Nissan’s second-generation Rogue had a rough start, with CVT issues and safety malfunctions plaguing the car for most of its early years. The 2014 Rogue, for example, has 400 complaints on the NHTSA website, with about a quarter involving the car’s powertrain — more often than not, the CVT.
These issues persisted for most of the generation, making early second-gen Rogues one of the many used Nissan models to avoid. However, Nissan seemed to have figured things out by the tail-end of the generation. The 2019 and 2020 Rogues, while not quite as well-loved as the third-generation successor, have comparatively few complaints on the NHTSA website, with the 2020 Rogue’s 98 complaints a highlight for the generation.
Second-gen Rogues have to make do with a weedy 170-horsepower engine and an older CVT, neither of which owners or reviewers particularly enjoyed. The infotainment also felt dated out of the box, and the years likely won’t have helped — even if you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. The 2019 Rogue also has many complaints of malfunctioning overzealous forward collision avoidance feature, so you’ll want to check that the previous owner had it looked at before buying.
They’re neither trouble-free, nor particularly outstanding SUVs, but these are the Rogues to buy if you want to spend less than $20,000. According to Kelley Blue Book, you should be able to find a 2019 Rogue — including the ultra-efficient hybrids — for between $15,000 and $19,000. 2020 Rogues, on the other hand, range between $17,000 and $21,000.
