Have You Thought About / Test Driving Anything Else?

[ImStricken06]

i HATE to do this, but im test driving a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. $30,000 msrp for a fully loaded (minus nav & the deadly turbo engine)

By "deadly" is there some sort of flaw or do you mean "deadly" as in fun?

before i answer that, do you know how turbo's work? (im not trying to be a smart-a**, just my answer will include more or less explanation in my opinion why turbo's can be troublesome)

[kerrton]

The Koreans are kickin butt man! I think they're on par or even better than Toyota and Honda quality, they're SUPERIOR in value with lower price tags and much more options on the lower trim levels. I think they're destined to be #1 in North America.

I helped my father in law purchase a new 2007 Santa Fe and it has been an amazing vehicle, and much lower price than competitors. Last year I bought a 2011 Kia Sorento for my wife with the 4 cylinder and 6-spd manual trans and we absolutely love it, build quality and value is out of this world, all competitors looked like crap in comparision and we compared it to everything.

You know the new Santa Fe comes with either the base 2.4 or a turbo 2.0 - I know you're not a big fan of turbos and since you're looking at a fully loaded model I'm assuming you may consider it??!!

Did you know the Long Wheelbase Santa Fe is coming out in a month or two, and it will be available only with a 3.3 normally aspirated V6 with direct injection, 290 hp and good efficiency!! Its only 4 inches longer and adds the 3rd row seat to replace the outgoing Veracruz, and it will compete with the Pathfinder, Highlander and Pilot.

All I can say is Nissan better step up its game big time with the redesigned Rogue or they're going to get absolutely railroaded by the Korean products!

[kerrton]

Whoops, I missed the detail about the turbo, I see you're going for the 2.4 with DI. We have that powerplant in our Sorento WITHOUT the DI, about 10 less horsepower - with the manual trans its great, no need to downshift excessively, lots of power and torque. Mated to the 6spd auto we didn't like the 2.4, but with the extra power from DI and the reduced weight of the Santa Fe Sport (Its a couple hundred pounds lighter than our Sorento) I'm sure its adequate.

[ImStricken06]

i am certainly NOT even considering a turbo. its mostly because cars NOW A DAYS like the new 4cyl ford exploder and others are relying to heavily upon that turbo to make up for the weak engine, and to market super high MPG's. that leaves the turbo to do a ton of work, and constantly under pressure/heat. in my opinion, everyday use turbos should not kick in till at least half way between 0rpm & redline(of course it depends on engine, vehicle weight, desired power, etc- but im just talking general terms). the ford explorer has the turbo at max output at 2,500rpm. for a large, heavy car, with only 4cylinders; that turbo is gonna be kicking in, in parking lots!

furthermore, maintaining absolute perfect oil conditions can get pricy. every mechanic will suggest 2,500 change intervals in the summer or hot climates and MAX 4,000miles in the winter. (even if ford says that the oil doesn't need to be changed till around 15,000.
(thats a recipe for disaster). then making sure oil lines are in perfect condition and not aging and cracking. also keeping a close eye on the inter-cooler to make sure they are not clogged with bugs(like all radiators) is another key.

even though people claim that liquid cooled turbo's dont require cool-down times, i dont believe in it. simply shutting down a hot car with a hot turbo, cuts the oil supply instantly. that oil then cakes and degrades and increases in temps almost instantly as the turbo and engine begin to get hotter after shutdown due to the coolant supply being cut as well. that kills any oil. that also causes oil blood-clots that then clog oil lines(ask almost every vw & audi owner ). this is all why mechanics and guys in the racing scene use something called a turbo-timer. it keeps the engine running when you turn your car off and leave. that helps supply fresh/cool oil and engine coolant while the engine and turbo cool down = TALK ABOUT WASTE OF FUEL ON AN EVERYDAY DRIVER.

the "sleeping volcano" is a little to much for me, in a daily driver(this is speaking as a mechanic). furthermore, its no surprise that turbo's very often need replacing at around 100,000miles. think about it, they run on hot, dirty, unfiltered exhaust fumes. sooner or later the soot builts up. also since a turbo will spin at around 100,000-200,000(WOW!) rpm's the bearings in the turbo will wear out instantly if the oil isnt fresh and cool. 9/10 turbo's die and break because of a shot bearing. once a turbo bearing does, the impeller or propeller will nick its core, and send shrapnel into your engine. so if a turbo needs replacing = its almost mandatory to open your engine as well to make sure nothing got into your engine.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH5YUw4kOQk[/youtube]

[kerrton]

If you like the Santa Fe, but aren't crazy about the 2.4 engine and obviously hate the upgraded 2.0 turbo (why pay more for something you will hate), you can get the Sorento twin with all the same parts except sheet metal, with a V6. 2013 is the last year for the 3.5 V6, 2014 model will be out with 80% new parts including new chassis and weight reduction to catch up with the redesigned Santa Fe, the major difference being the availability of the 3.3 DI V6, no 2.0 turbo available with the Sorento. 290 horsepower from this small V6 and very good efficiency, with a solid 6-speed, probably the best for long-term reliability and ease of repair if anything does go wrong in the future.

Personally I think the Sorento looks much better, it has better rear visibilty and head room, and you get more options at the lower trim levels than you do with Hyundai i.e. cheaper.

Getting of topic, I apologize, but these really are interesting powertrains. I was surprised that the new Pathfinder left the old VQ3.5 alone as the only engine option, I was expecting perhaps direct injection V6, and a small turbo optional engine. Probably best they left it alone for reliability, they have a tough enough time selling the CVT and its long-term issues with not being able to service it if things go wrong.

To clarify the Santa Fe/Sorento are not really in the same class as the Rogue, they're closer in size to the Murano, but priced like the Rogue. The Long-wheelbase Santa Fe will compete with the Pathfinder. Rogue competes directly with the Tucson and Sportage.

[ImStricken06]

the santa fe is smaller in many ways than the murano. i ran the numbers and only in width it was the same. otherwise it between ther rogue & murano. i think its a sexy car, and it certainly might replace our g37 in the near future

[Qashqai]

ImStricken, as far as I understand you are looking for a new car...buddy, don't even think about it.

If you are gone, who is going to answer my questions???

[ImStricken06]

ImStricken, as far as I understand you are looking for a new car...buddy, don't even think about it.

If you are gone, who is going to answer my questions???

hahhaha no way buddy! IM STAYING!!! not to worry!
My 2010 Infiniti g37s coupe 6mt is the being traded off for a SUV

[Qashqai]

You explained to me before but..I still couldn't understand how you can find time to answer all those questions and comments. I mean you have a wonderful lady in your life (Ms. Imstricken), you have a work, you are racing as "hobby"..so you are not a car geek living in his mother's basement!

You must be living in a 26 hour universe...

I am glad you are not going. Thank you again for all your help to us.

[ImStricken06]

You explained to me before but..I still couldn't understand how you can find time to answer all those questions and comments. I mean you have a wonderful lady in your life (Ms. Imstricken), you have a work, you are racing as "hobby"..so you are not a car geek living in his mother's basement!

You must be living in a 26 hour universe...

I am glad you are not going. Thank you again for all your help to us.

thanks for your kind words, they make my job here worth it!

[tchoke]

hey fellas
so i finaly checked out a couple of rogues both were 09 and first one was priced at 14k and had 110km
it was black with black interior and red trims, i went to a reputable dealer they are a 3rd party but is the biggest in canada
and is well respected, this is where i actually purchased my 08 altima.. anyhow got the keys and plate for it i was like the first customer
pop the trunk and noticed some scuffs on the plastic trims and the car had a smell possibly a previous smoker or pet owner
anyway go into the front and i know right away this is not the one, the interior just looked worn and beat up
started the car and it had the need a new battery hessitation... pop the hood and looked and it was just like the interior
looked like crap i was like f this turned it off and gave it back and didnt even bother.

2nd rogue was priced at 16k they had was the exact one i wanted white in colour sunroof fog lights looks like the whole package both were awd and this one was leather.. i popped the hood noticed same thing scuffs on the plastic parts of the trunk and lots of paint chips where the hood meets the bumper... anyway car was sparkling clean leather was in good condition
i sat in the back and it felt pretty good but the space definetly feels tighter than my altima the middle seats seatbelts come from the roof??? first time i saw that.. anyhow started the car and sounds really good
popped the hood looks nice and clean like either it was just freshened up or it was well maintained..

onto the test drive.. took it down the road and i noticed right away it was loud but it was not the cvt
my altimas cvt is louder the car sounded like it was a freaking airplane.. here im thinking it might be the awd system needing service or bad bearings or tires... i punched it and it felt peppy enough i was definetly wrong thinking that because it was same engine as the altima that it would be same feeling.
overall i wasnt happy with the drive both cars felt a lot older than 4 yrs old both had 110km and forsure suspensions are still original it had a trucky feeling to me like going through bumps and the whole car shakes and rattles

anyways ive concluded that if im gonna go into a rogue i might have to up my budget to get a better condition vehicle
both cars had a lot of paint chips, it felt like i was buying a 5k car where u go in thinking what do you expect its not brand new...
now i dont know if i like the drive of cuv especialy coming from a sedan,im gonna test drive 3 more rogues before i give up on it will keep you guys posted

[Rogue One]

the Santa Fe is smaller in many ways than the Murano. i ran the numbers and only in width it was the same. otherwise it's between the Rogue & Murano. I think its a sexy car, and it certainly might replace our G37 in the near future

I had a chance to briefly drive a Santa Fe... Hated it. Honestly couldn't find anything positive about it, other than it wasn't an ugly vehicle.

[kerrton]

Depends on the year, the Santa Fe was redesigned in 2007, pre-2007 models weren't very good. 2007+ sold millions and were highly regarded as one of those models that was over-designed as Hyundai had something to prove, and needed to secure their place in the market place as a top quality auto maker.

It's too bad the used Rogue's were so beat up, it's disappointing to see how people treat their equipment. If you can find a quality 07-09 Santa Fe that's well maintained I don't think you can go wrong, the AWD system is great, the suspension is softer than the Rogue's. The Rogue is better on gas, but the Santa Fe is wider and will give your 3 second row occupants a lot more comfort.

The Rogue is still a solid reliable vehicle if properly maintained and taken care of. I have friends with Fords such as the Flex, and Dodge Journey and they are always having problems. The Flex and Journey both eat brakes and tires like crazy, very costly and very difficult items to fight with the dealer to cover under warranty = big frustrations and disappointment. They also both have issues with leaking and failed hydraulic power steering units, and rough-shifting transmissions. These are newer vehicles and I'm sure the rough shifting will turn to failed transmission's sometime after warranty is up. These are major issues that will leave you stranded, frustrated and broke when you get the repair bills. The Rogue really does not have any of these issues. For all of the concern people have regarding the CVT trans, it really is a trouble-free, durable unit that has been proven to run past 300,000 km and have very few initial quality problems as well. I'm confident that the Ford and Dodge 6-speed trannies are much less reliable and problematic, and the fact that you can rebuild them may seem to be a positive but the cost quickly gets into the several thousands of dollars range with complicated new 6-speeds - this isn't a simple 4-speed, 6-speed means more parts, complexity and cost to rebuild - I'm sure its close to what a brand new replacement Nissan CVT will cost. And with the 08-10 Nissans you get the 10-year, 120,000 mile extended CVT warranty.

My Rogue is FWD and every day I thank myself for not spending the extra cash on the AWD. It costs more to maintain, and is a potential trouble-area that I don't have to worry about - if I was looking for a used Rogue I'd save the extra cash and headache and go for FWD. I live in Southern Alberta and the last 5 years we've had extreme winters with lots of deep snow and very cold temps - my FWD Rogue has been amazing even with OEM tires and with the new tires it just kicks butt. I got stuck one time in deep snow when the OEM's were getting a little worn, a quick push from a friend and I was on my way - the new tires are so much better. Many people drive AWD SUV/CUV's and have cheap or worn out tires - this is crazy, the AWD won't help you one bit if your tires are sub-par. Tires are the number one way to ensure winter driving performance! We got a ton of snow last night as a matter of fact, around 3 inches and the Rogue was fabulous again today. The traction control system works very well with FWD, and the overall geometry of the chassis and suspension feels very safe and secure - I trust my two kids lives in this vehicle every day! And when the kids aren't with me, they're with my wife in her Sorento or Grandpa's 07 Santa Fe!

[tchoke]

just wanted to update this post..
thanks to everyone that replied on this post
I decided to treat my self and buy a car for me and not for the family lol first time i bought i actually want thats for me
i guess you can say its a midlife thing lol
anyhow i put an offer on a 2010 g37x has quite a bit of km 60000 miles but got a good deal on it
just gotta bring it to my mechanic to have a go over and it should be all good.
thanks again everyone

[ImStricken06]

just wanted to update this post..
thanks to everyone that replied on this post
I decided to treat my self and buy a car for me and not for the family lol first time i bought i actually want thats for me
i guess you can say its a midlife thing lol
anyhow i put an offer on a 2010 g37x has quite a bit of km 60000 miles but got a good deal on it
just gotta bring it to my mechanic to have a go over and it should be all good.
thanks again everyone

then i will see you over at the G forum

[tchoke]

just wanted to update this post..
thanks to everyone that replied on this post
I decided to treat my self and buy a car for me and not for the family lol first time i bought i actually want thats for me
i guess you can say its a midlife thing lol
anyhow i put an offer on a 2010 g37x has quite a bit of km 60000 miles but got a good deal on it
just gotta bring it to my mechanic to have a go over and it should be all good.
thanks again everyone

then i will see you over at the g forums

thanks been lurking since last night

[ImStricken06]

thanks been lurking since last night

take that place with a grain of salt. lots of sh!tbags, immature d!psh!ts, cocky "rich-boy" wannabe's, and Mr. Know-It-Alls. I just got done schooling the main mod(blackbetty) there on a political issue. dummy wouldnt back down until i shoved proof in his face. what does the immature blackbetty do? gets in the last word, and shuts the thread down LMFAO

[tchoke]

thanks been lurking since last night

take that place with a grain of salt. lots of sh!tbags, immature d!psh!ts, cocky "rich-boy" wannabe's, and Mr. Know-It-Alls. I just got done schooling the main mod(blackbetty) there on a political issue. dummy wouldnt back down until i shoved proof in his face. what does the immature blackbetty do? gets in the last word, and shuts the thread down LMFAO

lulz on my way to take the car for an inspection
wish me luck

[ImStricken06]

lulz on my way to take the car for an inspection
wish me luck

its a nissan. you'll do fine!

[tchoke]

well took the car to the mechanic and they didnt find anything
only advice is for me to keep the battery terminal clean lol

[ImStricken06]

well took the car to the mechanic and they didnt find anything
only advice is for me to keep the battery terminal clean lol

excellent.
like i stated before, take that forum with a grain of salt. i HATE that forum. NICO is a much more mature user-base. id scope out the threads on the G's here if i were you.

[tchoke]

well took the car to the mechanic and they didnt find anything
only advice is for me to keep the battery terminal clean lol

excellent.
like i stated before, take that forum with a grain of salt. i HATE that forum. NICO is a much more mature user-base. id scope out the threads on the G's here if i were you.

thanks will do, hopefully i can take possesion soon
rough day today furnace went out and its -25 with windchill
got told need a new furnace... it never ends /rant

[Qashqai]

I just got done schooling the main mod(blackbetty) there on a political issue.

The one on gas prices, right? That discussion was sooo boring compared to the "oil catch can"

[ImStricken06]

I just got done schooling the main mod(blackbetty) there on a political issue.

The one on gas prices, right? That discussion was sooo boring compared to the "oil catch can"

lol were you following along on that site???

[ImStricken06]

UPDATE: MY REVIEW ON THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE

So I took Ms.ImStricken and went again to the Hyundai dealer to test drive the Santa Fe. We took the exact model we would buy: AWD, fully loaded black on black, with the navi & sunroof option (you men know, that in order to appease a woman, you have to give her the exact color/combo she would buy- otherwise they call the car ugly- and dont even wanna test drive it. lol) as i have stated before: i refuse to even consider the Turbo model (read above why). Anyway, on with the review.
The ride was smooth, the interior was very well crafted with no rattles, squeaks, or crackling sounds, unlike our rogue. Below is my brief thoughts on this car, piece by piece. All in all, everything from the heated steering wheel, to the leds, abundant amount of space, ergonomics = this car is a A+ in my book for the value ($35,XXX as tested)



TECHNOLOGY:
we didnt delve to much into the radio nor navigation on this test drive. we really just wanted to see the fit & feel of the car itself, and the drive. i didnt want to be taking my attention away from any possible road noise, poor craftsmanship, etc with the sound of music. so to be honest, i cant say much about the navigation nor screen setup, nor backup camera. but i do know it has a push-to-start, and the inteli key that has driver memory. it also has the exterior door handle button to unlock the car. i do know the car has built in blue-tooth like our rogue does. i do know that it has a premium Infinity Logic7 550-watt audio system with 12 speakers and a digital external amp. DID I MENTION: the front window detects moisture and turns on defroster? When walking out to the car at night, the door handles light up.






ENGINE
its awd, and a 2.4L (190hp) 4 cyl engine. the engine didnt propel the car as fast as i think the rogue can, but it wasnt that bad. The santa fe is roughly 4000lbs! (compared to the rogue: 3400lbs), so i can see how the extra 20HP that the santa fe has, gets lost in translation. anyway, it still had some pep, but man- its not a lot LOL. if you can ignore the lack of power, and instead pay attention to the extra features this car has - you'll be fine. I KNOW HYUNDAI USED TO USE RUBBER TIMING BELTS: and i made them prove to me that they no longer do, well at least not on this car - PROVEN: ITS A TIMING CHAIN(just like nissan)



TRANSMISSION
its awd, as i have stated before, and its a slight different setup. it has something called TORQUE VECTORING(idk what Hyundai calls it, but thats the real name of it). it shifts the engines power from either front to back & applies the brakes to the inside wheels, to help steer the vehicle. the Infiniti FX & JX have that. so if you are making a quick lane change, it will help steer the car, by giving the rear wheels more power, while slightly applying the brakes to the car's inside wheels to help the car steers more precisely. same things with tire slip.
it also has HILL DECENT & HILL ASCEND assist. It also has AWD LOCK feature. its a 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC. All models have the "ECO System"; with the push of a button, it improves the performance of the transmission to help you get more MPG's.



FRONT INTERIOR:
wow! blown away. 2-toned, with a fake carbon fiber looking trim. blue LED accents near the shifter (in the AUX port area), plenty space in the doors, center area, and just an all around supple, soft leather feel to everything. nothing made noise while driving. the gauges felt like i was driving a super high end luxury car. puts the rogue to absolute SHAME!!! it has a high resolution LCD screen that shows many different things about the car, radio etc. then 2 other smaller LCD screens that show other gauges. the front headrests move up & down, and forward and backwards, so you can find your perfect setup.




STEERING:
GOING SLOWLY, ITS FEATHER LIGHT! its a really cool feeling to not have to have a heavy steering wheel, when in a parking lot situation. with my torn shoulder, it felt great!



CENTER CONSOLE / CONTROL:
It also has dual climate control.






REAR PASSENGER AREA:
the rear seats can move forward, backwards, and they recline to a more sleepy, relaxed position. i think that feature is AMAZING.(considering the infiniti JX & pathfinder JUST got it) the rear windows are not only tinted, but they have the signature BMW & Mercedes privacy screens that can come up for added privacy(hidden into the door panel). i think thats a small touch, that REALLY shows how they tried to squeeze every option they could for the money. big plus. the rear seats fold down, buy pulling a latch in the trunk. (helps when trying to shove something big in there)




SUNROOF:
the sunroof is giant, to say the least. it spans from the front all the way to the rear, just like the BMW x5. big plus. they took a winter, off-road SUV and made it fun in the summer. i think thats just another sign of how they tried to cross every T, and dot every I.




TRUNK:
TONS OF SPACE! gotta hand it, to the engineers. they gave you a ton of space, and pockets to put stuff in, under the trunk. (the spare is under the car- THANK GOD, because the last thing id want to do is to have to take all my crap out, just to get the spare tire out. ahum- cough cough ROGUE)





EXTRA FEATURES:
projector headlights, led headlight strip, and blue led interior accents around the shifter, comes with a tow hitch!

[darylzero]

So I take it you bought it?? Looks nice. Where is the spare? Underneath?

Did you consider/test drive the Mazda CX-5?

[ImStricken06]

So I take it you bought it?? Looks nice. Where is the spare? Underneath?

Did you consider/test drive the Mazda CX-5?

nope didnt buy it just yet, still crunching numbers and letting the Ms. think about it. and yes the spare is under the car - thankfully. id hate to have to remove all my crap, the subwoofer, and the tray just to get the spare out- while its raining! stupid nissan

did you say mazda? boy, you're lucky im stepping away from nissan.... mazda? "hell naw!" LOL

[kerrton]

Brand loyalty aside, it's tough to ignore the offerings of Hyundai/Kia, we couldn't resist in 2011 because they were just so much better than the competition. If they were just slightly better, I'd stick with the brands that have treated me well in the past, but we just couldn't do it. We got the loaded manual 6-spd transmission that my wife wanted special ordered from the factory and they still gave us $6500 off the sticker price in the middle of the model year - not a year-end deal, it was early spring, I still can't believe the deal we got - we paid $23k Canadian!! Honda and Toyota comparables charge a good $10k more, and they offered less options, unbelievable no-brainer decision!

Here's the real important point: Even if you aren't interested in Hyundai/Kia, you should know that they're doing all of us a favor by raising the bar for all manufacturers, forcing them to step up there game. Perfect example, the newly redesigned RAV4. Nice looking vehicle, much better standard options than previous year, and MUCH LOWER starting price by about $5000 here in Canada, and they specifically have stated that their main rival is Hyundai and prices are lower to compete. Even if you buy a Toyota, you should thank Hyundai!!!

I need something bigger for my next vehicle, I'm interested in the long-wheelbase/XL Santa Fe that will be out this month. It comes with only the 3.3L V6 with direct injection. The Pathfinder has it beat in some areas such as interior comfort and practicality, but if I have to choose between the Hyundai 6-speed and the Nissan CVT, all things being equal I don't think I can stick with Nissan until they can make the CVT a serviceable part, or make replacement units much cheaper. I need to keep my next vehicle for 10+ years so these types of repairs are an important consideration. If I need to rebuild a 6-spd there are several shops in town who can do it, or swap in a used unit for me, and the odds of needing to do the work are very low. The CVT on the other hand is still a grey area in my mind, the term "bullet-proof" doesn't come to mind, and if I want to find a used CVT to swap in, no one has experience with these things except the dealer and they probably wouldn't touch a used CVT. I'm also interested in the redesigned Toyota Highlander due out as a 2014 model, hoping that it too will have really reasonable pricing. As for Dodge Durango and Ford Explorer - I can't afford them!! They're much higher priced than Nissan, Hyundai and Toyota, and why would you pay more for a Ford/Ddoge anyway??!!

[ImStricken06]

Brand loyalty aside, it's tough to ignore the offerings of Hyundai/Kia, we couldn't resist in 2011 because they were just so much better than the competition. If they were just slightly better, I'd stick with the brands that have treated me well in the past, but we just couldn't do it. We got the loaded manual 6-spd transmission that my wife wanted special ordered from the factory and they still gave us $6500 off the sticker price in the middle of the model year - not a year-end deal, it was early spring, I still can't believe the deal we got - we paid $23k Canadian!! Honda and Toyota comparables charge a good $10k more, and they offered less options, unbelievable no-brainer decision!

Here's the real important point: Even if you aren't interested in Hyundai/Kia, you should know that they're doing all of us a favor by raising the bar for all manufacturers, forcing them to step up there game. Perfect example, the newly redesigned RAV4. Nice looking vehicle, much better standard options than previous year, and MUCH LOWER starting price by about $5000 here in Canada, and they specifically have stated that their main rival is Hyundai and prices are lower to compete. Even if you buy a Toyota, you should thank Hyundai!!!

I need something bigger for my next vehicle, I'm interested in the long-wheelbase/XL Santa Fe that will be out this month. It comes with only the 3.3L V6 with direct injection. The Pathfinder has it beat in some areas such as interior comfort and practicality, but if I have to choose between the Hyundai 6-speed and the Nissan CVT, all things being equal I don't think I can stick with Nissan until they can make the CVT a serviceable part, or make replacement units much cheaper. I need to keep my next vehicle for 10+ years so these types of repairs are an important consideration. If I need to rebuild a 6-spd there are several shops in town who can do it, or swap in a used unit for me, and the odds of needing to do the work are very low. The CVT on the other hand is still a grey area in my mind, the term "bullet-proof" doesn't come to mind, and if I want to find a used CVT to swap in, no one has experience with these things except the dealer and they probably wouldn't touch a used CVT.

great post. i was hoping you'd chime in. hey which car did you guys get your wife?

[kerrton]

We bought a 2011 Sorento LX with 6-spd manual transmission, and the 2.4 L engine (non-GDI). We test drove with the auto 6-spd and my wife hated it, underpowered and was always gear-hunting. So as we waited for our manual trans model to arrive we didn't have high hopes, but within 5 minutes of test driving we both were absolutely floored at the different with the manual trans - it was incredibly powerful, lots of torque as we drove it up a very steep hill at highway/freeway speeds, no need to downshift below 5th and no engine lugging at all. The Sorento really doesn't have a base model, the LX has sat radio, Bluetooth, heated seats, and nice little upgrades like blinkers on the side mirrors and the list goes on.

We get amazing efficiency in this thing, transmission shifts are very smooth and clutch feel is very good. My wife came from a Mazda3 Sport 5-spd manual, so the bar was set very high, which again was why I didn't think she'd like the Sorento. But even though the transmission isn't quite as sporty as the Mazda, its fairly close and she really loves it, there is a TON of room in this thing and its really comfortable. I'm sure the 2.4 with GDI gives this powertrain the extra power it needs (GDI didn't come out until 2012), and the Santa Fe Sport is a bit lighter than our Sorento so I'm sure it works great.

Another take-away from this: the next-generation Nissan Rogue will be out for the 2014 or 2015 model year, and I'm expecting really big things from them, they have no choice, looking at the competition I'm sure the new Rogue will be stellar and probably focus heavily on efficiency perhaps with a hybrid option, and I'm guessing they'll splurge a little more on refinement with more cabin insulation/sound deadening, and of course much better tech features.