2015 Rogue AWD SL vs Subaru XV Crosstrek Limited

[ffxjack]

All set to buy the Subaru but too little inventory on the 2015 configuration we wanted since the 2016s are coming. In the meantime, I went back to the Maxda/Nissan dealer after leaving in a hurry last time, seeing the joke of a trunk in the CX-3 and taking off. The salesman basically told me for the features we wanted, the deals were much better on the Nissan than the Mazda so looked at Rogue only.

Anyways, drove the Rogue AWD SL today and it seems fine with a much more upscale interior than the Subaru.
Looking for leather, keyless entry/push button ignition, AWD with decent mileage. The dealer basically is trying to clear out the 2015 and is offering 4000 below MSRP with 0% financing currently which makes it comparable to the Subaru pricing.

Here are my concerns: seems Nissan wasn't so quick to recognize and admit problem with last generation CVTs with issues which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence if something were to go wrong at 60-70k miles in a few years from now. I've never owned a Nissan but some of those I've spoken with (and looking at Edmunds forums have said never again) while Subaru owners are happy and loyal even after the lawsuit regarding some engines with oil consumption issues.

Lastly, is it worthwhile to wait on the 2016 to get motion activated liftgate and radar based rear blind spot warning. I'm always slightly weary of some of these tech safety features--definitely would have rammed into the car next to me going 70mph if I relied on blind spot indicator today.

[phjake]

This forum has a search function and using it you will find numerous posts related to the CVT in the 1st generation Rogue. I will say the 2nd gen CVT in the 2014-2016 models is a big improvement over the 1st gen and I had no qualms buying a 2015 Rogue, however read the posts and make your own decision. Maybe you can use your concern about the CVT to get the dealer to make a sweet deal on an extended warranty. They sound anxious to deal on the 2015 models. As far as blind spot warning goes, I like it in my Rogue, but it's not perfect. When changing lanes I check the blind spot indicator, and even if its off, I still do the standard check of the rear view and driver's side mirror. Welcome to the forum.

[ffxjack]

Good idea on extended warranty. Can this be purchased later from another dealer? With Honda, I bought one online for 1/3 of what my local dealer wanted to charge and it's the exact same manufacturer's warranty!

I read through a significant portion of the 1st generation CVT issues (some posts were frankly freightening from a safety stand point). I guess time will tell for second generation CVTs.

[phjake]

Good idea on extended warranty. Can this be purchased later from another dealer? With Honda, I bought one online for 1/3 of what my local dealer wanted to charge and it's the exact same manufacturer's warranty!

I read through a significant portion of the 1st generation CVT issues (some posts were frankly freightening from a safety stand point). I guess time will tell for second generation CVTs.

I'm pretty sure extended warranty can be purchased later from any Nissan dealer. If you buy the Rogue, but not the extended warranty, you will probably get offers in the mail from Nissan to purchase one.

[followingnfront]

Wow $4k below MSRP? I really should have waited damnit...

Anyway, the Crosstrek is not comparable to the Rogue. The Forester is... And if you want fulltime AWD and almost 9" of ground clearance with comparable cargo space to the Rogue, go Forester

[NikNok]

I have both 2015 Rogue SL AWD (purchased last March) and 2015 Subaru Crosstrek XV Sport with EyeSight (purchased last Aug). Subaru EyeSight is comparable between options of Rogue SL and Murano Platinum. Both have cvt but Subi has 148hp & Rogue has 178hp. I gave my wife the Rogue since I like driving the Subi interms of not so tall but high off ground from Rogue and blind spot front pillar is better than the Rogue. Cargo space is so so on the Subi.

[ffxjack]

I have both 2015 Rogue SL AWD (purchased last March) and 2015 Subaru Crosstrek XV Sport with EyeSight (purchased last Aug). Subaru EyeSight is comparable between options of Rogue SL and Murano Platinum. Both have cvt but Subi has 148hp & Rogue has 178hp. I gave my wife the Rogue since I like driving the Subi interms of not so tall but high off ground from Rogue and blind spot front pillar is better than the Rogue. Cargo space is so so on the Subi.

You're the exact person I was looking for to answer the question!
Does your wife prefer the Rogue then?
I feel the Rogue has a much nicer interior feel and the camera system on the SL is as good as any I've ever seen. However, I preferred the ride of the Subaru. For a car that doesn't sit far off the ground, 8.7" of clearance is pretty impressive.

[NikNok]

You're the exact person I was looking for to answer the question!
Does your wife prefer the Rogue then?
I feel the Rogue has a much nicer interior feel and the camera system on the SL is as good as any I've ever seen. However, I preferred the ride of the Subaru. For a car that doesn't sit far off the ground, 8.7" of clearance is pretty impressive.

my wife is only 5 ft tall...she likes the Rogue because it sits high but too much blind spot...not much on the Subie...the Rogue has those NASA inspired seats that you won't find on the Subie but the drive difference...the Subie wheels are always on contact with the road. Also the acceleration on the Rogue is a bit heavy compared to the Subie

[ffxjack]

Thanks for your insight!

I'm likely going to order the 2016 Crosstrek if dealer honors the price quoted today. If not, I'll go with the 2015 Rogue since it seems that you get so much more and for less money even (nicer interior, panoramic moon roof, more space, way better parking camera system, automatic rear lift gate, power seats). I guess Subaru isn't really going for that target demographic.

[followingnfront]

I guess Subaru isn't really going for that target demographic.

Not with the Crosstrek theyre not... The FORESTER competes with the Rogue and targets a similar demographic.

[ffxjack]

Not with the Crosstrek theyre not... The FORESTER competes with the Rogue and targets a similar demographic.

Yes, Crosstrek is smaller so more comparable to hot new segment of CUV like HRV, CX5, juke, etc.
However, Forester was more expensive than Crossttek and CRV and Rogue are heavily discounted currently making them comparable in price. End of day, there's a certain budget that I would like to spend.

For us, we don't need that big of a car since the new car is mostly for wife to drive kids around, do errands, etc. We have an old minivan for longer trips and a full size sedan still. We figure it'll be nice to have one AWD for the handful of times around here that weather calls for it and on ski trips.

[colonelcasey]

I actually own both cars (a '15 Rogue SL and a '14 Crosstrek 2.0i Premium). Driving dynamics, the Crosstrek is definitely a bit more on the fun side. Even with a smaller engine, it feels a lot more responsive out of the gate and the all-time AWD makes you feel like you've got great control in all conditions. Visibility is also great with huge windows all around the car.

Features and interior wise, the Nissan definitely wins hands down. Sure it doesn't have the far superior EyeSight system but the 360 degree cameras are great and the interior feels like what you should be getting on a $30k car. The Subaru interior still feels like a $20k car trapped in the mid-2000's. The Subaru also has a nearly useless middle seat in the second row due to the gigantic hump in the middle...slight peeve of mine.

All in all, it's a tough choice but it's going to be hard to snag a good deal on a 2015 now with them flying off lots and close to replacement cycle. The Rogue is probably a better all-around deal with the bargains that can be struck on them with high inventory and Nissan pushing them out like there's no tomorrow.

[followingnfront]

Also, to the OP... I was just at my local dealer getting an oil change, and the salesman showed me a 16 Rogue Premium SL... There is NO foot activated lift gate a la Ford... The only differences are new colors, and an SOS button like Onstar

The Mineral Black color is pretty nice!

[ffxjack]

I actually own both cars (a '15 Rogue SL and a '14 Crosstrek 2.0i Premium). Driving dynamics, the Crosstrek is definitely a bit more on the fun side. Even with a smaller engine, it feels a lot more responsive out of the gate and the all-time AWD makes you feel like you've got great control in all conditions. Visibility is also great with huge windows all around the car.

Features and interior wise, the Nissan definitely wins hands down. Sure it doesn't have the far superior EyeSight system but the 360 degree cameras are great and the interior feels like what you should be getting on a $30k car. The Subaru interior still feels like a $20k car trapped in the mid-2000's. The Subaru also has a nearly useless middle seat in the second row due to the gigantic hump in the middle...slight peeve of mine.

My impressions exactly!
My 9yo daughter who came on back to back test drives preferred Rogue since there's more space and you could potentially recline the rear seat some. I guess it's going to come down to price.

[ffxjack]

Also, to the OP... I was just at my local dealer getting an oil change, and the salesman showed me a 16 Rogue Premium SL... There is NO foot activated lift gate a la Ford... The only differences are new colors, and an SOS button like Onstar

The Mineral Black color is pretty nice!

Thanks for clarifying that bit of misinformation for me.

[colonelcasey]

I actually own both cars (a '15 Rogue SL and a '14 Crosstrek 2.0i Premium). Driving dynamics, the Crosstrek is definitely a bit more on the fun side. Even with a smaller engine, it feels a lot more responsive out of the gate and the all-time AWD makes you feel like you've got great control in all conditions. Visibility is also great with huge windows all around the car.

Features and interior wise, the Nissan definitely wins hands down. Sure it doesn't have the far superior EyeSight system but the 360 degree cameras are great and the interior feels like what you should be getting on a $30k car. The Subaru interior still feels like a $20k car trapped in the mid-2000's. The Subaru also has a nearly useless middle seat in the second row due to the gigantic hump in the middle...slight peeve of mine.

My impressions exactly!
My 9yo daughter who came on back to back test drives preferred Rogue since there's more space and you could potentially recline the rear seat some. I guess it's going to come down to price.

The Rogue definitely wins in back seat room. The Subaru back seat is okay but is definitely more cramped and you'll probably feel it on longer drives. Rogue's seats also win the comfort contest hands down while Subaru's are merely functional.

[ffxjack]

Also, to the OP... I was just at my local dealer getting an oil change, and the salesman showed me a 16 Rogue Premium SL... There is NO foot activated lift gate a la Ford... The only differences are new colors, and an SOS button like Onstar

The Mineral Black color is pretty nice!

Other differences from:
http://www.nwitimes.com/business/transp ... 3cd77.html

Forward emergency braking.
Radar based instead of camera based blind spot detection (is it really better?)
Siri eyes free

[followingnfront]

The window sticker said nothing about emergency collision braking. The salesman, GM, and owner of the dealership didnt mention it either... I guess we will have to see but I dont think so. Maybe for the facelift (2017/2018?)

[colonelcasey]

Maybe it

The window sticker said nothing about emergency collision braking. The salesman, GM, and owner of the dealership didnt mention it either... I guess we will have to see but I dont think so. Maybe for the facelift (2017/2018?)

Maybe it was an SL sans premium package? I guess the auto-activating liftgate got pushed back to a future MY instead of the 2016.

[followingnfront]

It was a premium

[darylzero]

According to cars.com it does have the foot activated liftgate.
https://www.cars.com/articles/2016-niss ... 680884012/

Most significant changes:
Foot-activated power liftgate, additional Nissan Connect telematics services and Siri Eyes Free now standard on SL trim.

Same here: http://www.carsdirect.com/2016/nissan/rogue

Key Updates

The 2016 Nissan Rogue will receive the following updates:

Forward Emergency Braking with SL Premium
Blind Spot Warning updated to radar-based technology
Foot-Activated Power Liftgate for SL
NissanConnect Services for SL
SiriusXM and Siri Eyes Free added to SV Premium and SL
Body-colored side mirrors with integrated signals
New exterior color: Magnetic Black

http://www.thecarconnection.com/overvie ... rogue_2016

The base Rogue S comes with power windows, locks, and mirrors; an AM/FM/CD player with a USB port; Bluetooth with audio streaming; a rearview camera; and 17-inch steel wheels.

The Rogue SV adds alloy wheels, a power driver's seat, satellite radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, pushbutton start, and NissanConnect, which enables use of smartphone apps like Pandora.

The Rogue SL gets Bose audio, navigation, a power tailgate, the Around View Monitor, 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, and leather upholstery.

Options include third-row seating, run-flat tires, a panoramic sunroof, those advanced-safety features, and LED headlights.

[followingnfront]

Ok, but those are websites... And I saw one in person, and looked at the window sticker, and spoke directly to the salesman, GM, and owner of the dealership who all said they havent heard anything about that feature. Could they be wrong? Sure, anything is possible... Im just telling you guys what Ive experienced personally.

[willnorris]

Just to follow up regarding the motion activated liftgate mentioned above... I just bought a 2016 Rogue SL this past weekend. While waiting on the paperwork, I noticed that the manual mentioned the motion activated feature (see page 3-28). The sales guy and I spent a good 5 minutes kicking at the rear bumper to no avail. They finally called another dealership and confirmed that the current models do not have this, but that they were planning to add it in the second half of 2016.

Does anyone know if that is actually common... to add a feature like this to an existing model partway through the year? Or would they likely just wait until the 2017 model?