I must admit: Sometimes, I feel sorry for my long-term 2021 Nissan Rogue SV test vehicle, which MotorTrend is putting through its paces during a yearlong review. That’s not because it’s incapable; in fact, the small SUV has proved to be a practical family hauler over the past several months. It’s just that it has endured some unfortunate toddler abuse, and with another baby on the way, things aren’t going to get much better for the poor Rogue anytime soon. Although stains inside our Rogue can be a bit difficult to clean, I’m happy to report the seats now look as good as new.

I also feel bad that my Rogue doesn’t see much excitement. Instead of spontaneous trips to the beach, or rock climbing excursions in the great outdoors—activities I enjoyed when I was a little younger and toddler-free—the Rogue has instead been my faithful companion on more mundane daily drives. Sure, every once in a while the Rogue has had the chance to get its tires dirty at some local southern Nevada hotspots, but when doing so its robust air conditioning system gets more of a workout than its all-wheel drive does. The Rogue, like me, has grown used to the soundtrack of a noisy toddler rather than rolling waves or a vibrant mountain landscape.

There’s a notable exception to the Rogue not seeing much excitement. Every month or two, my family and I take a trip from Nevada to Southern California. This 270-mile journey is what really reveals the Rogue’s true character.

On my latest trek to California, I went longer stretches of time without stopping and took shorter stops as my little one was being particularly squirrely that day. The seats proved comfortable during these long periods, even with my touchy back. Adding to my sense of comfort was the adaptive cruise control system, which keeps a set distance between the Rogue and the car in front. This feature gave me the breathing room to occasionally glance back at the rear seats. Although I wish the Rogue had more power for merging, I have no problem passing other cars on the freeway, even with gear in the back.

In AWD guise, the Rogue’s fuel economy is on par with comparable Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV4s. Our Rogue can travel 406 miles between fill-ups, according to the EPA. In reality, though, I’m filling up after every 300 to 350 miles at best. That’s plenty of range for my long road trips, although my previous long-term Sonata could go noticeably farther on a tank of gas. Of course, it wasn’t nearly as spacious as the Rogue, which has no problem swallowing up a week or two’s worth of gear for two adults and a toddler.