Considering a Rogue as my first new car.

[Earl Grey]

For the record I have a 1993 accord thats been great and still runs great but its time to get something new. Whatever I get it will be my first new/used car in a long time and the Rogue has my attention. I havent test driven one yet but plan to very soon. I built one on the nissan website, a black SL with the premium package and a moonroof and it wasnt as much as I expected. The only drawback just from a purely spec standpoint is that there isnt an optional nav system, but thats not a big of a deal since a portable one can be used.

[Superdave54]

I have an SL premium AWD with Moon Roof. Gotham Grey. Good for not showing dirt. I am very happy so far. I would have liked heated mirrors and seats, but did not want leather. The cloth seats are very comfortable.

There were only a few available in my area at the time. I added splash guards and a rear bumper protector later. The QR25DE motor has very good acceleration and the CVT is great.

If you are not buying it outright, check to see if you can get financing through Nissan Acceptance Corporation. I got 4.5%. Other people I know have paid from 6.7 to 9%. Good Luck.

[Earl Grey]

Thats pretty good rate. I have also been looking at the

MuranoJeep PatriotLexus RX seriesRav4CRV

and pretty much any non ugly(lol) small suv.

An AWD is around $1000 more than a FWD. What are the advantages of AWD? It gets less gas mileage(slightly) and I wont be doing any crazy off roading with it.

[Ticmxman]

Thats pretty good rate. I have also been looking at the

MuranoJeep PatriotLexus RX seriesRav4CRV

and pretty much any non ugly(lol) small suv.

An AWD is around $1000 more than a FWD. What are the advantages of AWD? It gets less gas mileage(slightly) and I wont be doing any crazy off roading with it.

If you want all the bells and whistles you have to get AWD. Things such as intellikey, bluetooth,HID lights, leather package, heated seats etc...

[Iridiman]

The Rogue in 2WD will give the best mileage of any of the vehicles you listed (and on regular gas). You may not win drag races, but the engine is very peppy. I got a Gramin Nuvi for a Nav system and couldn't be happier. Look at the threads:

zerothread/288096http://forums.nicoclub ... ead/293883

This is a good summary of likes/dislikes of the Rogue. I love mine.

[Earl Grey]

Thanks for the replies. Most of the cons are minor annoyances it looks like.

Now when are the 2009 Rogues coming out? Will there be any difference between this year and next year models? I wonder how much (if at all) the price would go down on a new 2008 when the 2009's come out.

[Derango]

The 2008 rogues are a brand new model (as of October-November) so I wouldn't expect the 2009's for quite some time.

[exeunt]

Generally the next year after a new model won't have any major changes. The 2009 probably wont' come out until at least September 2008.

I recently made a transition from a 2003 Honda Accord to the Rogue, and I love it The great part about moving to a Rogue is that I didn't have to give up the fact that driving was fun. I test drove the CR-V, RAV4, Outlander, Santa Fe, and the Rogue 3 times. The Rogue was by far the most fun to drive, and I have no regrets since.

I would only buy the AWD if I wanted all the extras, or if I was in an area with snow. Since I'm privy to both groups, it was a no-brainer for me.

[SkiHound]

Thats pretty good rate. I have also been looking at the

MuranoJeep PatriotLexus RX seriesRav4CRV

and pretty much any non ugly(lol) small suv.

An AWD is around $1000 more than a FWD. What are the advantages of AWD? It gets less gas mileage(slightly) and I wont be doing any crazy off roading with it.

I'd say the advantages of AWD are fairly minimul if you drive mostly on dry roads and don't deal with ice/snow. Advantages of AWD really come into importance when driving in slippery conditions. There are some features that you only get with AWD. I'd say the Murano really puts you in a different class, it's larger and has a more potent engine, but costs more and gets poorer mileage. I compared the Rogue to the Rav4, CR-V, Subie Forester, and Subie Outback. I specifically wanted a 4 cyl that would get at least decent mileage. The Rav4 is a little larger but I think the Rogue is much more fun to drive than the 4 cyl Rav4. I also think the seats are more comfortable and there were several features that were available on the Rogue but not the Rav4. The CR-V made me feel too much like a soccer mom. I liked the Outback a lot but really felt the 4 cyl in that car just didn't have sufficient power. I thought the Forester drive very nice but I think the Rogue is a bit more refined and offers much better styling (completely subjective). I've been very happy with the Rogue to this point. My criticisms are minor and anything in it's class would have some things that I'd nitpik. If long term reliability is good I think I'll be very happy with this vehicle.

[MagicM]

If you've been looking at the Lexus RX class forget the other 4 lexus is better, in fact if you have plans on the lexus it open up the BMWx3,Acura rdx which is a little cheaper than a rx350, and even the Infiniti Ex when it comes out next year. As for the AWD it's only good for harsher coniditions ex, snow/ice, and if you plan on getting it for offroad don't even bother.