Post by
eric_c »
https://forums.nicoclub.com/eric-c-u97816.html
Tue May 27, 2008 3:56 am
*Edited to say
Thought I was posting in the new member thread, but ended up out here in the general area. Won't let me delete - not sure if the mods can move the post?*
Hi all,
Just wanted to introduce myself. My wife and I will be picking up our Rogue this Thursday. We ended up with a Silver SL AWD with the premium package. Vehicle is to replace our dear old 1996 Pathfinder. The Pathfinder has served us well as our dog-hauler (4 dogs), winter driver, and getting us to/from the cottage every weekend. But, the rust is starting to get to her, things are starting to go, and its getting hard to justify spending money to fix something worth $1000.
We were originally planning on buying another used Pathfinder, 02-04 with 100K or so on the clock, and had saved up our pennies to the end but gas prices have really started to worry us. Going to the 3.5VQ would mean premium gas and low 20 MPG gas mileage, which would likely $80-$100/week in gas just to go to the cottage and back. Got to thinking that instead of buying another used vehicle, take the money we had saved and plunk it down as a downpayment on something new and see what the lease payments come out at. Talked to Smiths Falls Nissan where we bought our Z and was able to work out $130/month tax-in for 3 yeare lease on Rogue SL AWD with Premium they had in stock. Figure I'm going to save at least that much in gas vs. a 02-04 Pathfinder, so its pretty much a wash. Plus, no repair bills while its under warranty. Maybe another $500~$750/year if the current Pathfinder is any indication.
Overall, I was very impressed with the Rogue. Was much nicer inside than I expected, and handled nicely. CVT will take some getting used to. Wife really likes it too, which is good, since she needs something to drive in the winter when the weather dictates that the Z has to stay in the garage. She was adamant about heated seats this time around. A locking center diff should be useful for those really bad snow days. I know in my STi locking the center diff makes a big difference when slowly navigating an unplowed road.
Anyhow, look forward to getting to know you guys.
Modified by eric_c at 7:08 AM 5/27/2008