{"id":1302,"date":"2025-05-15T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/?p=1302"},"modified":"2025-06-13T09:39:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:39:00","slug":"the-nissan-rogues-base-infotainment-proves-simpler-is-better-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/15\/the-nissan-rogues-base-infotainment-proves-simpler-is-better-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nissan Rogue's Base Infotainment Proves Simpler Is Better: Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

I\u2019m fascinated by the Nissan Rogue. At face value, it\u2019s merely an average vehicle. It\u2019s not powerful, it’s not elegant, it\u2019s not especially attractive, and it doesn\u2019t really have any cool features. Not to mention it\u2019s getting old. The current Rogue debuted in 2020 with a 7.0-inch touchscreen, which grew to 8.0 inches for most trims in 2024. That\u2019s the same size as the cheap aftermarket double-din stereo in my 2004 Subaru Forester.<\/p>\n

I say these things not to dunk on Nissan<\/a>\u2014the opposite, in fact. The Rogue is one of the best-selling SUVs in the United States despite its perceived averageness. Having recently spent a week in the Rogue Rock Creek Edition with its analog gauges and small center screen, I found myself falling under its charm. It made me ask a serious question: As automakers battle for technological supremacy<\/a>, is Nissan\u2019s simpler approach to tech the best way to go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Quick Specs<\/td>\n2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Touchscreen \/ Instrument Cluster<\/td>\n8.0 Inches \/ Analog<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apple CarPlay \/ Android Auto<\/td>\nWired<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voice Control<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

For the record, you can get more tech in the Rogue<\/a>. SL and Platinum trims have a digital cockpit with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen running Google Built-In, among other things. But the Rogue\u2019s bread and butter lineup\u2014S, SV, and now the Rock Creek featured here\u2014soldier on with an 8.0-inch screen as the only available choice. Mounted tablet style, it\u2019s a dated design with knobs on the sides and buttons underneath. It sits in an awkward dash cutout that reminds you of the larger screen you can\u2019t get.<\/p>\n

What else can\u2019t you get? There is no native navigation system, no wireless CarPlay or Android Auto, and you won\u2019t be downloading apps for your favorite streaming music service. The display comes to life as shades of gray with a customizable home screen, though your custom choices are largely clock styles and your preferred audio source. For a mid-level SUV trim in 2025, the Rogue Rock Creek is very thin when it comes to infotainment services.<\/p>\n

CarPlay and Android Auto are available, provided you plug your phone in. If you simply want to run your choice of Spotify playlist, Bluetooth connectivity is a choice. The Rock Creek also serves as a Wi-Fi hotspot, and if you forget your phone at home, SiriusXM is installed and ready, so long as you have a subscription. Naturally, you can access various vehicle settings through the screen, everything from phone connections to sound levels and NissanConnect Services. The infotainment system might be low-frills, but it still plugs into the automaker for over-the-air updates.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing. Do you really need a dash-sized touchscreen filled with apps? Is a native navigation system really necessary in the age of smartphones? Is it more convenient to control all climate settings and other common-use features through a large screen with multiple widgets? Or is a simple interface that relies on your personal mobile device the best way to go?<\/p>\n

\"2025
\nPhoto by: Christopher Smith \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

Pros: Simple To Use, Intuitive, Off-Road Cameras Actually Work For Off-Roading<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All things being equal, the simpler solution is usually the better one, and Nissan\u2019s base infotainment system is very simple to use. I was grateful for this in my first Rogue Rock Creek outing in late 2024, a Nissan-hosted event where I had all of 30 seconds to familiarize myself with the tech before embarking on an hour-long off-road drive. And that\u2019s all it took to cover pretty much everything, courtesy of the clearly labeled buttons under the display.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Want to activate the external cameras? Push the camera button. Not happy with the audio? Push the audio button. Windshield fogging up? You don\u2019t even need the screen for that\u2014all the climate settings are buttons and knobs in the middle of the dash. And there\u2019s a fair amount of redundancy in the system, too. For example, you can adjust sound levels by pushing the settings button and navigating to sound. Or you can just push the tune\/scroll knob and jump in right away.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the external cameras, Rock Creek gets a set of three off-road cameras you won\u2019t find on other trims, and I\u2019m here for it. Even if you don\u2019t embark down narrow, muddy trails, dual mirror-mounted cameras facing down provide an outstanding view of the Rogue\u2019s front wheels. This is an ideal system for parallel parking, showing you just how close you are to the curb.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"2025
\nPhoto by: Christopher Smith \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a third camera in the grille that offers a forward view of the ground immediately in front. Should you find yourself climbing a steep hill, the camera will see the terrain on the other side long before you do. Once again, though, I see this being far more useful in urban adventures, showing you the tricycle that was abandoned right in front of the bumper. And there\u2019s a simple camera button to push when you need to see the action\u2014or they come on automatically below 12 mph in off-road mode.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re digital-minded, the system is simple and intuitive to use. If you\u2019re analog-minded, it\u2019s also intuitive to use. Just a few weeks later, I was behind the wheel of a new Cadillac Escalade, where I spent five minutes trying to override the autolamp feature and turn on the headlights. Take that as you will.<\/p>\n

\"2025
\nPhoto by: Christopher Smith \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

Cons: Smallish Screen, Wired CarPlay\/Auto, Pretty Much Nothing Without A Phone<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The off-road cameras are fantastic, but they emphasize the biggest detractor of Nissan\u2019s simple system. I\u2019m speaking of the small 8.0-inch screen, which displays the forward-looking camera just enough to be useful. At a glance, you can get a good idea of what\u2019s immediately ahead. The same cannot be said for the wheel-view cameras, which take up the very edges of the screen on their respective sides.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on a tight trail, tree limbs and small obstacles are tough to see even if you\u2019re just crawling along. I found it most effective only after coming to a complete stop, identifying the obstacles, and slowly moving forward. To Nissan\u2019s defense, this system was designed for slow-speed use. But if these cameras were displayed on Nissan\u2019s larger 12.3-inch screen, it would be a far more effective tool for drivers.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the lack of wireless connectivity for CarPlay or Auto. Perhaps it\u2019s a small point, but in a $35,000 SUV, there\u2019s no reason not to have it. That said, I had no connectivity issues with either Nissan launching Android Auto or detecting my phone for Bluetooth operation. Touch commands had little to no lag, but voice control wasn\u2019t quite as useful. Simply waking the system up often required a couple of prompts before Google responded, and I had a few issues finding contacts for outbound calls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the best voice experience I\u2019ve had, but it wasn\u2019t the worst, either. With a little patience, I could set destinations for Google Maps and make phone calls while on the move. At the end of the day, that\u2019s mostly what average drivers are doing anyway, be it through Apple or Android.<\/p>\n

\u00a0I\u2019ll be the first to admit this all sounds very\u2026 average. But there\u2019s a method behind Nissan\u2019s motives here that makes sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"2025
\nPhoto by: Christopher Smith \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

\"2025
\nPhoto by: Christopher Smith \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

I spoke to Nissan during the Rogue Rock Creek first drive about the decision to stay light on tech. The company believes a vast majority of drivers connect their phones to their cars regardless of the tech already installed, so why spend the extra money for things people won\u2019t use? That\u2019s why Nissan\u2019s less expensive models like the Kicks<\/a>, Sentra<\/a>, and certain Rogue trims have such a basic system. Yes, without a phone, it\u2019s little more than a stereo with an 8.0-inch screen. But with a phone\u2014which just about everyone has\u2014it\u2019s as useful as the latest version of CarPlay or Auto.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After my initial meh<\/em> moment with the lack of tech, it wasn\u2019t long before I was appreciating the simplicity of it all. I could adjust the volume, change stations, or advance songs without taking my eyes off the road. Adjusting temperature settings didn\u2019t require a hard look at a screen to see where to touch. I didn\u2019t have to search for camera views when parking or scrambling down narrow trails. With my phone connected, I could call or text anyone in my contacts list hands-free. And I had arguably the best navigation system currently available.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"2025
\nPhoto by: Christopher Smith \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

At the end of my week in the Rogue Rock Creek, Nissan won me over. Simpler is better, and I suspect I\u2019m not the only one who feels that way. Nissan sold 245,724 Rogues last year in America; it\u2019s the company\u2019s best-selling vehicle by a wide margin, and it\u2019s the third best-selling SUV in the country<\/a>, behind the Toyota RAV4<\/a> and Honda CR-V<\/a>. That\u2019s a decidedly above-average take rate for this average SUV, and I think other automakers can learn a lesson from all this.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to be clever to attract buyers. Just give people what they want in a simple package. That\u2019s the Rogue Rock Creek in a nutshell, basic infotainment system and all.<\/p>\n

Volvo’s Infotainment System Looks Good, But Falls Short: Review<\/a>
Porsche’s Infotainment System Does Everything You Want It To: Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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