link. This technology takes driving to the next level by utilizing the latest highway mapping technology to monitor speed limit signs, stop-and-go traffic, off-ramps, and more. That’s right – you can stay in your chill zone as the feature monitors the traffic ahead and adjusts your speed to mirror the posted speed limit. Just hit the “chill mode” button and cruise.

Standard Safety Shield 360

While you’re in your chill zone, you can rest assured that you’ll stay safe with Nissan’s Standard Safety Shield 360 suite of six advanced safety features. The suite includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection that monitors the Rogue’s speed and its distance from the traffic ahead. If it detects a potential collision, it automatically engages the brakes and can even bring the vehicle to an abrupt stop if needed. The suite also includes Rear Automatic Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and High Beam Assist, the latter of which ensures drivers have the best visibility possible at all times.

Nissan Door-to-Door Navigation

When you add Nissan’s Door-to-Door Navigation to the safety suite and the ProPILOT Assist, you can venture anywhere with confidence. Nissan’s navigation system takes planning your route to the next level by enabling you to sync the directions from your smartphone with the touchscreen display. The system also ensures you’re on the fastest and most efficient route, which saves you time and improves your fuel economy.

It’s Time to Pick Your Nissan

Which Nissan will you choose? Do you want the agile handling of the Rogue Sport, or are you looking for a larger SUV that offers even more room for passengers and cargo? Whether you choose the Rogue or the Rogue Sport, we know that you’ll be thrilled with the Nissan brand. As your premier Louisville Nissan dealer, we couldn’t be prouder or more excited to help you get behind the wheel of a Nissan you love. Visit us today to learn more about the Nissan lineup and which vehicle will work best for you.