Black Rogue ... will I be sorry?

[SimLex]

This is my first time posting here. I am in the market for a new car right now. Up until yesterday, I had been considering the Jeep Liberty and the Ford Escape. My mom said yesterday that I should take a look at the Rogue. I didn't think I would be interseted in a crossover SUV, but decided to go ahead and check it out online.

I spent hours last night researching it and reading posts on here and was up WAY past my bedtime! I am so impressed and really cannot wait to go to a dealership and take a test drive. I've seen others on here say that they fell in love once they test drove it ... I'm hoping that happens to me! I really like what I have seen and read so far and especially like the price and mileage.

Anyway, my current SUV is silver which I have absolutely loved and really thought that I wanted to stick with silver this time also. However, I really like the look of the Rogue in black! I've never owned a black car before though and have always heard that they always look dirty. What have your experiences been? Will I be sorry if I go with black?

Thanks!

[kerrton]

I traded a black car for a new Rogue, and wouldn't buy a black one again if I had the choice. It wasn't terrible, but you see every surface scratch and swirly in the clear coat, and if you do get a deep scratch it is really noticeable. I don't think it was an issue with it looking dirty, but the visibility of scratches was.

Just go drive it and see what you think. A lot of people don't like the CVT transmission, so make sure you like it first before worrying about color. Myself, I don't mind the CVT performance, but once I get used to using it to keep rpms low and mpg/efficiency high, I really like it. But for pure performance I still much prefer a typical 5-speed auto. Just take your time and test drive lots of vehicles and test drive the Rogue more than once on different days because that can make a big difference. Also, consider that the close competitors of Toyota and Honda are more expensive (compare 4-cylinder models) and get poorer performance AND fuel efficiency. The Rogue isn't perfect but I think it's the best balance and bang for your buck.

[spicekay]

I have a black rogue and I love it! There is nothing more beautiful than it. Initially i was worried as well about black showing more dirt/scratch cause I never had a black vehicle before. Now i have no regrets ( and I dont wash my car every week either). I park in a uncovered drive way all year long and other than the obvious dust or water marks if the rain feel, its really no issue or requires any more maintenance than other colors. To be honest, I see dirt and scratches more so on white vehicles than black. I posted pics of my rogue in another topic

[kots]

i have a black one and i wash it every week. it's usually a joy to wash my black rogue but sometimes, it's just too much hassle maintaining a clean black rogue. i guess it depends on how much you are dedicated in keeping your ride clean.

[kerrton]

......Or how picky you are. I think washing a car once a week is really excessive, unless you drive a lot miles and it gets covered in bugs, or if it's winter time. If you live in the real world and don't mind a little bit of superficial dust/dirt on your car there is no problem. I wouldn't worry about black unless you are really a neat freak, and even then I don't think it's that big of a deal. Like I said before, IMO the drawbacks of black paint are less about day-to-day dirt than the longer-term paint scratches and clear coat swirls that seem to be more noticeable, but you have to weigh that against your love of black - if you love black and the Rogue looks sweet in that color, then don't worry about it!

[Eikon]

Welcome SimLex.

I think you'll find that most agree that Black is Beautiful! As long as it's clean. It certainly does take more effort to keep clean than say a silver car.

It all depends on your personal habits. If you don't mind a dirty car, or you don't mind cleaning your car frequently, go for Black. I think Black is the finest shade for any car (save a Ferrari or Lambo).

If you don't want to clean your car often, or you hate the sight of any dirt, get a lighter color that won't show as much.

Good luck with the test drive. Let us know how that goes.

Don't buy on the spot based on emotion. Do your homework and negotiate a good price and buy the car that your brain says is best for you.

[SimLex]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The lease on my current car is up in about 5 weeks. I don't plan to make any major decisions until I get closer to that time. I want to use this time to gather info and be as informed as I can be to make the best decision.

I do plan to test drive the Rogue soon though.

Thanks again!

[Goblin]

Black is beautiful but cleaning it takes considerable effort. I owned a black car once and you could see the streaks where I had missed spots after cleaning it. I'd spend all day washing that car. Never again!

[cdmuile]

Welcome SimLex,I, too, looked at the other vehicles you mentioned. When I bought in March, the Escape didn't even have 4 wheel disc brakes. Shame on Ford. This is a SAFETY FEATURE! Back to the Rogue, We love it. Be sure to drive it and throw it around a bit. This is as close to a European sports sedan as you can get for under 30 grand. And a SUV to boot. Black really is beautiful, but the upkeep will turn you off in a month or so. Please reconsider your color choice. Rogue Iradium is cool as is our Gotham. Just an opinion.

[nami]

I love the black. I thought It's a badass color although my girlfriend like white color a lot. However, we end up getting the indigo blue. IMO, black is nice but it get dirty fast...

[Lightforce18]

i have a black rogue also. I only wash it once a month tho. Im lazy lol

[Bibbers]

I've got a black rogue and i love it. Wouldn't trade it for the world..But if i had 2 choices it would be either black or white.When i look at mine i think "bad ***", when i see a silver or grey one i think boring...Washing it everyweek is a bit of a pain in the rear, and once winter's here it'll look like crap...but hey, in the summer it's sweet

[Jimothy12]

I've always wanted a black car. My second car was charcoal gray, almost black. My third car was dark green, almost black. So this time since I was buying new, I wanted BLACK.

I'm 26 and am a car freak. I don't mind washing it once a week, sometimes twice if it rains. Black takes work but its worth it. It looks so slick.

I think the chrome grill I added also sets it off. Early next week I have an appointment to have my front two windows tinted (35%).

(This car was on the showroom so the dealer also pinstripped it with a Dark Grey and a light Grey line

[SimLex]

I did end up with the Wicked Black and I'm LOVING it! My car looks exactly like yours, with the same pinstriping. I don't have the chrome grill though and mine has the crossbars (is that what they're called?) on the roof rails.

Can you post a pic of yours after you have the front windows tinted? I've been thinking about doing the same myself.

I should post a pic of mine soon.

[Jimothy12]

Just got the tint done today. This is the only picture I have so far. 17% to match the rear

[Bacon]

looks good... im thinking about pickin up the chrome grills for my girlfriends rogue. wicked black with 20% tint to match the back, led license plate bulbs and 6k hids...

[mx6bfast]

My wife has a black 02 Mustang convertible and it looks awesome. I purchased a black Rogue and think it is awesome. It all depends on what color you like. Personally I don't like the smurf blue color, but other people really like that color, and it's fine. It should be about what you like. If you are concerned about keeping it clean then that's a little ocd.

I'm thinking of tinting the front windows, and currently like the all black look even though I thought I want want chrome grills. If I could turn everything black I would, personally.

However I like grey and silver ice, but love the black.
Modified by mx6bfast at 6:56 PM 11/22/2008

[Lexi'sSexyRogue]

I've always wanted a black car. My second car was charcoal gray, almost black. My third car was dark green, almost black. So this time since I was buying new, I wanted BLACK.

I'm 26 and am a car freak. I don't mind washing it once a week, sometimes twice if it rains. Black takes work but its worth it. It looks so slick.

I think the chrome grill I added also sets it off. Early next week I have an appointment to have my front two windows tinted (35%).

(This car was on the showroom so the dealer also pinstripped it with a Dark Grey and a light Grey line

Thats funny, because I started out with a tan car, then dark green, and this time I wanted black too! I'd go with black if you have the time for extra upkeep... I wash mine inside and out often. But I did only get it about 3 weeks ago.. We shall see how long that lasts haha.

[CincyRoguer]

I went in looking for Black, but I really didn't like it in person. To me, it's a "flat" black and not a metallic black, and I decided against it. I do agree a black car is very pretty, but I decided on the Gotham Gray. It looks gray in cloudy weather, but I think it has a gold shimmer to it in the sunshine. It's all personal preference!

[eric_c]

My first Nissan was a black-on-black 2000 Maxima SE 5-spd. I waited 2 weeks for that specific colour. I loved it in black, but....the car always looked dirty. Black just shows every little spec of dust. The other problem I had with with black, at least on the Max, is that the primer coat undereath was white, so every rock chip stood out like a sore thumb.

Our second Maxima was a 2002 Majestic Blue (dark blue) SE 6-spd and it was more or less the same problem. It looked great clean, loved the colour, but it always looked dirty.

Since then, all our cars have been silver.

[Nissan Newbie]

My 1 month old Rogue is black and I've already discovered that it shows swirl marks and scratches easily. I love how black looks on a vehicle. My previous car, a black Buick Lacrosse, looked really sexy and the black paint seemed to be harder and didn't show swirl marks. I really like the Rogue in black and would not get another color if I had the choice. I'm just going to try to find a good polish for it and wax it two or three times a year like my previous vehicles.

[rogue06th]

I just got a black '09 Rogue. I love the color.

I brought it in for a service at Alhambra Nissan. Without informing or permission, they washed my new, never been washed, '09 Black Rogue with broomsticks. The Mirror-Like black color has turned into parallel patterns of swirls and scratches.

The worst are swirls and scratches on flat black vinyl that taped to the door frames (B,C, and D Pillars on both side). These scratches can not be removed. The vinyl tape have to be replaced. Just the labor cost for replacing, $150 per door by Nissan. The parts have to be ordered from Nissan only about $60-$70 per door.

I called them the next day and drove back to Alhambra Nissan a week later. The Service Manager denied everything. I was told that the brushes that they used for car wash are softer than a microfiber cloth that I used to wipe off dust.

Right now I am searching for a car Detailer that can remove the scratches and swirls from the flat black vinyl tape doors. I hope that there is one in the world.

[rogue06th]

technique for properly washing a black car

Adams Polishes: Washing The Car