2008 Nissan Rogue

For years, Nissan has sat and watched from the sidelines as Honda, Ford and Toyota have ruled the compact SUV segment. Now the Japanese company is jumping into the game with its all-new Rogue, a car that, even in its rookie season, seems ready for the pro-bowl.

Styling
If I see one more SUV with sharp, upswept rear-quarter windows, I'll know it's time to start applying for jobs in automakers' design departments, seeing as they obviously can't come up with anything better. The Rogue is yet another victim of this hackneyed design, but surprisingly the generic profile glass doesn't lead to significant blind spots here like it does in some competitors. Besides the bland styling in the car's profile, the Rogue does stand out as a thoroughly Nissan product.

The front end resembles the larger Murano SUV, which helps the Rogue's "Nissan-ness," but the rear definitely stands out on its own and falls decidedly on the attractive end of the design scale. Large, 17-inch wheels on the SL add to the athletic stance, as does the Rogue's low height compared to its competition.

That height doesn't cut into headroom, but the design inside creates a cockpit feel that's more akin to a sports car than the airy feel of an SUV. That's intentional, and when driving a black-leather-equipped Rogue SL, I definitely had flashbacks to a recent drive in the sportier Altima coupe.

Interior
The interior is one of the Rogue's highpoints. It's almost up to the level of the Honda CR-V, and that's saying a lot. It joins the new Saturn Vue on my list of runners-up to the Honda, and it certainly outshines the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander and Ford Escape. Visually, it all starts with the gauges, which are clear and easy to read. Between the two main gauges is a digital readout for fuel, the trip computer and other information, which is a nice touch. The subtle amber hue of the readouts is repeated throughout the cabin on the gauges and stereo.

I drove Rogues with both cloth and leather interiors. The cloth seats are surprisingly supportive, made of a sturdy material that I don't imagine will wear much over the first few years of ownership. The leather, of course, was a step up, and in black with red stitching it resembled a 350Z. This goes a long way toward Nissan's goal of aiming the Rogue at more of a male demog