The only flaw with the Rogue’s tech suite is its somewhat balky voice command system. I found it especially handy when backing into spaces and parallel parking. Not only is this a fun gimmick, it is also extremely useful for parking the rather large Rogue. Front and rear cameras use a fisheye view to give the picture a 3D perspective, and cameras mounted under the wing mirrors display the view to the sides.

Unlike most systems that offer – at best – a front- and rear-facing camera, the Rogue uses a combination of technical wizardry and four cameras to give the driver what amounts to an overhead view of the vehicle. With the Rogue, buyers aren’t just getting space, for they money, they also get a quality product. The chrome nose and the LED running lights taken together give the Rogue a surprising amount of presence of a family car, but also don’t make the car look like it is trying too hard. The nasty grille is gone, replaced with a bold chrome “V” that unlike other chrome beaks (I am looking at you Acura) manages to be both eye catching and tasteful. But the new edition is all grown up, and quite good-looking. The previous version of the Rogue always looked a bit like it was wearing a particularly medieval form of braces. For a $28,000 crossover, those are the qualities that actually matter, particularly when most of the drivers are going to be too busy yelling at their kids to pay attention to a car’s personality. The Rogue lacks the driving excitement of some of its competitors, but it is a stylish, capacious, practical, and surprisingly affordable way to transport seven people … or 126.5 cubic-feet of sandwiches.

A totally forgettable driving experience was not a promising beginning to the week – or this review – but fortunately for me, and Nissan, the Rogue has a lot else to offer. “What am I driving again?” I mumbled to myself, as I drove home on my second day with the Nissan Rogue.

2014 nissan rogue reviews