I have narrowed my choices down to these three, and any input is welcome as to why the Rogue beats the competitors. I haven't included the RAV4 because it's too overpriced and they force you to get 4x4 in Canada, and you need the V6 to get decent performance. The Mits Outlander and Hyundai Tucson are nice too, but not on my list because of poor fuel economy.

I realize the Escape is an inferior vehicle, but it is still in my top 3 because of the low price, and really sweet incentives that will start kicking in soon. Also, it seems to be a really solid reliable vehicle, although the mechanical components are outdated (but reliable). I know the CRV doesn't look as good as the Rogue and the seats aren't as comfortable, but it's tough to compete with Honda quality and the practicality of this car. I think all 3 are close in terms of fuel efficiency, with a slight edge to the Rogue. Honda and Ford seem to offer more incentives, such as the Canadian "strong dollar" incentives, which Nissan has been lacking.

Other than the items I've already mentioned above, what do you feel are the deciding factors that convince you the Rogue is (or isn't) the better choice? Thank you very much for helping me make my decision!!!

My 2 cents

Rogue +CVT, interior, Bose, quiet, fun to drive,- 1st year,

CRV+ I'll leave that to others- IMO a small mini van and lacks the Rogue's peppy fun to drive qualities.

Escape + Short term value- Ford quality?

I think you should drive the Rogue and CRV and buy the one you like, they are both good vehicles. Car and Driver recently did a small crossover shootout that is full of great stats, link below.

zerothread/301277

The CRV: My best beloved totalled the '04 CRV. The new one was the first vehicle we tried. It just seemed so much bigger. Don't know why. Probably because it seemed to plough through sharp cornering. The styling left something to be desired(very subjective, I know). We wanted the Sport model. Didn't like the interior when the dealer finally located one.

The Escape: Getting really, really long in tooth. And.....Ford still hasn't given it 4 wheel disc breaks!! Inexcusable. We drove the hybrid. Without a doubt the noisiest vehicle I've ever driven.

The Rogue: What a little ripper! Amazing little vehicle. This is as close as you'll get to a sports car. Five passenger and roof rack. At 25 grand, it's a steal. Just my opinion, of course.

Rogue is a great vehicle in and of itself. My 1st and last Nissan however due to lousy sales and service.

Droopy

When I was looking at my Rogue I ended up being between the Rogue and the 4-cyl Escape/Mariner.The Rogue won, yea I could have gotten more fun things inside with the Escape for the same price, but I saw a big difference in the engine power, I had my foot to the floor to make it up a hill during the test drive, yea it made it and it did so quickly, but the rogue, on the same hill faster and my foot was half way to the floor. Also Nissan has a track record for having low maintence costs on vehicles compared to Ford, so that won it for me.

I was between a Rogue and CRV also. Chose the rogue cause it drove alot better. Never looked at an escape because Ill never buy a ford.

if you are looking for the FWD Option you can get a $1000 ecoauto rebate from the government

The Escape is in its own class. Its an SUV with CUV type gass mileage. The reliabilty is very good for this vehicle since 2001. Ford has come a long way.

The Rogue and CRV are great solid vehicles. The Escape looks bolder and has a nice interior for 08. I believe all these fables about bad reliability is from dated Ford vehilcles from the 80's and early 90's.

Of course I would favor Nissan... I've owned 4 of them!

As for the Escape, my sister owns the Escape's twin.... an '06 Mazda Tribute V-6. Basically the same vehicle save for different body panels/interior. I've heard the 4cyl is a little anemic, this despite the fact it's Mazda well regarded MZR 2.3L used in the 3 and 6. However it makes 17 less hp and 28 lb-ft less torque than the QR25DE. However the QR is known for having lots of low end torque so it feels like alot more... +1 for Nissan. The V-6 Tribute does alot better... at the expense of fuel economy. The motor is the venerable Ford 3.0 V-6 and is decent even if you have to rev it a bit to get the power. I haven't checked recently, but I believe mileage is around 20 mpg as compared to 25+mpg for the Rogue.

My other impressions were more rear cargo space in the Escape/Tribute ... the Rogue's slick styling sacrifices some cargo space. However the Rogue wins hands down in the looks, fit & finish department.

Towing capacity is where the Escape/Tribute excel. The 4cyl models are rated at 1500lbs, the V-6 at 3500lbs. My sister routinely tows a boat (17" fiberglass with outboard & console drive) with no issues.

Reliability of the Escape/Tribute seems to be good. In almost 2 years of ownership, the Tribute has been problem free.

Still I wouldn't trade the Rogue for hers! I don't tow stuff and I much prefer the styling, lower fuel consumption, and the Nissan name.

As for CRV... well I haven't driven Honda in years. I won't comment.

I had a 97 CRV 125k miles, was a super car, totaled it (my CRV broke the back axle of the Mercury Milan that pulled out in front of me) and this is why I bought a Rogue. I knew I could buy another CRV and have a solid reliable car.

I have heard Mitsubishi is going out of business at least in the US, so I would steer clear of them

The Escape has the lowest safety rating of all the small SUV's

Like the new CRV's I think the Ravs are ugly too, which to some is not really a deciding factor but another reason I liked the Rogue

SquiggyFreud wrote:I have heard Mitsubishi is going out of business at least in the US, so I would steer clear of them

A little OT...

Mitsubishi had fallen on hard times in recent years with a defect scandal in Japan and increasing losses. They have just turned the corner having posted a profit in 2006, the first time in 4 years. With new product arriving (Lancer, Outlander), things are looking up for them. I doubt they will abandon the US market as it's a significant source of revenue.

The only reason I don't have an Escape is because my wife didn't want one. I used to have one with my ex wife and I guess she didn't want anything to do with it because of that fact. The Escape I had was an 01 V-6 model, which was the first year model. It was a great vehicle with absolutely no probems during the 2 years I had it.

The new Escape has a ton more features and great reliability, but it is not a CUV, it's a small SUV. Ford's quality is just as good as Nissan if not better. Nissan hasn't always been known for quality either. They've done a lot better lately as has Ford. Even the Rogue has some quality problems, mostly rattles here and there. I'm a little biased towards Ford as I've owned many and besides a certain 1980 Mustang I owned, everyone has had very little if any problems. My current 1998 Mustang GT and 2001 F-150 Harley Davidson has never needed service. Not bad for 10 and 7 year old vehicles.

I haven't driven the 08 Escape, so I really can't compare. I've driven the 07 and 01 and both were nice. The 07 was a Hybrid and didn't seem noisey at all as mentioned. I've never driven the CRV, but I don't like it's styling.

Overall, the wife and I are perfectly happy with the Rogue. It's a great vehicle with lots of nice features. It has lots of pep, gets great fuel mileage and is pretty roomy.

i haven't driven the C R V and i don't like the look .

i drove the escape 08 V6 AWD during one week and another time for 2 days .i like the look of the escape ( better than the tribute ). a very pleasant vehicle to drive . not affraid about the reliability of the escape . just was affraid about the gas mileage compare to the rogue .

have the rogue for 3 months now and have no complain . the gas mileage is a bit high but it was winter and we get a lot of snow .