Absolutely not.
And that's not to say I didn't enjoy every minute in the Mac. Phenomenal in every respect. But……
The McLaren is just not what I'd call a daily driver. The Rogue is.
And it's a darned comfortable and capable daily driver, too.
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Two rows, five seats, 201 HP, a CVT automatic with actual "feel" , and an attractive price make the Rogue a likely candidate for singles, couples and small families.
But back to the basics for a moment. The Rogue's 1.5 liter is a "variable compression turbo"…which is a fairly new technology that allows the engine to maximize either power or economy…as needed. In my opinion, it works.
I found the Rogue to be a surprisingly eager performer…easily keeping up with most traffic ( except McLarens ) …and still delivering around 28-31 MPG.
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The Rogue's two-row size made it nimble in heavy traffic and a pleasure to park.
That said, the rogue can still pack 74 cu ft in the rear with the second row folded, and 36.6 with that second row up. Plus there's secret storage for laptops / handbags under that rear floor.
Nissan makes it easy to get into a Rogue, with prices starting just the thinnest hair under 30K…and going up to the high $40's in the case of our test AWD Platinum.
Even the base 30K "S" has 17" alloys and a comforting array of safety equipment.
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You'll get a more attractive interior and bigger alloys if you ante up less than 2K more and go with an "SV", but the luxury starts with the "SL…getting you genuine leather, 19" alloys and more for 36K and up.
Or if you'd prefer something a bit more outdoorsy, Nissan's 35K "Rock Creek" comes with a more rugged look, easier-to-clean interior, roof rails, special trim, and is offered in AWD fashion only.
But it's the Platinum edition that brings on the luxe look that rivals their upscale cousins over at Infiniti.
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Most noticeable are the quilted, perforated semi-anline seats…heated, of course…heated steering and mirrors, 10-speaker Bose sound, voice recognition, LED lighting, 19" alloys, power rear lift gate, moonroof, and Nissan's "Connect"…with in-vehicle data, a Wi-Fi hotspot, built-in Google assistant, maps and Google Play+ all on your 12.3" screen.
That's all yours in AWD form, for a hair over $40k. But` if you'd like a little more, an extra six thousand will bring heated rear seats, a heads-up display, hands-free rear liftgate, second row sunshades, tri-zone comfort, plus Nissan's ProPILOT 2.1…with 3-D surround view and ambient and kickplate lighting.
ProPilot2.1 also gives you some degree of hands-free steering, as well as emergency assistance with braking, acceleration and steering
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But there's a couple more features that Nissan's new Tech package gets you that definitely deserve mention. How many times have you pulled out of a tight parking space, only to be almost T-Boned by someone driving by who's just not paying attention to anything but their phone? Nissan offers a "Front wide view" that actually helps you look around corners…and an "invisible hood view" that can help you see under your vehicle when pulling up to curbs. Interesting stuff.
But what I found most interesting is just how much Nissan's latest Rogue has evolved. It's a comfortable and quite enjoyable ride…one that's able to stand side-by-side with any two-row CUV out there…and when optioned to the max, rivals their cousins over in the luxury department at Infiniti.
