The trend of mildly ruggedized compact crossovers isn’t stopping anytime soon. After all, when Toyota sells a RAV4 on all-terrain tires, Subaru sells a lifted Forester, Kia sells a Sportage on some modestly soft-roady meats, and the Ford Bronco Sport exists, it’s just smart for a manufacturer to hop on the trend of modestly upfitted compact crossovers that look tough rolling through the Starbucks drive-thru. It’s taken a few years for Nissan to port the Rock Creek treatment from its Pathfinder to its most popular model, but the 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek is here, and not only does it look aggressive, it also gets some nifty stuff that should come in handy on more aggressive gravel tracks.
On first glance, the 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek makes a bold impression with more red accents than a Warped Tour kid’s wardrobe. From the grille badge to the stitching on the leatherette upholstery, Nissan’s really leaning into the whole “red means extreme” thing, and it ought to catch some eyes since it’s set against a neutral color palette. A new blacked-out grille and a tubular roof rack complete the cosmetic side of the equation, but you won’t find carved-out fascias for increased approach and departure angle, or extra underbody armoring here.
See, vehicles in this segment don’t typically come with many actual off-road hardware, but they almost all come with more aggressive rubber. With that in mind, the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek gets 235/65R17 Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, a cromulent upgrade on a crossover of this sort that shouldn’t sacrifice much in the way of road manners for a little extra grip in the dirt. They’re a popular choice in this segment of slightly ruggedized compact crossovers, and feel good on other models I’ve driven.
In addition to the tires, the Rogue Rock Creek comes with a 360-degree camera system, and that’s just a smart idea when you might find yourself doing some light wheeling in a vehicle without additional skid plates. Not only can a set of alternative views keep drivers from ripping off cladding, it can also help prevent them from gouging the underbody on rocks, giving them a better chance of making it home. Of course, all-wheel-drive is also standard on this trim, and hill descent control could definitely help dirt track newbies down steeper slopes.
As for other equipment, the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek gets some handy upgrades over a Rogue SV. Heated front seats ought to keep tushes warm, while a 12-volt outlet in the cargo area should be sufficient for powering something like an in-car cooler. After all, when you’re outside of the city, you’ll likely want to stay hydrated. Should you wish, a premium package that adds a heated steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, a hands-free power liftgate, exterior mirrors that tilt down in reverse, a power passenger seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and ambient lighting is available for a currently undisclosed cost, but the list of standard equipment is already pretty good.
The 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek isn’t the most ruggedized crossover out there, but it sits at an attractive point in the range, slotting precisely in the middle of it as far as equipment goes, in-between the high-volume SV trim and the better-equipped SL trim. While pricing hasn’t been released yet, the positioning within the range gives me hope that it could undercut the $39,645 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road. I guess we’ll just have to see where things land later this year, when this crossover-in-an-Otterbox goes on sale.
(Photo credits: Nissan)
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As the Autopian’s resident Nissan Rogue apologist, I’d love to rent one for next year’s Florida RV SuperShow. Maybe the Rock Creek won’t get stuck next to some dark waters. 😉
I don’t get the hate (for these packages). While I get the rejection of that which is fake and this seems fake at a glance, I see it as more honest than most vehicles of this type that have no more meaningful ground clearance or off road capability than the sedan it replaced, plus these packages add usefulness, making the car easier to distinguish in the sea of other ones otherwise just like it in every parking lot*, more capable of handling the extent of off road that most people (even ones with real off road vehicles) actually tackle with less worry, and—as V10omus mentioned—it has tires with real sidewalls, which should be celebrated. Maybe the looks even get owners slightly excited by their ride, which is also a positive.
*Was waiting for family to arrive at a large restaurant parking lot this weekend and was on the lookout for a dark blue Mazda CX-30. Not one of the most common CUVs nor the most common color, yet their were at least 5 in that lot, including my sister’s. Of odd, irrelevant note, there was an Alfa (take note of that spelling, people!) Giulia on an end space when we went in and a Stelvio in that same spot when we were leaving. Not many Alfas, so I thought it was mildly interesting.
Because no one’s going to take this in a rock creek but they will be sure to tell us they bought a rock creek trim.
That’s my point—almost nobody takes any of these things to do serious off roading, but unlike the regular version of these CUVs with actual ground clearance barely higher than a hot hatch, at least they can go down the poorly maintained rental cabin road without worrying about ripping off a front spoiler or taking out an oil pan. Unless someone is helplessly dumb enough to think these are serious off roaders, these packages are honesty—they’re admitting that they don’t need something serious and don’t want/can’t afford to pose in something with that capability they won’t use, but they do actually need to go off pavement on occasion, which the normal versions that sell as general purpose vehicles with some off road capability can barely do to any degree more than a sports car can with careful tire placement.
While I don’t know anyone who has one of these, it seems like the kind of thing nobody mentions beyond the first time they show it to friends and family as I presume most people do with a new car. I highly doubt there are people buying low end CUVs with an option package running around like a Porsche owner with a track car he never tracks flipping his key fob waiting for someone to ask about it and shoehorning it into conversation when nobody does. And if it helps someone actually feel good about their dreary eunuchmobile, I don’t understand the problem other than gatekeeping snobbery. How many articles have been posted on here making a case for old graphics packages and fun names being brought back that people jump into the comments to agree with? The only difference outside the fog of nostalgia is that these packages also have some function besides just being fun.
Nissan always makes me think of rental cars.
A vehicle that only needs to survive a few years.
Drove a Rogue SL as a rental last w/e and was surprised how good it was. Better than my daughter’s ’21 CX-30, for example.
Soft-road tires are the most important part of the package. As we all know, tires are an important piece of the puzzle for a capability.
Big Talltima Energy
What is that color called? Mud Puddle? Spilled Latte?
“The Hulkster’s Shit”
This trend shows you how little regard automakers have for American clientele.
In 1985 you could buy a new Nissan truck for $6,000 (about $17,000 adjusted for inflation). That truck was what it was. You didn’t have to spend an extra $10,000 for the trim that made it a “real truck”.
On top of that, the 2024 Rogue starts at $29,000. So you’re already about $10,000 too high on the base model alone. By the time you get to Rock Creek, you could buy two new commuter cars for the same money. And you wonder why they market us nothing but SUVs.
Nissan still sells an actual truck, perhaps the most honest of its competitors even, so I’m not sure that’s really a fair analogy. A new Frontier starts over $30k though, so the overcapability of trucks today might be a more appropriate point.
A base Rogue is more like the family sedan of today. From Nissan in 1985, a Stanza looks to have started around $9200, a Maxima $13500 – today that’s $27.2k and $40.2k, respectively. Some might say this package is no different than putting big wheels and a spoiler on a sedan and calling it a sporty model, but hey, people buy both types of packages from every make that offers them.
An early Pathfinder is perhaps also a closer comparison (and would actually fit in the Rogue’s shadow sizewise), but those were certainly not cheap. I’m seeing starting prices around $15k in the late 80s which would be over $40k today.
Maybe the better way to phase this would be:
Should not a truck/SUVs base model be the utilitarian option and the higher trim be the most Starbucks friendly?
If the Rock Creek trim was a stripped down, crank window, steel wheel chunky-tire little scamp, we’d all love it.
True, though that’s tough to find in general. Even the base Versa now comes with power windows and locks. Few buyers are really seeking that out.
It seems like these packages fall somewhere midpack in the trim walk for every brand. But I don’t think it’s as tryhard as it might seem, sure it’s an appearance package but some ‘lifestyle’ features like a roof rack (which a lot of models don’t come with roof rails even now) and leatherette/water resistant upholstery. Most people that want and need actual capability are going for a more ‘traditional’ SUV anyway and/or I imagine getting something used to make it their own, not what the manufacturer throws together.
Maybe a controversial take, but I’ll happily defend “soft roader” packages.
My wife and I love driving around forest service roads / fire roads. There are loads where we live. We go foraging and mushroom hunting, dispersed camping, and just drive them for fun with our kids in tow.
We have a Forester Wilderness. I have no delusions that it’ll do what a 4Runner or Wrangler will do. But, its real competition is our minivan. It has a decent AWD system, a heck of a lot more clearance (9.2” vs. 4.5”), and WAY better approach and departure (I doubt anyone knows or cares what those are on an Odyssey). We’ve run out of clearance a few times, and turned around when the roads are really (really) bad. But that’s fine by me. It has great gas mileage for what it is, and the road manners are good enough to make it a “do everything” shuttle.
We put some Toyo Open Country AT3s on it after the stock milder tires had quite a few punctures. Next up is a tougher skid plate (we broke the clips on the stock one).
Some day, I’d consider replacing it with a hybrid 4Runner, maybe.
I was going to comment on being parked next to a Forester Wilderness yesterday. I initially scoffed at it because the Wilderness package sells gangbusters here in the Rockies but I seldom ever encounter any of them off-road on my local trails. However, once I started thinking about what this thing competes against, which is not any of my trail rigs with large tires, solid axles, and lockers, but rather normal street vehicles, I had to stop my incredulity. For my use case of climbing up/down mountains it would be insufficient, but for most situations that others deal with, like heavy snow, driving to a hiking trail, and just normal errands running, it would be great and much more pleasant to deal with than my vehicles. Granted, I’m an enthusiast so I happily put up with the tradeoffs with my vehicles, but that doesn’t mean I should assume others would be willing to do the same. From that perspective, these soft roader trims make a lot more sense (at least in areas like the Rockies, perhaps less so in the great plains or the Gulf coast).
Exactly—it matches the capabilities the average person might use. It’s not for you and it isn’t meant to be and for the people it is for, it makes their boring vehicle a little bit more fun to own and capable when they need it. In essence, I think they’re a more honest CUV than the standard versions that has barely any more ground clearance and no more protection than a sedan. Dumping on these for not being serious off road capable seems akin to dumping on warm hatches or such for not being track cars that they’re not supposed to be.
Exactly!
Finally someone gets it. It’s refreshing to not hear the regurgitated ‘crossovers bad, everyone should just own a Miata or sedan.’
When I bought my CRV, I needed improved ground clearance, more storage space and AWD-hiking, camping, hunting, real winters, etc. These types of vehicles do a lot more than sedans or hatchback for someone who enjoys this type of lifestyle, and for the prices of vehicles these days, not everyone can afford several cars for each application.
As someone who despises these kinds of vehicles, dailying a sports car I tow a utility trailer with, I’ve felt the need to come in to defend these as I can easily recognize that they aren’t meant for (weirdo) me and understand why people buy them as well as the appeal. Athena forbid someone have a little fun with the bland general purpose vehicle they need to buy because they can’t afford/don’t want multiple cars for different purposes! They shouldn’t buy this because it’s a Rogue with a nightmare powertrain, not because the option package doesn’t magically turn it into the rock crawler it was never meant to be and very few people would actually want to drive.
Much appreciated! And ya I remember there being so much promise for the little engine, I figured with how long lived my Tercel 1.5L engine has been, surely these would be just as stout in modern days (lmao). Nissan gonna Nissan, which is a shame because when I was growing up they were a direct competition to Toyota. I like how the Rogue looks but reliability and longevity are not their strength it seems. Shame, really.
I used to be a Nissan fan, too, but that Nissan is, sadly, long gone. I don’t know why they insist on bringing stuff to market that is sketchy and nobody else is doing for a reason, like a CVT for a larger displacement engine than anyone had used them on before because they couldn’t handle the torque and now this variable compression engine. They should do solid and dependable, if maybe a little on the older side of tech, like a cheaper Toyota and maybe with some personality.
+1 for FS roads. Government this and government that, but goddamn they sure did a good job of getting us into the woods for a few decades.
A few decades ago.
I see those little Fiats with Jeep makeup everywhere. Ditto the Subarus with yellow spots. These will sell like hotcakes insofar as Nissan’s market share will allow. If you gave me one, I’d only drive it far enough to get it sold. I’m ready for cute-utes to take on the same malign aura as minivans so the world can move on…
I like the wheels, paint them silver and it’s a throwback to the worst wheel option on the OG Murano – that’s design heritage!
My thoughts exactly. Oof.
Nissan should have gone back further and made them look like those 80’s Pathfinder “lego” wheels.
I really appreciate how the F-150 Raptors influence has become so widespread, now hear me out. The Raptor was probably the 1st widely desirable vehicle over the width limits set by the government, meaning it required the three orange grill-mounted lights as per regulations.
They have become a symbol of the Raptor, rather than a “hey this car’s a wide-boi” warning, so much so that I see loads of 4-Runners, Tacoma’s and Jeeps add them for appearances. So synonymous are these warning lights with “Off-Roaders” to normies that Nissan has gone to put fake ideations of these warning lights in the grill of their soft-roader ROGUE.
Now I think it’s incredibly stupid, but also great for marketability. People will see it, and go “oh yeah the Raptors have those, this must be the off-roader package”
Great point, those lights are everywhere now.
Always conveniently in my rear view mirror at full blast while I’m being tailgated because 15 over isn’t assertive enough for Mr Big Truck Man
As somewhat of a Mr Big Truck Man myself (although no width lights on mine), this is the weirdest part of other truck drivers’ behavior to me.
These things *suck* to drive at high speed; they wander, they rattle, they’re deafening with tire noise, and while they aren’t slow, they are a lot slower than many other things that can be bought for the same money that also show how antisocial and badass you are.
Exactly. I feel similarly when I see Nissans being driven antisocially around DC. If you’re driving a powerful (and specifically torquey) car I understand that it can get away from you pretty quickly, especially if you’re cruising on the highway. Sometimes you look down and realize you’re going way faster than you thought. It happens and I think most of us have been there.
But driving bro dozer or economy car at those sorts of speeds is a choice. You have to really want to do it because they’re not designed to hang out at 90 MPH. And I think that’s what irks me the most…you don’t accidentally go 25 over in an F350 or Rogue. In order to get to that point you’ve probably made several bad decisions.
In the age of Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), why not just make commuter cars and light trucks incapable of reaching those speeds in the first place?
Just make the speedometer stop at 75 mph. If highway patrol needs money they can start bake sale.
Even as an owner, I would be OK with vehicles over 8600 GVWR (the threshold for many exemptions from emissions, fuel economy, etc) limited to 85 mph or thereabouts.
Western speed limits are generally 75-80 mph and there are some 85s out there. I don’t think the societal benefit of keeping trucks from driving 75 is worth it, but it probably is for 90 mph.
Semis in Ontario have to have speed limiters (5KPH over the fasted speed). I don’t know how that works for vehicles coming in from out of province. I can definitively say the speed limiters do nothing to stop them from clogging the passing lane on long stretches (usually uphill at that) though.
I feel you on the DC area Nissans. Bonus douche points if they’re running dealer tags.
I have always driven smallish cars, and the trucks and SUVs tailgating me drive me bonkers. One time I borrowed my dad’s GMC Sierra (not lifted or anything, just an extended cab 1500), and found myself having to work hard to not tailgate folks because it’s not as easy to gauge the distance between cars. At first my attitude once I was back in my car was “Well, I need to go easy on truck drivers, because they just don’t realize how close to me they are,” but it didn’t take long for that feeling to fade away and be replaced by “I figured that out and adjusted my driving habits in ONE TRIP in a truck. These people just don’t care.” When a larger vehicle DOESN’T tailgate me, I want to meet that driver and buy them a drink.
I’ve noticed those. Never made the connection. Even dumber than I realized….
Reminds me of how back in the seventies fog lights were trendy. I borrowed a coworkers ‘customized’ pickup to haul some stuff. I found myself driving in actual fog. Turned the lights on and they made no difference. When I mentioned this to him, he said they weren’t actually wired in. At least I had fun cosplaying trucker with his CB Radio on the trip.
I dont think Nissan is making a single car (outside of the R35) that i would ever consider owning or even recommend to a friend or relative. This thing put me to sleep just looking at pictures of it.
What a distasteful piece of conformity…
Nothing says off-roading quite like a CVT!
And a 1.5L 3 Cylinder!
Yeah, I get it.
On the other hand, the ability to off-road is largely a function of one’s willingness to go full send and/or have decent skill.
Also, the definition of off-road varies from person to person…..
When you put it that way, all modern Nissans are destined to become an offroad warrior, as no single demographic has shown less restraint or consideration for consequences than the modern Nissan driver.
115 on the highway with flashing maintenance lights? You best believe that’s some dude 3-months behind on his Altimas payments. And if that ain’t full send, I don’t know what is.
So are all of any vehicle marque with plastic cladding and 12mm higher stance, I guess.
The 1.5 has nothing to do with it.
On a different note, I don’t see the 115 Altima driver. I see BMWs making cones out of other cars on the interstate. They don’t bother me. I am more bothered by the person that uses 1.5 lanes at 3 under, but sure is up to date on the latest Tik-Tok dance.
With Nissan’s amazing VC turbo technology no less, which has proven to *checks notes* be less reliable and not actually offer any fuel economy benefits.
I mean, to be fair to Nissan, at least they named it correctly. This does look like it could handle driving over a creek with a rocky bed. I’m not sure it could get TO said creek, but they aren’t claiming that part.
Snowmobiles are technically off road vehicles. Maybe if Nissan paired a CVT with a two stroke…
Definitely not buying one, but it is the best looking Rogue yet. Also it’s fun that the Rogue put on Rouge to look tough.
Soooo… lipstick on a pig?
Precisely!
This is the perfect trim for the Rogue. Far less chance of damage when you’re climbing over curbs and running over bicyclists while watching cat videos on Tik Tok.
This is a valid point. The average Talltima in my area looks like it’s spent its life on the fury road within a few months of leaving a dealer lot. At least this one’s wheels are slightly harder to curb and it has some trim that can take the 3-4 fender benders and parking lot oopses the average Nissan buyer has in the first year and a half of ownership.
It shall ascend to Valhalla, shiny and…cladded. Well, at least until it shits out its transmission…
More Rock Creek, Washington, DC, than Rock Creek, Colorado.
Lol I got cut off by a speeding Altima weaving through Rock Creek, DC last night. On a two lane road nonetheless.
Yep, this will be perfect for runs between your house in Bethesda and that one Costco in Silver Spring.
I like it but the powertrain combo is awful. I keep hearing bad things about those 3cyl engines and we all know about the CVT transmissions.
The VC turbos are an abject disaster. They fail at their primary mission of boosting fuel economy and are significantly less reliable than a normal turbo. If I recall correctly Nissan is about to face a class action lawsuit over them. Add in our old pal the Jatco CVT and I wouldn’t be shocked if a sizable percentage of these are mechanically totaled around 60,000 miles.
I’ve had multiple coworkers with Rogues and every single one of them has needed a new transmission within the first 4-5 years of ownership. I genuinely have absolutely no idea why people still line up to buy this garbage. I get that they look good, are cheaper up front, and Nissan will finance anyone with a pulse but when the transmission goes kaput so does the money you saved over a CRV…
Most people lack foresight beyond the tips of their noses. A low cost of entry is all that matters. Nissan lost its way badly, and I see nothing to suggest they’ve found it yet.
As I predicted when the engine was introduced. It was a rather delicate Mickey Mouse design with no real world benefit on an engine undersized for the application. It was a failure-in-waiting. There’s a guy on youtube who tears down and sells parts off failed engines who tore one down. Can’t think of his name, but he seems pretty popular. Anyway, it was both interesting and head-shaking.
I think you mean Eric of I Do Cars. I own a 2015 Fit and was very happy with his praise for its L15 engine. He’s on YouTube, of course.
Yeah, that’s him! Thanks, he definitely deserves the credit. I’m long out of working on cars, so I love to see the newer junk.
This type of package always gets a fair amount of scorn around here, and I kind of get it, but at the same time everyone also asks for more sidewall on modern vehicles, and companies are giving that to them with these, so maybe lay off a bit?
That rear end tailgate has more folds that fat bastard’s neck.
Oh! Well now I can’t unsee that!
When you say it has a tubular roof rack are you referring to its construction or is it, like, tubular maahn?
Yes
Here I was thinking Nissan gave up on tubular factory roof racks back in 2015 when the Xterra died. This rack is bad, especially with the 2 floaters by the shark fin.
Ugh. Back when Nissan actually made good SUVs…