Sell me on the Rogue.

Nissan Rogue forum - Includes Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Dualis as well.
Juelze
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360 AWD

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Hi there,

Well, I've been over at the Versa forums for awhile (haven't posted in a long time) as my 07 Nissan Versa was my first Nissan product ever. I liked the car and the dealer so much that I my wife got a 08 Sentra. Now we have a child and another one on the way so it's time for me to upgrade. I've driven an 08 Xterra, 07 RAV4, 09 CX7, and of course the Nissan Rogue. Out of all of them I liked the Rogue the best, although I was smitten with that turbo engine in the CX7. Anyway, I'm looking at getting a base model with AWD for around $21,200 with 1.9% interested. I have several questions for you guys on here so here I go!

1. I'm really wanting an AWD vehicle since living in Green Bay, WI the weather is really horrible during the winter months. I understand that the AWD Rogue is a FWD vehicle for the most part, but anticipates traction lost before it happens and then sends power to the rear wheels to add traction. I also read that from 0-6mph the AWD is "locked". If that's the case, that's a big plus for the Rogue because there are times when our roads aren't plowed and with 6" of snow, I'd like to be able to drive through it even if I'm going 5mph.

2. My wife's Sentra isn't small, but it isn't huge either. Would a Rogue really just be a Sentra wagon? I'd have to say there is more cabin and cargo space, but I've noticed even the Xterra wasn't a huge increase compared to the Rogue in terms of cargo and cabin capacity. Well, not enough to warrant the atrocious mileage. With 2 kids and a dog going on 2 hour drives to the cabin up north, I'd like to think the Rogue would be plenty of room, but I'm wondering if cargo capacity has been an issue for anyone else?

3. The dealer I'm looking at has a "no hassle low price". Is $21,200 for a S with AWD a good deal?

Thanks for all your time guys!

Cheers,
Jueleze


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Nick 568
Posts: 304
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:59 am
Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue
Location: Anchorage, Alaska

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Juelze wrote:Hi there,

Well, I've been over at the Versa forums for awhile (haven't posted in a long time) as my 07 Nissan Versa was my first Nissan product ever. I liked the car and the dealer so much that I my wife got a 08 Sentra. Now we have a child and another one on the way so it's time for me to upgrade. I've driven an 08 Xterra, 07 RAV4, 09 CX7, and of course the Nissan Rogue. Out of all of them I liked the Rogue the best, although I was smitten with that turbo engine in the CX7. Anyway, I'm looking at getting a base model with AWD for around $21,200 with 1.9% interested. I have several questions for you guys on here so here I go!

1. I'm really wanting an AWD vehicle since living in Green Bay, WI the weather is really horrible during the winter months. I understand that the AWD Rogue is a FWD vehicle for the most part, but anticipates traction lost before it happens and then sends power to the rear wheels to add traction. I also read that from 0-6mph the AWD is "locked". If that's the case, that's a big plus for the Rogue because there are times when our roads aren't plowed and with 6" of snow, I'd like to be able to drive through it even if I'm going 5mph.

2. My wife's Sentra isn't small, but it isn't huge either. Would a Rogue really just be a Sentra wagon? I'd have to say there is more cabin and cargo space, but I've noticed even the Xterra wasn't a huge increase compared to the Rogue in terms of cargo and cabin capacity. Well, not enough to warrant the atrocious mileage. With 2 kids and a dog going on 2 hour drives to the cabin up north, I'd like to think the Rogue would be plenty of room, but I'm wondering if cargo capacity has been an issue for anyone else?

3. The dealer I'm looking at has a "no hassle low price". Is $21,200 for a S with AWD a good deal?

Thanks for all your time guys!

Cheers,
Jueleze

1. Well, I live up in Alaska, and I can tell you that the Rogue is the BEST vehicle I've driven in the winter. I had a big 'ole Ram 1500 before the Rogue, and sure, that could drive through 2 feet of snow while pulling a car out of the ditch, but I've not once been stuck with the Rogue. That being said, I do run studded snow tires in the winter, which makes a massive difference. It sounds like the family is a concern for you, so I'd highly advise buying a set of tires for the winter. A few hundred bucks is well worth the safety of your family.
But back to the Rogue's ability in the snow. Hell, I've done 30 mph in 6" of snow like it was nothing. You could pretty easily push your way through an unplowed driveway 1 foot deep with the AWD lock. (assuming you have winter tires)
Also, with a good set of snow tires, the Rogue is sooo predictable and controllable. I've never had an "OH SH*T!!" moment in the Rogue. But I had a few each winter in the Ram, lol.

2. Personally, I do wish the Rogue had more space. Especially on camping trips. I can carry all my stuff for myself just fine, but it gets pretty packed if I try to fit myself, 3 friends, and everyone's gear.
I mean, it's no pickup truck, minivan, or full-size SUV, so keep that in mind. But it'll have a lot more utility than the Sentra due to you being able to fold the seats down and having a higher roofline. However, I can tell you first hand that a 46" TV in the box will not fit without laying it on its side.
You could also look into buying a trailer hitch and small utility trailer if you needed to regularly carry larger loads and such.

3. Can't tell you there. I'm used to 'Alaska Prices' for everything, so I'm personally not sure on what a good deal is back in the lower 48. But check Edmunds and see what their fair market value is for it. Also, other forum members here are much more knowledgeable in that department.

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kerrton
Posts: 2201
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:48 am
Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue SL FWD Gotham Gray
Location: Southern Alberta, Canada

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I agree with a lot of what Nick 568 has said.

I too have a 2-year-old and a second kid likely due next spring. The Rogue is perfect for my wife and child, it has lots of cabin room up front and in the second row. Compared to the Sentra this car will feel a lot bigger, and like Nick said the rear hatch is something that you will love compared to the awkward small opening of the Sentra trunk.

But, even though I love my Rogue I'm going to caution you a little bit. When you got into the Sentra you probably thought "this is a nice roomy car, perfect for our needs", and now you want something just a little bigger. In the Rogue you'll now think the same thing,"this car is the perfect size" but I'm worried that once your second child arrives you might again say "I'd like something just a little bigger". When my kid was a baby, we would pretty much fill the cargo area with our stuff and the baby stuf, if and when my 2nd kid arrives I'm going to need a little more space so I'm planning on adding a roof top Thule cargo box. Also with two car seats in the back you can't fit a third person no matter how skinny they are because car seats are just too wide. Sometimes when my daughter is upset my wife will sit with her in the back seat, but once we have two kids that option is out.

I'm not saying that the Rogue won't work out for us when we have a family of 4, but it will be a little more of a challenge, and I'm not ready to trade in my 2 year old Rogue and take a loss and I don't want a vehicle with sub-par efficiency. But, I have to predict that the new minivans are worth a look, the new Sienna has really nice styling and you can get it with an efficent 2.7 4-cylinder engine, and Nissan is coming out with their new van next year. I'm not recommending buying a van over the Rogue, but with 2 kids you might at least want to consider it. Also some of the 3rd row SUV's are starting to come out with much more efficient powertrains such as the upcoming Ford Explorer.

I didn't focus on the positives of the Rogue because Nick already did a great job with that and I agree totally with him, I really like my Rogue and highly recommend it, it's just your 2-kid situation that makes me recommend at least checking out some larger options. Of course so much of this is subjective, what's big to one person is small to another, and everybody has different lifestyles. Do you do a lot of long road trips and haul a lot of stuff, or just drive around town? There is tons of room for 4 around town, the cargo area is somewhat limited if you take week-long vacations and need to pack a ton of baby stuff and adult luggage and camping gear etc..

So my recommendation is just consider your needs carefully, look at lots of vehcles and try to anticipate how your needs will change once kid-number-two arrives. Good luck!

DanTheMan
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 5:53 am
Car: 2010 RogueSL Wickid Black Premium

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I have three kids under 12 and it can get a bit tight. However, I also have a Sienna for long trips and luggage. I would definitely consider it, though I may be more pressed towards a minivan, if having just one vehicle. IMO, forget the 3 row SUV's. They are such a pain, especially when you have to deal with the third row, child seats, hoping over the middle and the like. In this case, nothing beats a minivan for comfort and convenience.

I have made several long trips, in the Rogue, with the whole family and it has worked out great. I do not regret buying it, even with a few shortcomings. Still better than most alternatives. If you plan on holding on to this vehicle for sometime, really consider a growing family!!

Cheers!

sephtin
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 6:43 pm
Car: Nissan Rogue SL '10

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Others have covered most of what I would say. I agree, and am still in love with my 2010 Rogue.

I'm a huge fan of the 360 package on the S, even if simply for the RearView Monitor... but it may not be of value to everyone.

And regarding prices, http://www.truecar.com was very handy when "working with" our dealer to discuss price.

GL with your decision, hope you find what you're looking for, regardless of what make/model!

Pescakl1
Posts: 685
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 4:33 am
Car: 2008 Iridium Graphite SL FWD Rogue

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Here is my opinion on the matter:

You need a family car for a family of 4 (2 young children with all their gear) and a dog (sheppard or Yorkshire?) going to your cabin up north, AWD being a must due to some snow storms.

In my part of the world, we usually end up with few choices:
- Since you have a good dealer, it is nice to keep him (at least to thank him for being a good dealer), so the Rogue AWD is a good option. On the AWD front, you won't have any problem with it as it seems to be one of the best system on the market (personally, that is the only thing I regret not getting with my rogue). For the space, are you comfortable having a Thule installed on the Rogue all the time? What size is the dog (2 infants + a dog at the back)?
- Another good solution is the Subaru Outback: It is the best AWD system in the world, you have good ground clearance with the Outback model, choose the CVT (one of the best CVT, maybe even better than the Nissan's) if you want good fuel economy. You will get more interior and cargo space than the Rogue, as I don't feel you need a minivan in your case (except if you have a sheppard and plan on other kids).

If you want to stay with SUV (Outback is an in-between) bigger than the Rogue, like Kerrton said, check the 2011 Explorer which seems to be good (based on the Taurus).
RAV4 will be slighty bigger than the Rogue but not enough if you can live with a Thule on top.
CX7 is fun to drive but less at the pump: Premium fuel and not fuel efficient as it is bigger and heavier than the Rogue.
You can also look at the Mitsubishi Outlander which use the same CVT as the rogue (not same settings) and the Subaru Forester (no CVT so poor fuel mileage, choose the stick way better than the auto), but like the RAV4 and the CRV, they are the same category as the Rogue, and between all of them, I really prefer the Rogue... by far. My only other choice would be the Forester with a diesel engine and the CVT,... but not available in this part of the world.

Like Kerrton summed it up correctly, it will depend of what are your needs, how much stuff do you need to carry for a weekend or a week long vacation? Only you can answer this question, we can only point it that it is important that you consider this question.

Have fun test driven all these cars and please report your feelings on them.

Juelze
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360 AWD

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Well, thanks for all the information guys. I'm still debating on what I want. My brother suggested a Toyota FJ Cruiser, and although it's a cool machine, the mileage would kill me. I'm inclined to check out a Ford Escape as well, and Subaru has been on my list, but I'm not sure how I feel about the dealership. The Subaru dealer used to carry Cadillac, Hyundai, Mazda, and Subaru but now all he carries is Mazda and Subaru and it seems like a small operation. So, with that said I"m concerned on how well the dealer support will be. Essentially, it'll be my wife and I, two small kids, and a small basset hound (yes, he's small for the breed) going up north 5-6 times a year. Since this car will be my daily driver, I'd want something with decent gas mileage as well as AWD or 4WD. As for the Thule, how much do those cost and are they easily removed?

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kerrton
Posts: 2201
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:48 am
Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue SL FWD Gotham Gray
Location: Southern Alberta, Canada

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Thule boxes are between $500 and $1000 Canadian, and the new ones have quick release hardware for easy mount and dismount. The difficulty can be accessing the roof, depending on how tall you are and if you have something to stand on. I have side steps on my Rogue which is perfect for accessing the roof, but a little fold up step would work too since the Rogue is not really tall.

There's no perfect vehicle, minivans are great for people but the cargo area is small with all 3 rows upright and they have that lip on them which is not great for dogs, whereas the Rogue cargo area is great for dogs. One really interesting vehicle that you might want to look at is the new Ford Explorer due to be released soon, it has 3 row seating and comes with a brand new supposedly "bulletproof" 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder that delivers big V6 power and 4-cylinder efficiency. I'm not trying to wave the Ford flag here, it's a Rogue forum and I love the Rogue but with amazing claims like that warrant at least a look, although it won't be cheap! Perhaps a Rogue with roof top cargo bin is still the best plan, it's the one I'll be running for many years to come!

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Eikon
Posts: 11036
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2004 3:20 am
Car: 71 240z, 93 Supra TT
Location: Lake Orion, MI
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Juelze,
You need to consider making a trip to Milwaukee to buy a car. In most cases, the dealers in GB are not very competitive. The exception to that is Le Mieux Toyota. Gandrud, Denil-Wall, Van's, and the other import brand stores are not very competitive.
Understand that any dealer will service your car. You don't have to buy it from Gandrud to get it serviced at Gandrud. They'll give you good service regardless. In fact, I have a friend who's a mechanic at Gandrud, and they are great in that department... the one-price sales scheme on the other hand... not always so competitive... Let your fingers do the traveling and call a couple dealers from Milwaukee. Tell them that you are from Green Bay, what you are looking for and that you're shopping the state for the best deal. They will get much more competitive on price when they know you're a shrewd shopped.. you'll turn into a volume statistic rather than a profit statistic.

If you do decide you want a Toyota, send me a PM and I can get you in touch with a former co-worker who is a top notch sales guy.. he'll give you a great price!

Now, having said all that... You'll like the Rogue! It's a great vehicle!

Juelze
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360 AWD

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Well as for the Ford Explorer, I'm sure I'd like it but it is simply not affordable for our family whereas the Rogue is. I see that Thule offers a cargo bin that attaches to a 2" hitch/tow bar BEHIND the vehicle which seems like it would be a good option. But at this point, with two small kids, I think the Rogue will offer plenty of room. It seems to be my stupid in-laws who think I need a huge vehicle for the few times a year that we're going up north for 1-2 days.

As for Gandrud not being competitive, you could be right. I'm not one for hassling on prices so their low deal price makes it easier for me. But if you're saying that I can find a cheaper Rogue in MIlwaukee and use that price as leverage on Gandrud, I'd be happy to do that. :-)

Thanks again guys!
-Juelze

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kerrton
Posts: 2201
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:48 am
Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue SL FWD Gotham Gray
Location: Southern Alberta, Canada

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Good luck, it sounds like the Rogue is the right vehicle for you.

I know exactly how you feel about the larger vehicle and/or minivan advice as soon as you have a kid or two. Even though I've mentioned the option to consider it in my other posts, it still annoys when people say "you're having kids, now you NEED a van or a large SUV". You absolutely don't need a van and that's probably a big problem with our western society, we keep upping the bar on what we need vs. what we want. Just take a look at minivans in the '80s as a perfect example, I see the odd one driving around still and they look small, they're no longer than the Rogue is! And even older Pathfinders are intersting because they are approximately the size of the Rogue, this category used to be called full-size, now the Rogue occupies that spot and it's called mid-sized with the current Pathfinder much larger than 15 years ago.

ErMasta
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 12:19 pm

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Well if you want to compare prices..

I just got a Rogue S FW for 17800.00 from a dealer in Miami. The car is actually my girls but i did all the number crushings. We actually drove off the showroom Rogue.

Juelze
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360 AWD

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Well, I just emailed the sales guy that I've been working with and included a link to another Nissan dealer in Milwaukee that has some better deals. So maybe that'll make him work for my dollar a bit more.

Anyway, so I keep hearing bits and pieces about how advanced the AWD system is on the Rogue. Some even compare it to the AWD system that BMW uses. From what I understand, most reactive AWD systems are simply FWD vehicles that transfer power to the rear wheels when wheel slip is detected. But on the Rogue, it moves power to the rear wheels just before slip is detected? Is that true? Also, what makes Nissan's AWD system better than Toyota or Honda?

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TonyN
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 11:23 am
Car: 2010 EX35 "The Baby Wagon"
2010 Camry SE "The Beater"
1994 Supra Turbo "The Weekend Warrior"

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I just recently went through this myself, I sold my 2005 Mercedes Benz CLK500 and was looking for a cross-over SUV, the cars I had in mind was the Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-7, Toyota Highlander, Chevy Equinox, an BMW X3/X5. I test drove all of them, I crossed out the Equinox because of the build quality and I still do not trust the Chevy brand, I also did not like the Highlander due to the looks. I like the X5 and had one before but after some thinking I did not want the maintance cost, after all Im buying this car for the family not for fun anymore. It came down to the Rogue and Cx-7, and to be honest I like the Cx-7 more. It has the 18's alloy no matter the trim, more cargo room, and other standard features the Rogue did not have, little stuff that I find annoying like the lack of vanity mirror and cargo light for non SL model. I feel that because Nissan cut such basic items that it was stupid and quite annoying. Honest if I did not get te deal I did no my rogue I would be driving a Cx-7 instead.

On a side note, I love boost so I was and am bias towards car with a turbocharger :)

Pescakl1
Posts: 685
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 4:33 am
Car: 2008 Iridium Graphite SL FWD Rogue

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Juelze wrote: Essentially, it'll be my wife and I, two small kids, and a small basset hound (yes, he's small for the breed) going up north 5-6 times a year. Since this car will be my daily driver, I'd want something with decent gas mileage as well as AWD or 4WD.
I thought you were talking about going up north every other weekend. If this is only few times a year, the Rogue is way enough to do that.
From what I remember, I paid my Thule about $600 CAD (the Mountaineer), and it stays in my garage (attached to the roof with ropes) most of the time except few times a year when we need more space for camping gears for example. It is easy to install as it is only 40 lbs empty and you can load for about 100 lbs in it (but usually, we put what is large not necessarily what is heavy). You need two persons to install it (your wife and you) and it is a 5-10 minutes job. Just open the doors of the Rogue to be level to the Thule to install it.

Forget about the Ford Escape, it is the worse car (truck) I have ever driven, way worse than a RAV4. We exchanged cars with our neighbours who needed our Odyssey for the holidays and they give us their Escape. After driving it for 5 minutes, my wife asked me if she could use my car, the Rogue, for the week as she hated the Escape. I told her I would need to do a business trip during the week and say "Could I have my Rogue for this day, at least?". And she told me: "Of course, I don't want you to travel in that thing!". And she is not a gearhead, for her a car is an appliance, a mean to go from A to B.

For the AWD system, it cannot detect the slippage before it arrives, but it is way faster than the other systems (some others take about 1 second before sending power to the rear, so too late when you are driving, OK if you are stuck), that is why it is one of the best.
Of course the best systems are those who send power to all 4 wheels all the time, but only Subaru and Audi are doing them. I believe the RAV4 may be also an 4 wheel drive system but I am not sure, you will need to check.
As for the AWD systems, the nissan's rogue is known to be one of the best, one of the most reactive (not just when you get stuck).

Juelze
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360 AWD

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Thanks for the info! Now, you say the Rogue's AWD is really quick in transferring power to the other wheels, but not good when you're stuck. Doesn't it "lock" into AWD with all wheels getting power from 0-6mph? So if I get where I'm stuck and stop, and give some throttle slowly shouldn't all 4 wheels receive power? You're really doing a great job selling me on the Rogue guys!

**EDIT**. Nevermind, re-read your post and it makes sense. :-)

philipa_240sx
Posts: 4138
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:30 am
Location: Canada

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Juelze wrote:Thanks for the info! Now, you say the Rogue's AWD is really quick in transferring power to the other wheels, but not good when you're stuck. Doesn't it "lock" into AWD with all wheels getting power from 0-6mph? So if I get where I'm stuck and stop, and give some throttle slowly shouldn't all 4 wheels receive power? You're really doing a great job selling me on the Rogue guys!

**EDIT**. Nevermind, re-read your post and it makes sense. :-)
The AWD does indeed start out at 50/50 when starting from a dead stop then reverts to FWD. In the heavy stuff, you can also use the AWD lock button which keeps it at 50/50 until you reach higher speeds.

The Rogue's AWD system is quite complex. It's more than just wheel speed. It also uses the steering angle, and the lateral G sensor (from the stability control system) to calculate the torque split or 'how much AWD' is needed. As a result, it's very fast to respond to changing conditions.

hammester
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 7:10 pm
Car: 2010 Wicked Black Nissan Rogue SL with leather and premium packages
Location: North Carolina

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Is your price for a 2011 or 2010 model? If that is for a 2011 model it is a pretty good price, but if it is a 2010 model RUN from that dealer. I just checked on cars.overstock.com for a zip code in Milwaukee and a 2010 AWD S will cost about $20,000. If you use zip code 22191 which is a VA zip code the 2010 will cost $19,000. I would take a screen shot of this and take it to your local dealer and see if they will Pricematch. I would also email all of the dealers in your area and ask them to pricematch or at least get close. This is what I did and got a 2010 FWD Rogue SL with leather and premium package for $22,350 including about $500 worth of dealer accessories. Keep in mind these price do not include any taxes or dealer fees but they do include the destination charge. Good luck on your search!

Juelze
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360 AWD

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My model was a 2010 AWD 360 S model.


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