2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek Review and Test Drive

Off-road adventuring in the rugged version of Nissan's compact crossover.

Perry Stern | 

Dec 11, 2024 | 5 min read

Perry Stern

The Nissan Rogue is one of the bestselling crossover SUVs on the market, so seeing one around town or cruising on the highway is relatively common. Seeing a Rogue driving off-road through mud, dirt, and standing water is decidedly uncommon. Nevertheless, that's what I did in the 2025 Rogue Rock Creek, a new version of the SUV that is (more) ready for off-road adventures.

Perry Stern

Nissan invited me to the Holly Oaks Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Park north of Detroit to test the new Rogue Rock Creek. Holly Oaks is popular with people who own proper off-roaders such as the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota 4Runner. Of course, the Rogue Rock Creek can't take on the same terrain as those three SUVs, but it performed well in less demanding situations.

The 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek has standard all-wheel drive (AWD). My test vehicle featured the extra-cost Baja Storm Metallic paint, a Rock Creek Premium Package, all-weather floor mats, and an all-season cargo mat, bringing the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $38,890, including the $1,390 destination charge. Nissan builds it in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Perry Stern

This Rogue Rocks Distinctive Features

The 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek stands out with more rugged styling that is both decorative and functional. The highlights include a unique gloss-black grille, silver accents at the hood line to simulate engine air intakes, and Lava Red exterior accents. Completing the go-anywhere look are satin-black 17-inch wheels fitted with 235/65R-17 Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires.

Inside, the rugged theme continues with more Lava Red detailing. The heated front seats feature a water-repellent leatherette upholstery, and available all-season floor mats contain the mess left by muddy shoes.

Unfortunately, the Rogue Rock Creek does not get Nissan's latest Google-based infotainment system with its larger display screen. That system is available only on the higher-level Rogue SL and Platinum trims, which means Apple CarPlay and Android Auto require a wired connection in the Rock Creek.

Perry Stern

A Crossover Going the Extra Mile Off-Road

The Rogue Rock Creek's all-terrain tires prepare it for adventures off the beaten path and set the model apart from the rest of the Rogue lineup. An off-road mode for improved traction in slick conditions further enhances this model's capability, and the Rock Creek is the only Rogue with hill-descent control (HDC) and an off-road camera view.

Aside from those features, the Rock Creek boasts no mechanical differences from the rest of the 2025 Rogue lineup. Ground clearance remains the same at 8.2 inches, and the Rock Creek lacks skid plates or other underbody protection, limiting the types of terrain it can tackle safely. Exceeding this Rogue's talents could result in significant bills to repair the damage.

Perry Stern

Going Where No Rogue Has Gone Before

The Holly Oaks ORV Park offers a range of trails with steep climbs and descents and a variety of loose surfaces, making it ideal for testing a mild off-roader such as the Rogue Rock Creek.

The AWD system is the same as what Nissan uses in the standard Rogue, but this isn't a strike against it. Instead, it's a testament to how good the system is for use across the entire lineup. Granted, the Rock Creek's all-terrain tires make a big difference in traction, but the AWD system did its part to keep the Rogue moving on the testing trail.

Perry Stern

Driving up a particularly steep hill, my view out the windshield was straight up at the gray skies so that I couldn't see the vehicle ahead of me or the path ahead to know if the route was clear. The new off-road camera solves that problem.

In addition, it provides a view of the ground at each front wheel, adding to a driver's confidence. Unfortunately, discerning details on the small 8.0-inch infotainment screen can be difficult.

Perry Stern

While the camera helps for those steep climbs, the HDC most impressed me coming down the other side. Pressing a button on the driving mode selector turns the HDC on, and the system manages the Rock Creek's descent speed, keeping it to a safe 3 to 5 mph. It performed beautifully, and the Rogue felt stable and secure even when the surface was not.

Overall, the new 2025 Rogue Rock Creek performed better off-road than expected, especially because my testing was more extreme than most people would attempt with this crossover SUV. Based on this evaluation, the Rogue Rock Creek proved it can handle light off-roading with more confidence and capability than a regular Rogue.

Perry Stern

The Rogue Rock Creek Faces Varied Competition

Nissan isn't the only automaker adding extra off-roading capability to a crossover SUV. However, the modifications Nissan makes to the Rogue Rock Creek add a little extra capability instead of a lot.

On the rugged compact crossover continuum, this version of the Rogue is more like a Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition or Toyota RAV4 Adventure in that little separates it from the model on which Nissan bases it. Other choices in the class, such as the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands and Subaru Forester Wilderness, are modified enough to provide legitimate off-roading capabilities that the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek can't match.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for a ruggedly styled crossover with additional light off-roading capability, the 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek is yet another one to consider.

Nissan provided the vehicle for this 2025 Rogue review and paid for meals and the entry fee to the off-road park during the evaluation period.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Perry Stern

As a small child, Perry was constantly playing with toy cars and trucks, and that enthusiasm for anything motorized with wheels never faded. After college, he moved to Seattle and began his long automotive career working in an automotive consulting firm, helping customers choose the right vehicle for their needs. In the late 1990s, Perry joined Microsoft to work on CarPoint, part of the new Microsoft Network (MSN). He went on to become editor of the site, remaining on staff for 20 years before venturing out on his own. Today, in addition to his work on Capital One Auto Navigator, he still contributes to MSN, as well as J.D. Power, TrueCar.com, and U.S. News & World Report. Perry lives in the small town of Dexter, Michigan, with his wife and dog, and he still smiles when he sees his 2006 Mazda Miata in the garage.