2nd Gen Nissan Rogue Vs Competitors?

[LamyVista]

I need help with my decision making. We are considering a new family vehicle and we are basically stuck in deciding between the Kia Rondo and Nissan Rogue.
We have 2 toddlers, and would like to get a 7 seater for the occasional visitors/family coming over.

I like the Rondo for its versatility and that it's efficiently built. The 3rd row seats are more comfortable than in the Rogue. However, for a vehicle this small, I would expect better fuel economy. 7-8litres highway and 10-12 litres city is pretty bad IMO.

On the other hand, Nissan Rogue has a more comfortable ride, less outside noise (except for the engine) and looks better than Rondo. However, you do have to move to the SV trim to get the 7 seats, but with this you get a plethora of features like the moonroof, push-button start and all-around view cameras. I don't really like the 3rd row on the Rogue, as it is basically only usable for small children.

Fuel economy wise, these cars are similar, but I'm guessing that the Rogue has better towing capacity (???). The cargo space is similar (slightly better on the Rogue).

When you compare similarly equipped trims, the difference in price in these two vehicles is about $2K (Rogue being more expensive). The benefit of the Rogue, however is that you can have the 7 seats with the cheaper LX trim...

I would like to welcome any input from you guys.

Thanks.

[tsumeone]

They don't sell the Rondo in the US so I can't give a great opinion either way, but I can tell you that the towing capacity on the Rondo will probably be higher. The Rogue uses a CVT transmission where from what I was able to gather the Rondo does not. CVTs are traditionally not rated very highly for towing and towing too heavy a load will risk damaging a current generation CVT. CVTs will run about twice as much in terms of replacement cost, so you would not want to risk that. The 2014 Rogue is rated for only 1000lbs towing capacity in the US.

[Ferrisfan]

I'm also in the US and can't speak to the Rondo. If I needed a 3rd row, I would opt for a Mazda5 over a Rogue. I've owned a previous generation Mazda5 and found it to be a quality vehicle.

[LamyVista]

I'm also in the US and can't speak to the Rondo. If I needed a 3rd row, I would opt for a Mazda5 over a Rogue. I've owned a previous generation Mazda5 and found it to be a quality vehicle.

I would go for the Mazda 5 if it had a Skyactiv engine and hence a much better fuel economy than it currently has. I still need to test drive the Mazda 5...

[LamyVista]

They don't sell the Rondo in the US so I can't give a great opinion either way, but I can tell you that the towing capacity on the Rondo will probably be higher. The Rogue uses a CVT transmission where from what I was able to gather the Rondo does not. CVTs are traditionally not rated very highly for towing and towing too heavy a load will risk damaging a current generation CVT. CVTs will run about twice as much in terms of replacement cost, so you would not want to risk that. The 2014 Rogue is rated for only 1000lbs towing capacity in the US.

Thanks for the response tsumeone. I was surprised the Rogue only tows 1000 lbs which isn't much. Your explanation makes sense though.

[sprocket]

Yeah, the 3rd gen Rondo never made it to the US so only our Canadian friends can help you out with that.

The 2014 Nissan Rogue curb is only slightly heavier than the 2015 Kia Rondo 7 seater by approximately 50lbs but Rogue has a larger, more powerful engine so I trust it's best you test drive them back to back and figure out which one works best for you. I do recommend that you test drive it with some passengers to give you a sense of how it does when weighed down a bit.

Rogue SV FWD is 3,413 lbs.
Rondo 7 seater FWD with 17" wheels is 1,564 kg which converts to approx 3,448 lbs.

Rogue 2.5L engine is rated 170 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 175 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm.
Rondo 2.0L engine is rated 164 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 156 lb.ft. @ 4,700 rpm.

Rogue tow rating is 1,000 lbs but the Rondo tow rating is not published, Kia doesn't sell a tow hitch accessory for it so not sure what it could handle.

[Rogue One]

You're going to have to compromise. List the features you must have, from the most to least important. I know you're not keen on a minivan, having said "I know a grand Caravan would be perfect in terms of practicality, but I don't like it's gas guzzling properties." But if all you really care about is how much gas a particular vehicle uses, then you'll want the Rogue. It's towing capabilities are only a minor drawback as you've only briefly mentioned the subject.

You had wondered about the release date for the 2015 Rogue. It won't be out until this fall, maybe September at the earliest.

[LamyVista]

You're going to have to compromise. List the features you must have, from the most to least important. I know you're not keen on a minivan, having said "I know a grand Caravan would be perfect in terms of practicality, but I don't like it's gas guzzling properties." But if all you really care about is how much gas a particular vehicle uses, then you'll want the Rogue. It's towing capabilities are only a minor drawback as you've only briefly mentioned the subject.

You had wondered about the release date for the 2015 Rogue. It won't be out until this fall, maybe September at the earliest.

Yes, I would like to stay away from mini vans, as we have had a compact up to now and don't feel we need to make a jump quite that big. I'm still debating if we should stick with a 5-passenger albeit bigger vehicle, since we will only need the 3rd row occasionally. However, I would prefer to have the 3rd row just in case, although I like the Mazda CX-5 and it's fuel economy. Too bad the cargo space is smaller compared to the Rogue.

One more question. Do I need to worry about the CVT issues that have plagued Nissan in the past or is that now taken care of with this new CVT?

[tsumeone]

There have not been many reports of issues with the new generation CVT, although it's a bit too early to tell. I think this version of the CVT first debuted on the 2013 Altima.

[casperfun]

In the United States we have the 2014 Kia Sorento which is more comparable with the 2014 Nissan Rogue.

[LamyVista]

In the United States we have the 2014 Kia Sorento which is more comparable with the 2014 Nissan Rogue.

Yes, the Sorento is more comparable to the Rogue, we have it here in Canada as well. However, since you have to go with AWD and V6 here in Canada to get the 7 passenger Sorento, the fuel economy is a lot worse compared to the Rogue.

[NYCH]

This may be weird or dumb not sure but, are there any side by side pictures of the rogue next to maybe a rav4 or crv? Side by side? I rarely get a chance to see the rogue in my area, very few, so never get the chance to compare it maybe in a parking lot or something like that. I have seen them at the dealer but never side by side with like the rav4 or crv, to get a better idea of what it is like compared to them.

[khulk]

Closest side by side with pictures I found was this article: http://blog.wellesleytoyota.com/blog/bi ... ssan-Rogue

There's more pictures below in the article too. I wonder if there would be any youtube comparison videos?

[NYCH]

Thanks for that, yea i tried checking youtube and i was really surprised that their weren't any. I wish they were more common here so i could compare them myself as I am going to be getting one sometime in early 2015..

[rzn972]

Thinking about these two vehicles in the 2015 model. My main issue is reliability. I am not going to be driving it much, probably less than 8k miles a year. However, I would be using this car for a long time (5 years +). Which car is more reliable?

[hawki]

Welcome to the Nicoclub.
We are in a similar situation (to replace my wife's car) .
Which trim level of each are you considering?

[ImStricken06]

i'd say both have their ups & downs. here are my opinions:

honda: bad
expensive to start
expensive to maintain
timing BELT that is expensive to maintain
transmissions do tend to go around 150k (clutch packs using go at that mileage)

honda: good:
built VERY well
great resale value

nissan bad:
transmission is known for failure.
transmission service is expensive(its mostly the expensive fluid. but luckily you dont have to do it often. like every 60k or so)
the build quality leaves much to be desired. its not the nissan it once was. cheap plastics.
garbage brakes. and i mean it
somewhat noisier than other SUV's. (they saved money on that)
transmission noise: groans, whines, whistles, etc when hot.

nissan good:
engine is known to be solid / reliable.
cheap to maintain everything but the transmission.
decent resale value. a lot better than any us brand or mazda.
ride is pretty sporty considering its a little suv.

to be honest: i wouldnt pick either. i also have the 2013 hyundai santa fe, and its flawless. its got 10x's more feature for almost the same money, and its just as simple to own as the honda transmission and nissan engine. simple 4 cylinder engine mated with a standard 5 or 6 speed transmission. non of the nissan CVT crap to deal with. and its larger. check it out before you make up your minds. or at least check out the rogue/crv competition: Hyundai Tuscan

[TrevorK]

Have you considered buying a used car?

With the amount you are driving, you could easily turn a "high mileage" 2013/2014 into a low mileage vehicle within a three years, which will help with the resale value of the vehicle (as a percentage of your purchase price, as you receive a discount on a "high mileage" vehicle). With the low amount of driving you will still have the warranty, etc intact.

[xtrailmty]

there is a few videos on youtube comparing both suv, try "xtrail 2015 vs crv" and you will find a lot. I personally hate the design of the trunk of the crv. Thats why i got a "xtrail" Rogue here in usa.

[CapeCodChips]

to be honest: i wouldnt pick either. i also have the 2013 hyundai santa fe, and its flawless. its got 10x's more feature for almost the same money, and its just as simple to own as the honda transmission and nissan engine. simple 4 cylinder engine mated with a standard 5 or 6 speed transmission. non of the nissan CVT crap to deal with. and its larger. check it out before you make up your minds. or at least check out the rogue/crv competition: Hyundai Tuscan

==========================================%========

I test drove the Santa Fe and loved it except the steering problem. It wouldn't track straight.
Google Santa Fe steering problems. Hyundai doesn't have a solution.
It may be only one in 25, but I drove one, and it was terrible.

[N.Y.C.H]

I am finally in the market and I have narrowed down my options between the new 2015 nissan rogue or the 2015 ford escape. I really am split 50/50 and have no idea which would be better. I posted this to see if anyone has experience with the ford escape or whether or not one is better than the other?

[Lone Wolff]

We test drove the Escape, the Mazda CX-5, and the Nissan Rogue. Our preferences were in that order, from low to high. We got the 2015 Rogue 3 months ago and so far are very satisfied.

Biggest difference we noticed was roominess of the back seat. We have two kids both with car seats. Moving those car seats into each test drive really highlighted a small difference in width, but even one inch wider makes all the difference when buckling in booster seats.

The Escape seemed like it was bargain bin interior. Very 'cheap' feel to everything. The Mazda and Nisan were both more 'luxury' feeling. At least to us. And my previous 4 cars/trucks were all Fords. Still own a Ranger & a Fusion, so I'm not a Ford hater.

The Escape just didn't quite measure up to the Rogue, figuratively and literally. I'm sure mechanically they're both OK. Some people are turned off by the Nissan CVT, some people are turned off by the higher stresses that a turbo will put on that small Ford motor... Test drive them both and see which feels right to you. The stuff that was important for my family may be no big deal to someone without kids.

[b-mtrd]

We also test drove the other cars in the same category (Rav4, CRV, CX5, Escape and Rogue).
We wanted to like the Escape but like mentioned above the interior didn't feel up to par to the others. The base engine is really underpowered and the model with the turbo was expensive. For the money you pay for an eco-boost Escape you could get a nicely equipped Rogue.
Test drive them both, take then for longer rides, go into parking lots. If you have kids bring them with you.
At the end it boils down to what you are looking for in a Compact SUV.
Good luck.

[ImStricken06]

nissan on a bad day, is ford on its best day.

-thats my 2 cents.

[engineer20]

So Consumer Reports recommended the new Rogue, but it ranked its reliability as merely "average" cmopared to many other Japanese cars and compact crossovers which ranked "above average" like the subarus (subaru uses the same oil filter as nissans for some reason), and honda, and even mazda, etc.

How does the nissan compact SUV stack up against the competition, domestic and Japanese, and why a rogue? WHy did you choose the rogue, and what about the rogue makes it stand out that you'd buy one? I'm averaging 24 mpg in mine. I see the subies and the mazda get higher MPG and have better track records for reliability, so why the rogue? Tell me the story of your rogue and why you chose it, and if you also own a car made by the competition, tell me how the rogue stacks up to the other car. Thanks!

[Rogue One]

...How does the nissan compact SUV stack up against the competition, domestic and Japanese, and why a rogue?...

Ok, so we already had three threads started on the subject of comparing the 2nd gen Rogue with the competition, so I've combined all four.

Just an FYI, we have an incredible SEARCH feature on this forum.

[whizkidtn]

i'd say both have their ups & downs. here are my opinions:

honda: bad
expensive to start
expensive to maintain
timing BELT that is expensive to maintain
transmissions do tend to go around 150k (clutch packs using go at that mileage)

honda: good:
built VERY well
great resale value

nissan bad:
transmission is known for failure.
transmission service is expensive(its mostly the expensive fluid. but luckily you dont have to do it often. like every 60k or so)
the build quality leaves much to be desired. its not the nissan it once was. cheap plastics.
garbage brakes. and i mean it
somewhat noisier than other SUV's. (they saved money on that)
transmission noise: groans, whines, whistles, etc when hot.

nissan good:
engine is known to be solid / reliable.
cheap to maintain everything but the transmission.
decent resale value. a lot better than any us brand or mazda.
ride is pretty sporty considering its a little suv.

to be honest: i wouldnt pick either. i also have the 2013 hyundai santa fe, and its flawless. its got 10x's more feature for almost the same money, and its just as simple to own as the honda transmission and nissan engine. simple 4 cylinder engine mated with a standard 5 or 6 speed transmission. non of the nissan CVT crap to deal with. and its larger. check it out before you make up your minds. or at least check out the rogue/crv competition: Hyundai Tuscan

IMHO: Not sure why you rate the 2014 Nissan CVT transmission as "bad" or "known for failure". The CVT was redesigned for the next gen Rogue (the 2014 being the latest generation) and I've not seen any failures on these boards. This redesign went away from the ZF designed/supplied versions (which had been mostly debugged by this point) to internally developed versions. So any reliability reports about the CVT transmission prior to 2014 is comparing apples to oranges.

[whizkidtn]

Opps! I meant the JATCO not ZF for the Nissan Rogue.

[kleduc1]

Hello everyone- I am looking to buy a Rogue SV or Forester Premium. The Rogue is very attractive, good ride, great seats/storage, and really good discounts/financing. The Forester (and Subaru) seems to have more reliability with AWD, but with less discounts/financing (ie costs a little more). My defective '17 Kia Niro is being bought back and was a nightmare, so have become a little OCD in reading reviews, and am becoming overwhelmed with the mention of the Rogue's vibration in the CVT issue. I am really leaning towards the Rogue, but also want to be satisfied with 20k miles a year of driving for the 72mos (length of loan) without major repairs. I need a reliable car, AWD would be great in the western mountains of Maine, and comfortable. The spaciouness, heated seats, and all the other extras would be a bonus. My wife's Dodge Journey fills our needs with 7 seats, even with FWD.

Would the Rogue suit my needs of a commuter car? I was very impressed with the one test drive, and am going back today to check it out on the highway. It is my 1st experience with a CVT, so on that I hesitate (especially after being burned with the Kia Hybrid). I know that most forums highlight the negative- hard to search for "I love my Rogue and would recommend it!". I have a coworker that has bought 2 Rogues, and does recommend them.

Any and all thoughts would be helpful!!

Thanks.

[Rogue One]

Merged with existing thread.

The Forester, in case the salesperson failed to mention it, has a CVT. My partner had a Forester that had lots of problems. It was incredibly slow from a dead stop. The tailgate light was constantly coming on indicating it was open (but wasn't), however the Subaru mechanics could find nothing wrong with it. If you lowered the drivers window, the hatch warning light would go out. Barely kept it two years before unloading it.