In its time, the Nissan Xterra was a real segment buster. Not so much for what it was when it was introduced, but for the fact that it was the last of the truck-like, body-on-frame compact SUVs in America. The Rogue that replaced it was more like the Sentra on which it was based than any kind of truck -- a fact which, for better or worse, made it far better suited to the kind of urban dwellers who buy compact SUVs today.
The Rogue, like the Sentra, comes from the factory with Nissan's 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower QR25DE four-cylinder engine. By design, this powerplant is pretty low-maintenance, and doesn't require any special oil or additives: any high-quality 5W-30 engine oil will work, though Nissan recommends that you use an "energy conserving" oil for better fuel economy. If you're changing the oil, the Rogue takes 5 quarts with a new filter; tighten the filter to 15 foot-pounds with an oil-filter wrench and the drain plug to 29 foot-pounds.
