Recently I won a free oil change from the local Nissan dealership in a free raffle at a nursing home. Normally I change my own oil, but it gave me a reason to hang out at the dealership for an hour and take a look at the new Nissan Rogue compact SUV.
The Rogue has not been as well received by the critics as Nissan probably would have hoped, but the sales numbers are showing the the public loves it, and this is not surprising on both sides. The Rogue basically looks like a small Murano, which to me is a good thing. I would say that for its class it is the best looking small SUV/crossover out there. In comparison to the Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV, and Suzuki Grand Vitara the Rogue is a work of art. I am not crazy about the styling of any of these vehicles mostly due to their wide rear ends.
The Good:
For a $25k crossover, I felt that the Rogue was very full featured. While the interior was made of typical Nissan cheap plastic, there are so many nice gadgets that come standard that I was taken back. The first thing that I did when I got in was sync my phone to the bluetooth and give my wife a call, then I started playing with all of the buttons and switches that controlled the various gadgets. The version that I drove was the AWD SL which came with a 6 disk cd changer that played both MP3 and WMA, it also comes with XM radio, and an auxiliary port. The steering wheel had like 12 buttons on it for controlling various aspects of the entertainment system, and I thought the styling was really nice which is typical of Nissans current lineup. The back seat seemed a little small and I think that it would have been nice if you could adjust the positioning somewhat. There was ample cargo room, but the cargo space seemed to be lacking some of the functional utility of a small SUV. While seats do drop down, it would be better if they dropped down completely flat and not at an angle.
The Bad:
The Rouge has a lot of nice features and it looks great but there are a few problems that come along with it. The first thing I noticed when sitting in it was how little visibility there was inside of the cabin. You have to rely on your mirrors for EVERYTHING. You cannot see out of either side, or the back. The blind spot is SO huge that it would be dangerous to have your family around it. I think the Infiniti EX35 would be a better buy because it has the camera system built into it. Having a family, it seems like a liability to have a moderately large vehicle with no rear visibility.
The other large drawback on the Rogue is the incredible lack of power. Sure it has a CVT, and paddle shifters to set it into one of 6 preset ratios, but 170 hp in a 3500lb suv just doesn’t feel like that much. I really had to punch it when I found that there was a large tanker pulling into my lane, and in spite of the fact that I was nearing the red-line, I just didn’t have that much confidence in my acceleration. If the Rogue came in an optional V6 like the Rav4 then I think it would be a much easier sell.
I only drove the Rogue for about 6 minutes and I feel rather torn between the positives and the negatives of the vehicle. I like the fuel consumption, and the features. I like that it is all-wheel-drive, but I hate that the car feels weak. I like the exterior styling, but I wish that I could see out of it better. While it is a new car I would probably have to wait until the next version to see if they can improve the few but massive flaws.
22 comments ↓
I would agree the sitting postion is a bit high, but I got used to it quickly. Seeing out the rear tinted windows at night is a first for me, and a bit daunting but I’m getting used to that as well. I wish the rear view mirror was adjustable (I would move it higher) as it’s hard to see past it because the driver sits up so high. Regarding the lack of power though..what vehicle did you take up the dealer for an oil change? 350Z? Switching to a vehicle that has less power will make it feel weak obviously but with one month under my belt with our new Rogue, she has just the right amount of power. This isn’t a Porsche SUV or the like, it’s designed for a nice balance of power vs fuel economy. 30MPG’s and keep up in traffic just fine getting onto the freeway. I think alot of people are being fooled by the CVT though, it keeps the engine in the lower RPM’s, and one had to relearn (so to speak) the power curve with this type of transmission. Right now, I keep the engine RPM’s at 1500 from a dead stop and I smoothly and effortlessly glide forward (with no lurches because of no gear changes..) to cruising speed. It took several weeks to get used to the fact that my Tach wasn’t going to go up to 4K, then drop to 2K for each and every gear change. Great review though!
Thanks for the comment Mark. The car that was getting its oil changed was a 1997 Sentra, a 1.6 liter with a whopping 115hp. Its no Z, thats for sure. The power to weight ratio between the two is actually quite similar. I am glad to hear that you like the Rogue. I did like it, and wouldn’t mind spending a bit more time to get acquainted properly with it.
The rogue has a vibration between 24 and 40 mph. Nissan says that this is not a problem. Very annoying. Did not do it in the rogue I tried out.
Sorry to hear that, Bob. I hope Nissan will fix the problem.
i’ve had this car for about 3 months and i absolutly hate it sooooooooo much i wish i never purchased it everything is wrong with this car DON”T BUY IT TRUST ME
colored people love this car.
I purchased a 2008 Rogue in July and was shocked to learn several months after that when driving on the expressway or highway, a very annoying and loud whistling sound is generated by an obviouse flaw in the design of the Rogue. I am very unhappy with this. Drove 250 miles with this noise in the vehicle.
I can’t see in Owner’s Manual, Nissan Rogu, Maintenance and Service
any inormation obout SHEDULED MAINTENANCE
when replace, change oil, oil ilter, air filter .
Other my car , Toyota, Mitshubishi, is very easy to find and check on Maintenance Operation
and
I’ve had the 2009 Rogue for about 4 months, taken it on road trips, commute about 15 miles to work daily. I love it…it’s great MPG, decent ride, not real powerful but adequate for sure…for the money, I am pretty happy. Used to have a 2003 Acura TL…like this much more. Waiting to see how it is in bad weather though..
I have a 2008 Rogue which I purchased new. The question I have about the car is that in cold weather(basically anything below 0) the engine sounds like it has no oil in it. Very noisey. I have reported this to the dealer and have been told this is normal. Do others have this problem……Tim
I have a new 2010 Rogue. I’m having the same problem of a vibration on acceleration at 45 -55 Kms. When advising Nissan, they said they had never had that complaint before–now I know differently. The dealer said it was because of the tire pressure of 44 lbs. which it was on delivery, and they changed it to 33 but with no difference. So, is there no solution, or is this what I have to put up with forever? Has anyone ever gotten this resolved?
this car sucks big time ,it starts with vibration immposible
to deal with.paint very easy to scratch ,carpets are so thin
my wife made hole with high heels, interior so easy to make dent,plastic parts once they get dirty or discolerd
you can not clean or fix – this complete disaster!!!!
stay away!!!!
2008 Rogue FWD – Vibrations felt on the steering wheel at low speeds accompanied by a groan-type noise from the engine while accelerating at low speeds, up to 89 Km/hr.
Very annoying.
Comments from Nissan are somewhat contradictory…
The transmission was changed twice with no improvements.
It would be interesting to find out where everyone lives and where their Rogue was manufactured….my 2008 was manufactured in Japan, you can look at the Vin number…it will start with “j” i live in British Columbia canada and have had almost no problem with my “Rogie” i had a rattle in my tail pipe just after I bought it which Nissan fixed no problem. I love this vehical the best Ive ever owned!
I am in the process to buy a SUV and Rouge is one of the choices and with all this information you folks provide .I think is the NO go for me .Juts want to thank you all for this great information and bad for the Nissan to lose some customer like us .
It has been really interesting seeing everyones comments on this. I wasn’t super impressed and it looks like most others aren’t either. I just purchased a small SUV this weekend and ended up going with the Rav4 which i have been really happy with. I will post a review shortly.
Bought a 2010 rogue SL AWD with leather package. The AWD is great no noise from tranny but when the road is wet the noise from the back wheel wells was very loud. Going to have nissan look into it. Other then that i’m glad we bought this crossover. Who wants a ugly tire rack on the back? Sorry Rav 4.
Don’t like it, the interior is cheap as it gets, the control panels suck especially the windsheild wiper control. I even have on occassion turned the headlights completely off when changing from high to low beam. Poor visibility looking out of the side and rear windows and the blind spot is so wide you really have to pay attention on the highways with passing cars and trucks. It also vibrates if the rear window is down a crack. I can go on.
I have a 2008 Rogue and I hate it. I have the same complaints about the gigantic blind spots and the vibrations. I can’t drive on the highway with the windows open or the car starts rattling. I really blame myself about the blind spots…I should have noticed on the test drive. I also put a hole in the floor mats in less than a year.
I have a 2008 Rogue. I have been very pleased with it. I have that rattle also when starting out and going up to about 45. Today I went to the carwash and went to clean out my car, and I noticed that I have two very large splits in the carpet can see the foam underneath. Not very happy with this. I guess from high heels. I have never had this happen in another car. Stinks because I have only had it a year. I hope the floor doesn’t fall out…haha.
I have a 2010 Nissan Rogue SL AWD and I love it! I think it’s comfortable, fairly good on gas, it’s awesome on the highway, lots of little perks (heated seats, moonroof, aux jack, incredible glove compartment). When I was looking at cars it came down to Honda CRV, Toyota Rav 4 Sport, and the Rogue. I HATED the Rav 4. It was really noisy, with an incredibly lame interior and the exterior wasn’t anything to be WOWed about either. The CRV was nice but a definite Mom Car. I have had Hondas in the past and hated to switch, but the Rogue stole my heart.
My only concern is sometimes when I’m driving around 40kms/hour there’s almost a light gurgling sound coming from the car. It’s weird. I’m gonna have it looked at, but I’m sure it’s nothing to be concerned about.
I love my car, and whoever above said they bought the Rav 4 instead…….I feel for you
@Fran – The rav4 has been really impressive all around. I picked up a used base model 4wd 2.4 liter, which is amazingly equipped for the price and its class. It isn’t as curvy as the Rogue, but the visibility is great it drives like a car and it is very comfortable. The interior is all plastic which isn’t great, but like I said it’s a base model.
The first weekend I had it I took it up to the mountains and got caught in a zero visibility snow storm. I used every single safety feature the Rav4 comes with. Stability control, traction control and dynamic 4wd, and all worked great keeping me from sliding off the road in certain places.
I definitely think i made the right purchase.
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