Rogue Canadian Pricing, Options, and First Impressions

[philipa_240sx]

I attended the sneak preview at a local dealer here in Canada. They had a fully loaded 2.5SL AWD on display. No test drives were available though.

First off, as many Canadians already know, our cars are much more expensive than the US even with the exchange rate factored in. I expect US pricing when released will be much lower. The follwing pricing information was provided by the Nissan dealership and Nissan Canada.

======================================2.5S FWD - $24,998 CDN MSRP- 2.5L, CVT transmission- 4 wheel disc brakes- 16" steel wheels- Tilt steering- 60/40 split rear seats- A/C- Power windows- Heated power mirrors- Power door locks with keyless entry- Cruise- AM/FM/CD, 4 speakers, aux in- Anti-theft immobilizer key- Tire pressure monitor system- VDC- ABS- Front , seat, and side curtain airbags

There are no option packages for the 2.5S======================================

2.5SL FWD - $27,598 CDNIn addition to the 2.5S it adds:- Roof rails- 17" alloy wheels- full size spare- privacy glass- heated cloth seats- drivers side seat height adjust- upgraded cloth seats- vanity mirrors- cargo area lamp

2.5 SL FWD with Premium package - $28,898 CDN- Tow package pre wiring- fog lights- Power moonroof- fold down pass. seat- paddle shifters with man mode.- upgraded audio - 6cd changer, 6 speaker, steering wheel ctrls- outside temp disp.- trip computer- tonneau cover- foldable cargo organizer- illuminated vanity mirrors- temp spare tire======================================

2.5S AWD - $27,798 CDNAdds the following to the 2.5S FWD:- AWD- roof rails- full size spare- vanity mirrors

There are no option packages for the 2.5S======================================

2.5SL AWD - $29,598 CDNAdds the following to the 2.5S AWD:- 17" alloy wheels- full size spare- privacy glass- heated cloth seats- drivers side seat height adjust- upgraded cloth seats

2,5SL AWD with Premium Package - $31,898 CDNAdds the following to the 2.5SL AWD (same as 2.5SL FWD prem pack):- Tow package pre wiring- fog lights- Power moonroof- fold down pass. seat- paddle shifters with man mode.- upgraded audio - 6cd changer, 6 speaker, steering wheel ctrls- outside temp disp.- trip computer- tonneau cover- foldable cargo organizer- illuminated vanity mirrors- temp spare tire

2.5SL AWD with Premium Package and Leather - $34,198 CDNAdds the following to the 2.5SL AWD Prem Pack:- Leather seats- 6 pwr drivers seat- Drivers seat lumbar adjust- Leather wrapped steering wheel- Homelink system- Electronic compass- One touch up/down drivers window- Bose Audio, 8 speakers- Auto dim review mirror

2.5SL AWD with Premium Package, Leather and Tech Pack - $34,898 CDNAdds the following to the 2.5SL AWD Prem + Leather Pack:- Intelligent key- Bluetooth phone capability- XM satellite radio======================================

Options are pretty similar to what's available in the US except Canadian models gets standard heated side mirrors on all models and heated seats are standard on SL trim.

Modified by philipa_240sx at 5:56 AM 8/23/2007
Modified by philipa_240sx at 7:56 AM 8/23/2007

[philipa_240sx]

Now for impressions,

First off, this is supposedly this is a pre-production vehicle that has been making the rounds at various dealers. I do not have any pictures, the ones posted on Nissan's US website are pretty decent and I cannot say there is much else to add.

Pros:- Styling is very well done. It's not your typical 2 box SUV/CUV. This vehicle really stands out in person.- Fit and finish is very good.- Front and rear seating areas are roomy for a vehicle of this size. Not as big as my '03 Altima but not cramped either. I could comfortably sit in the rear seat (I'm 5'7") without banging my knees or head.- The glove box is VERY deep. You could fit a picnic lunch for 2 inside as it's 16-18" deep. It's mounted very low on the dash however.- Rear cargo room is decent. It's somewhat irregular shaped but it is reasonably deep. If you have kids and need to tote thier playthings, you may have to pick and choose. There isn't alot of vertical space due to the sloping roofline.- Suspension looks good. Front strut and rear multi link (upper, lower links, trailing arms, anti roll bar). Thank god Nissan went fully independent in the rear. IMHO they should have put this rear suspension in the Sentra. It should handle very well.- The underbody is very clean and ground clearnace is good... not SUV high but not car like either.- The exhaust is tucked up in the chassis. You won't be rock crawling in the Rogue, but you won't rip the muffler off at the first pothole. BTW, there was talk by the sales person of possible dual exaust outlets making it to production?- The CVT is the only transmission option and should do very well in this vehicle. I want to know of manual mode sans paddle shifters are available in base models.

Cons:- The moonroof takes a huge chunk of headroom (2-3 inches). There is a 'dimple' in the rear seat headliner for extra room where your head would be, but rear seat passengers much over 6ft may not enjoy it. The stylish sloped roof is partly to blame.- Tiny c pillar windows create a sizable blind spot. They may as well not be there as you cannot see out of them from the drivers seat. Those who have learned to properly adjust their side mirrors to reduce the blind spot and shoulder checks won't have an issue. If you still like to look out the rear windows, you may be dissapointed.- The power mirror, AWD lock and VDC controls are mounted very low on the dash and angled down... they are almost invisible.- No engine cover. Not sure why and it may be fixed before production.- The rear seats do not fold flat. For that matter my Altima doesn't either.- Rear door edges extend right into the wheel wells. Although this looks better esthetically, I wonder how it will hold up in harsh northern climates.- The flip-up cargo organizer is small. Enough for grocery bags and that's it. I would personally never bother to use it,

Overall:

I like the Rogue. It's more sport than utility. The styling is very distinct... I don't think it looks like a certain Hyundai product at all. Those wanting to step up from a compact sedan but don't want a typical boxy SUV/CUV would do well to check the Rogue out. Yes, it reminds me of the similar stylish Murano in this respect. The availability of a decently equipped FWD model around $24K CDN is a bonus and undercuts both the CRV ($28K) and RAV4 ($29K) which aren't avaiable in 2WD form in Canada. Nissan should be able to sell these no problem in Canada.

Purchase plans:

I have another year left on my loan for the Alty, I will likely wait until spring so the buyout is reasonable. Then I'm off to the dealer to order a Rogue.

Modified by philipa_240sx at 5:10 AM 8/23/2007

Modified by philipa_240sx at 5:11 AM 8/23/2007

Modified by philipa_240sx at 5:23 AM 8/23/2007
Modified by philipa_240sx at 5:57 AM 8/23/2007

[Jwe]

Thanks Philipa for a writeup on the option packages... I was at the local preview on Monday, but wasn't able to snag a copy of the sheet.

As for the 6 footer comment for the rear seat, I'm 6'3" and fit mostly comfortably in the back seat with the drivers seat all the way back... I wouldn't want to go cross country in the back seat there, but I don't know many cars that I would.

[philipa_240sx]

My '03 Altima by comparison has a huge rear seat. Size wise it's a bit of a step down for me. But I love the styling and really want a different type of vehicle. For those drawing comparisons to the Hyundai... IMHO the photos don't do the Rogue any justice. You have to see it in person.
Modified by philipa_240sx at 12:31 PM 8/23/2007

[philipa_240sx]

I am continuing this from another thread...

FYI published cargo volumes:

Rogue: 28.9 cu.ftRav4: 35.9 cu.ftCRV: 35.7

For comparison my Altima only has 15.6 cu ft of trunk space and I am able to fit everything I need for work or....

A weekend's worth of camping gear, 2 tents, small BBQ, full size cooler, food and clothes

Or...

2 full size suitcases, a set of golf clubs, 3 small backpacks and a stroller.

Now I am willing to bet I can fit the same in the Rogue's 28.9 cu. ft. without piling past the top of the back seats or folding them.

That brings up another safety issue with any SUV, SUV or wagon with an open cargo area. Your luggage/cargo can turn into flying missles during an impact. One of the upgrades I immediately plan on getting is a one of those pet barriers as well as a tonneau cover (standard on premium pack) to help prevent this from happening. Granted, it may not be strong enough but it's better than nothing.

[Phil'sFrontier]

One of the upgrades I immediately plan on getting is a one of those pet barriers as well as a tonneau cover (standard on premium pack) to help prevent this from happening. Granted, it may not be strong enough but it's better than nothing.

Well you could do that....or you could use the supplied Tie Downs in the rear cargo area. I think there was four in the tester.

[philipa_240sx]

Actually I did just that. A simple cargo net from Wal-of-china-Mart and 4 heavy carabiners. The carabiners are true rock climbing ones and the net will likely fail before the carabiner does. It's better than just letting stuff fly around the hatch.