Several Compact Crossovers Fail IIHS' Small Overlap Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's newest test — frontal small overlap — is pretty tough to ace. The agency recently performed the test, meant to simulate a crash of a vehicle's front corner into another vehicle, a tree or a pole, on 13 compact SUVs; 11 scored Marginal or Poor.

The new-for-2014 Subaru Forester came out ahead of the pack, earning a Good score and the agency's highest overall safety rating, Top Safety Pick+. Behind it is the slow-selling 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; it pulled an Acceptable score. The test group included 2014, 2013 and 2012 models.

Nissan Slashes Prices Across Lineup

Nissan is hoping to bolster sales by cutting prices on seven out of the 18 vehicles in its lineup. Starting May 3, prices on model-year 2013 Altima, Sentra, Juke, Murano, Rogue, Maxima and Armada vehicles will decrease by 2.7% to 10.7%, depending on the car.

The sticker reductions vary by model and, in some cases, trim level and will be applied to new vehicles, including those already in dealer inventory. At the low end of the spectrum, new Altimas, for example, could cost up to $580 less; a base 2013 Altima currently starts at $22,550, including destination. At the top end, the Armada's price tag could go down by as much as $4,400; Nissan’s full-size SUV currently starts at $42,285, including destination.

Why were these seven chosen? They make up around 65% of Nissan's U.S. sales volume, the automaker reported, and Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman told Cars.com that the lower prices will help the vehicles perform better when searched online, appearing more frequently and favorably against the competition.  

"While studying our market position against key competitors, there was an opportunity to increase buying consideration for those seven models by bringing MSRP more in line with transaction price," he said.

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Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Nissan Rogue

It's apparent that the 2013 Nissan Rogue is falling behind its competitors, including the redesigned Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, says Cars.com Family reviewer Sara Lacey. This five-seat crossover's exterior is showing its age. The interior is comfortable but lacking in the storage cubbies that are a must when carting around kids.

2013 Nissan Rogue Family Review

2014 Subaru Forester Rises Seven Spots in Small-SUV Affordability

A few weeks ago we threw the redesigned Toyota RAV4 into our compact crossover affordability index, and the popular Toyota ranked right around the group's average. Subaru fans may notice the outgoing 2013 Forester sat near the bottom, largely because the small SUV got mediocre gas mileage and required stepping up a trim level to get a telescoping steering wheel — one of seven features we included in our pricing scheme.

Our affordability index compared 13 models — each was the least expensive trim level that included common equipment like an automatic transmission, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel audio controls, cruise control, remote keyless entry, a USB/audio jack port and tilt/telescoping steering. We also factored in the destination charge and four years of gas.

With its 2014 redesign, the Forester moved up seven spots, thanks to more standard features and better gas mileage. In fact, the new Forester is the third most affordable compact crossover on the market, behind the Mazda CX-5 and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport — and it has standard all-wheel drive.

Nissan Hi-Cross Concept: Photo Gallery

Today's Nissan Hi-Cross Concept may very well be tomorrow's Rogue — and not a moment too soon. The automaker's compact crossover hasn't received a substantial update in five years, and with the implied potential for both a hybrid model and a third-row option, Nissan could fill an existing void in the class.

More 2012 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The seven-passenger Hi-Cross, making its North American debut at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show, uses Nissan's first in-house engineered front-wheel-drive hybrid system. The crossover's high-waisted design features slanted, vertical headlights and trapezoidal taillights. Exaggerated fenders help define the front end, with prominent styling lines along the hood and grille. Check out more photos below.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Nissan Rogue

There's really nothing wrong with Nissan's compact crossover, but Cars.com reviewer Kristin Varela doesn't see why you'd choose the 2013 Rogue over the many competitive and exciting crossovers available in the compact class. More appealing vehicles like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape make the bland Rogue fade into the background, Varela says.

2013 Nissan Rogue Review

Nissan Confirms New Rogue for 2013

Buried within the news about the launch of the 2013 Nissan Altima, Nissan confirmed that it's preparing an all-new version of its Rogue compact crossover. We don't know much beyond that, but we expect the model to be heavily influenced by the Hi-Cross Concept shown at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The concept was a seven-passenger compact crossover featuring the Rogue's inline-four engine along with a new turbocharged four-cylinder coupled to a hybrid powertrain, and a new continuously variable automatic transmission. It seems perfectly reasonable to expect all those powertrains on the new Rogue, given the competitive nature of the segment.

What's the Most Affordable Compact Crossover?

The compact-crossover class is exploding in popularity because of the mix of utility and affordability these types of vehicles deliver. Introduced in 1995, the Toyota RAV4 was the first car-based compact crossover available in this country, according to MotorWeek. It was followed soon after by the 1995 Honda CR-V. Since then, we've seen a flood of new models — more than 20 nameplates at last count — and today nearly one in every 10 vehicles sold is a compact crossover, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

View Compact Crossovers

The competition is only beginning to heat up, with new models like the 2013 Ford Escape, 2012 Honda CR-V and 2013 Mazda CX-5 introduced in the past few months. A significantly reengineered Nissan Rogue will soon be added to the mix, too. So which one is the most affordable?

Nissan Teases 2013 Sentra

At the Beijing auto show, Nissan revealed a new car (above) that will be the basis for the 2013 Sentra. Nissan's compact sedan was last updated for model-year 2010, when it got a light refresh.

The 2013 Sentra marks the car's 30th anniversary in the U.S. Details are slim, but the Sentra SR teaser image (below) shows a more prominent deck lid and LED-accented taillights. The video showcases a grille in line with the 2013 Altima's styling, new fog lights and LED-accented headlights.

The Sentra is the third of five new vehicles Nissan plans to debut over the next 15 months. The redesigned-for-2013 Altima sedan will go on sale this summer, followed by the updated Pathfinder SUV and the new Sentra this fall. The Versa compact hatchback and Rogue compact crossover are next.

More details about the Sentra will be released this summer. Watch the video teaser below.

What's Under Nissan's Sheets?

Nissan is advertising that it plans to debut five all-new models in the next 15 months, giving consumers a glimpse of its future by showing vehicles hidden under sheets in TV ads and on billboards. So, what's under there?

Starting at the left is the Versa hatchback; its sedan sibling was unveiled last year so an updated hatchback seemed sure to follow. The hulking vehicle next to it has to be the new Pathfinder. There's no surprise there: The concept unveiled in Detroit was virtually production-ready. It forecasts the end of the Pathfinder's traditional body-on-frame architecture as well as some of its boxy, truck-like exterior styling cues. In its place are the curvy, fluid lines of a crossover. The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder goes on sale this fall.