Vehicle Purchased: 2008 2WD Nissan Rogue SL with Premium Package, splash guards, rear bumper protector, moonroof, floor mats and roof rails. MSRP: $24,640

Let's face it. Buying a new car can be painful. It requires answering dozens of questions all at once: Can I make the payments? Is the car comfortable? Will my friends think I'm a dork if I buy this or that model? Therefore, my approach here is to answer a number of these questions by sharing some personal Rogue-owner insights, both positive and negative, that one can only get after living with a car for a while. If all you need are the detailed specs, which I mostly avoid, then I suggest visiting the Nissan or Edmunds websites. By the way, the Edmunds website offers a great side-by-side comparison chart. Just choose the cars you like and it compares the details. It also gives you the cost of ownership, which is especially helpful. One other tip. I did all my research and haggling via the Internet. In the end, the price I got was well under MSRP with no face-to-face unpleasantries. Sweet.

To start, here are some quick overall impressions of the Rogue. Even though I'm 6-foot tall and weigh 175 lbs., the cabin feels spacious. The seats are firm and comfortable. This model is assembled in Japan and the build quality is 1st rate. I have, thus far, found zero defects in the molding, body, and paint, inside or out, and I'm very picky. Also, Nissan offers a number of very pleasing color combinations for the Rogue. The interior styling is clean, the controls well placed. The Premium Package interior accent lighting is wonderful at night, giving just enough illumination to see items placed in the center console. Interior materials look and feel durable, though using fabric on the door armrest seems like a poor choice, since that's where a lot of the wear and tear occurs. My strong suggestion for a new owner would be to buy some cans of Scotchgard fabric protector and apply it yourself. (Dealers offer this service but change upwards of $200. Doing it yourself will take about an hour and cost about $40. And it really does help keep dirt at bay, especially useful if you order the light-colored interiors.)

The Rogue is a brand new model from Nissan. Thankfully, they've done a nice job of incorporating a number of the latest technological advances. For example, the Rogue steers using drive-by-wire technology. It makes the steering feel smooth and accurate and reduces the weight of the car. The 4-wheel ventilated disk brakes feel sure-footed. Having already performed one unplanned emergency stop, I can say that the Rogue's road-gripping breaks give me confidence in the future that the car will stop quickly when needed. The Rogue is geared using something called a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that operates as a virtually gearless transmission, resulting in very smooth acceleration. Some reviewers have downplayed this advance, but I love it so much I hope never go back to a normally geared car again. I'm also very happy that the Rogue comes with a standard feature called vehicle dynamic control (VDC). This new technology senses when the car is slipping and adjusts the breaks accordingly. It has been shown to reduce the likelihood of sliding sideways and flipping by something like 45%, and has been touted as one of the best safety features to come along in years.

Finally, the new crash test ratings for the Rogue are out and it gets stellar marks. 5-Stars for the front and side crash tests. 4-Stars for the front passenger frontal crash test, and 4-Stars for the rollover test. This matches the Honda CRV in every category except for the front passenger frontal crash test. In that category the CRV gets 5-Stars, the Rogue gets 4-Stars.

I entered the auto market kicking and screaming. My plan was to hold on to my 10-year-old, 125k-mile Nissan Quest until some manufacturer offered a plug-in hybrid. Sadly, my son totaled our van (he's fine) before that day arrived. No longer needing a van but wanting something with storage that was fun, stylish and offered much better gas mileage, I looked at the crossover SUV market.

My list of priorities--weighted from most to least important--went something like this: gas mileage, cost, reliability, comfort, storage capacity and visual appeal. I'll be honest, if I had unlimited funds I would have purchased the Lexus RX-400h. I love everything about that car--except the price. Luckily, its popularity has inspired a number of manufacturers to spawn some of their own less expensive SUV crossovers, like the Rogue, with lines that evoke the RX body style. In addition to the Rogue, I also looked at the Honda CRV, which I find visually appealing, the Toyota Rav4, Ford Edge and briefly at the Mazda CX-7. In the end, I felt the only real competitor to the Rogue was the Honda CRV. The Rav4 looks tired and ugly and is more expensive that its competitors (Is that a tire or a large wart stuck to the rear hatch?). I also eliminated the CX-7 and Ford Edge because of poor gas mileage, as well as some Consumer Reports quality and reliability concerns with the Edge--and they both cost thousands more. I never looked at the Kia. Oops. I crossed off the SUV hybrids because they cost too much for the small gas improvements they offer over the Rogue, but that's just because price was such an important factor for me.

Gas mileage:


(Update Note: After 24,000 miles of driving, I'm averaging 22 MPG in the city. On the highway, I can get up to 29 MPG.)

In the crossover SUV category, the Rogue rates at the upper end. (Yet, how sad it is that in 2008, compact SUVs are still getting under 30 mpg). The newly reformulated 2008 EPA estimates for the Rogue are 27/22 for the 2WD version, one mile better than the Rogue All-Wheel Drive (AWD) version. That matches the 2WD Honda EX CRV on the highway and beats it by two miles in the city.

Now two miles of mpg may not seem like much, but that's about an eight percent difference. Since a majority of my driving is in the city, that translates to about $120/year at current gas prices, which we know will only go up. The EPA specs give the Rogue a mpg range of 18-26 city and 22-32 highway. That range seems wide, but is about right.

One highway test I performed on the car at sea level with some slight hills going 65 mph on a windless, 72-degree day with the A/C off (72 degrees in December. Gotta love it.), gave me about 31 mpg! Needless to say, I was impressed. Interestingly, my not-so-scientific city test came in as low as 17 mpg. My combined city/highway mileage after 1100 miles of light-footed driving was 24.8 mpg on one fill-up and 22 on another. The official EPA combined mpg estimate is 24 mpg. One thing I did notice is that the mileage is very sensitive to heavy "footedness." You goose this car and the mpg plummets, treat the gas peddle nice and it really extends your range. (Update note: After about 7,500 L.A. traffic-snarled miles, I've been averaging about 22 mpg in mixed, mostly city driving, though in pure highway miles it still hits about 30 mpg.)

One easily overlooked fact is that the Rogue 2WD version is about 150 lbs. lighter than the AWD version. Also, my Rogue, which has a 50-State emissions rating, has 170 hp with 175 ft/lbs of torque, whereas, the California emissions version has 167 hp with 170ft/lbs of torque. I ran across this difference by accident when comparing window stickers in the dealer's lot. Taken together, the weight and horsepower differences may account for the fact that I had no problems with the Rogue's acceleration in L.A. traffic or going up hills. Many other reviewers have tested the Rogue in its AWD, CA, configuration, and a number of them have found that version to be somewhat underpowered. I have no opinion regarding that comparison. So that aside, the Rogue won this category.

Cost:

Here is where things got murky. The base Rogue SL 2WD version starts at $20,670 vs. the Honda EX CRX, which comes in at $22,950. If you're looking at the very base model of the Rogue S ($19,250) or even the SL, I feel it's a great deal. But getting a date with a Supermodel this Saturday night might be easier than finding a base model Rogue S or SL with no options. And here's the problem. When you start adding up the cost of "options" (and everything you'd want or need on this car is an option, including floor mats) the price/value equation really begins to change. You can pay up to $27k for a fully loaded Rogue. That's 40% more than the base and does not include navigation, climate control, or a host of other cool "premium" features that Nissan doesn't even offer on the Rogue. At that price why not buy a Nissan Murano? (and then remove the horrid nameplate).

(Update Note: Nissan now offers an aftermarket Garmin nuvi 750 navigation system for an additional cost. Unfortunately, the nav system looks like what it is, an aftermarket stick-on. Little thought was given to incorporating the device into the elegant design of the dash—and it doesn't even include Bluetooth.)

Frankly, the way Nissan has chosen to bundle its options has turned me into a frustrated Rogue owner instead of an enthusiastic supporter. Unlike the great technology under the hood, inside the cabin the Rogue is gadget challenged. In this car, the iPod AUX input jack seems like a major technological advance (I'm trembling with excitement). That jack is part of the Bose radio upgrade, which comes with the Premium Package. The Bose system is nice (not great, but very nice), but I ask you, is it worth $1,900? Oh, you also get some plastic hooks, assorted knickknacks, accent lighting and floor mats (that come standard on the Honda CRV). Of course, there is the upgraded front passenger seat that I really like (more on that later).

If that isn't bad enough, there was one decision that Nissan made with its options bundle that really made me hit the roof (Luckily, my Rogue comes equipped with an optional moonroof which I usually keep open to specifically avoid roof-related injuries). The 2WD Premium Package didn't include Bluetooth. And I thought it did. My bad. Here's how I made that stupid mistake. First, I read on Nissan's website overview that the SL model comes with Bluetooth. The website's Rogue storefront doesn't say you need the AWD version in order to get it (Look for yourself under the SL description on their website. It's very confusing. Consumer lawsuit confusing? I hope so).

Anyway, when I looked at the AWD with the Premium Package version on the lot, I saw that it had Bluetooth. Yippee! But I ended up with the 2WD SL with Premium Package because it's $1,200 less and gets better gas mileage. And here's the rub. By not getting the AWD with Premium Package, I discovered that the one big difference in the two Premium Packages (besides keyless entry and brighter headlights) is that Bluetooth does not come with the 2WD version. Nisssssssannnnn!!!

(Update Note:  On the 2009 model, Nissan has added Bluetooth to the 2WD SL model.  Thank goodness.) 

In California, as in many other states, hands-free cell phone conversations are now, or will soon be, the law. Forcing buyers into an AWD car just to get factory Bluetooth is one of those slimy things manufacturers often do to pry more money out of you. But in this case, it may backfire on Nissan. Since I didn't pay the extra $300 for the factory Bluetooth--the price difference between the otherwise similar Premium Packages—I will have it installed by an aftermarket vendor not associated with a Nissan dealer (It's a small consolation, but a satisfying one nevertheless).

One nifty feature that the Rogue does have—that the competitors surprisingly don't—is a fold-down front passenger seat. This allows you to stick 8 1/2 foot-long things into your car—a godsend for folks needing to transport step ladders or pythons. But here's where the Rogue let me down again. In order to get the passenger seat fold-down option, you have to pop for the $1,900 Premium Package. It really should be standard on this car, or on every small SUV. Also, if you want options like a driver's seat with lumbar adjustment you have to get the AWD with leather. And that's an additional $1900! Why is back support a premium leather option? Luckily, the driver's seat is comfortable enough for me, but having the lumbar adjustment standard, just like in a $16,000 Kia, would be nice.

While I'm whining, here are a few other irritating things about this car. The rear window viewing area is horrible. If ever there was a car that needed a rear camera option, this one is it. With small kids around, I would think twice about owning a Rogue without at least installing an aftermarket rear camera. Also, there is no coin/cigarette tray. Wasn't the ashtray invented in the 1930s? And didn't it take a giant leap forward when it evolved—thanks to non-smokers— into a coin tray in the 1980s? Honda sold thousands of cars to people back then who found the coin tray a revelation. Well, now it's gone. To placate the nook inclined, Nissan has introduced a glove box so big you can fit an entire clan of meerkats into it. Grrr. Moving on, the door panels go all the way down allowing road dirt to splash up under the door. Who came up with that bright idea? The A/C comes on by itself when you change the ventilation choice from defrost to cabin. Huh? With the Premium Package you get fog lights, which would work great as daytime running lights (as they do on Canadian-built Rogues). But darn. You can't turn them on without the headlights, so nix that. There is no window tinting on the upper part of the windshield. The orange lights on the dash look odd, not hip. The towing capacity of the Rogue is the same as that of the Honda CRV at 1,500 lbs., mediocre at best. You really don't want to be doing too much hauling with either of these cars, yet the Rogue's "Premium Package" adds wiring for a towing hitch. So I ask you, Bluetooth, or towing-hitch wiring on a car that will most likely never tow anything? You decide. This category is close, but it goes to the CRV.

Comfort, Storage Capacity, Visual Appeal and Reliability:

I hate to say it, but when my son destroyed my van, a secret smile crossed my face. I immediately went to my local Honda dealer to test drive the CRV. I love the way it looks, but when I got inside I was disappointed. For my taste the cabin feels too much like a truck. The seats are thin, the appointments stark. And when I drove it on the highway, the engine and cabin noise reinforced my initial truck-like impression. In contrast, the Rogue feels comfy, the engine and road noise are much quieter than the CRV, and dare I say it, the Rogue's interior exudes a hint of elegance. One disappointment is that the "cool" rear, secret storage area isn't really deep enough to be of much use.

The CRV does have the Rogue beat when it comes to storage capacity in cubic feet. Of course, its usefulness will depend on what you're hauling. Since the CRV's front passenger seat doesn't fold down (just like the base model Rogue), longer items may end up sticking out of the back gate. You'll have to decide for yourself how much hauling you'll be doing and weigh the pros and cons of each car. Also, for my taste the CRV looks better on the outside, but the Rogue looks better on the inside. Since I do all my driving on the inside, the Rogue won that beauty contest. Having owned a Nissan Quest for ten years with essentially no problems, I felt confident that the Rogue would borrow from Nissan's reputation for reliability. Ding! The Rogue won this round and became the winner. 

(Update Note:  The car now has 24,000 miles on it with no defects or recalls. The only problem is a window wind noise howl when driving through strong crosswinds. Doesn't happen very often, though.)

No car is perfect. So you'll have to weigh the areas that are important to you vs. what each car offers. In my case, I came down on the side of the Rogue, but it was a close contest. Perhaps in future editions, the Rogue engineers will deal with some of the car's weaknesses without jacking up the price. One suggestion: A plug-in Rogue hybrid would be a very nice addition to the line.

Finally, I do have one thing for which I am grateful. Though my son's insurance will now be going up because of his accident with my van, I have to thank him for inadvertently introducing me to my new car. Thanks son, and in the future keep your eyes on the road. Oh, and don't even think about driving my Rogue. -- Richard Krzemien
Amount Paid (US$): 22,750
Condition: New
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: Nissan Rogue SL 2WD