The 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport is a smaller version of the Rogue, not a sporty model of Nissan’s popular SUV. Its looks are sporty, but its driving dynamics are standard. This extra-small SUV is larger than the more affordable Kicks, and if you’re considering a sedan, it costs about the same as the midsize Nissan Altima. It’s a good choice for someone who wants something smaller and more maneuverable than a Rogue, and it’s easier on the wallet.
Considering its size, the Rogue Sport has plenty of passenger and cargo room. It also offers a long list of standard and optional advanced driver aids, some of which aren’t found in rivals.
But the little Rogue Sport does have some drawbacks. Its acceleration is slow, fuel economy is average at best, and ride and seat comfort is subpar. If you’re shopping around, you might want to take a look at the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Hyundai Kona and Subaru Crosstrek. Those higher-ranked rivals are similar in size and price. If you want to know what our test team has to say about the Nissan Rogue Sport, check out the detailed Edmunds’ Expert Rating below.
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.
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 the 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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
The midlevel SV trim hits the sweet spot in the Rogue Sport lineup. For not much more than the base S trim, the SV trims adds keyless entry, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a better audio system. Opting for the SV Technology package adds more driver aids including adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera.
Nissan Rogue Sport models
The 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport is a five-passenger extra-small SUV offered in the base S, the midlevel SV and the range-topping SL trim levels. 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 (CVT) that sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is optional on all trims.
Rogue Sport S
The base S trim comes with:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Automatic headlights
- Cloth upholstery
- Manual-adjustable driver’s seat
- 7-inch touchscreen display
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
- Satellite radio
- Two USB ports
- Four-speaker sound system
Standard advanced driver aids include:
- Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
- 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)
The base S trim does not offer any optional packages.
Rogue Sport SV
Adds more convenience features such as:
- Remote engine start
- Push-start ignition
- Foglights
- Roof rails
- 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 audio system
Optional for the SV is the SV Technology package that adds:
- Cloth and simulated leather seat upholstery
- Driver’s seat memory settings
- Electronic parking brake
- 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)
- Driver attention warning (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued)
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
- Electronic parking brake
The Premium package for the SL includes:
- Sunroof
- LED headlights
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Driver’s seat and outside mirror memory settings
- Power-adjustable passenger seat
- Eight-speaker Bose audio system
