New Rogue Decision

[jeff5]

Hi everyone,

My wife is considering buying either a Rogue or Honda CRV. She loves the way the Rogue works and its features. We're a bit concerned about the CVT and things we've heard. We took it for a test drive and revved it up pretty good. Yes, there is some noise and it doesn't feel like a normal transmission. However, it didn't seem like a big deal for us.

I'm interested in others experiences with the Rogue's transmission and the car in general. I think the trans is still warrantied for 10/1200000 so that makes us more comfortable. Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jeff

[JLD94]

I have not had any problems with my 2014's CVT so far. I have put around 4600 miles on it so far. My only serious complaint would be the heater. We also have a 2013 Accord, which has Honda's CVT in it, so far good with it too. It has about 11,000 miles on it.

I have not looked into it, but I don't remember anything about the CVT on the 2014 being warrantied for more than 60,000 but I could be wrong.

We looked at the CR-V and I wanted to like it, but it's lack of center console to put my arm on was the biggest problem for me. The little arm just didn't do it for me. Rumor has it that the 2015 CR-V will have a CVT also, but I don't think that has been confirmed yet.

[ImStricken06]

I think the trans is still warrantied for 10/1200000 so that makes us more comfortable.

that stopped in 2010. new rogues are 5yrs/60k

Nissan has extended the Nissan New Vehicle Limited Warranty for the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) to 10 years/120,000 miles (whichever occurs first) for CVT transmission repairs, replacement, and related towing on all 2003-2010 model year Nissan vehicles equipped with the CVT. The remainder of the powertrain warranty coverage for components other than the CVT transmission remains unchanged. All other warranty terms, limitations and conditions otherwise apply.

Please note that this is not a safety recall, and there are no safety issues relating to your Continuously Variable Transmission.
http://www.nissanassist.com/web/CVT/index.php?menu=8

[jeff5]

Ah okay got it. Thanks!

[followingnfront]

If you want to know about CVT issues, look up "2013 Altima forum CVT issues" on google... Or some variation of all those words... You'll get results. The new Rogue has the same new CVT that the 2013+ Altima does...

Also, its worth noting that one of our (5 or so?) members on here with a 2014 Rogue had to have his replaced already.

On the flip side I wouldn't exactly want a CRV either... How about Forester? Or CX-5? Or Cherokee (not Grand)?

[DAC603]

Hi everyone,

My wife is considering buying either a Rogue or Honda CRV. She loves the way the Rogue works and its features. We're a bit concerned about the CVT and things we've heard. We took it for a test drive and revved it up pretty good. Yes, there is some noise and it doesn't feel like a normal transmission. However, it didn't seem like a big deal for us.

I'm interested in others experiences with the Rogue's transmission and the car in general. I think the trans is still warrantied for 10/1200000 so that makes us more comfortable. Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jeff

The cvt is fine by me.

However, if you live where it is cold make sure you check to see if the floor board heat will meet your needs. As on by 2014 Rogue the air is so Luke warm it has a cool feeling on my legs. Had I known this I would never have made the purchase and in fact I am thinking about trading it in.

[jeff5]

Yes, we do live where it's cold! Chicago to be exact and it's been horribly cold this year. My wife may take one for an extended test drive this weekend and we will definitely test out the heat thing, thanks for the heads up!

We tried a CX-5, and she didn't like it. It didn't seem to have great pick up (to her) and it seemed really small. The backseat, where we'll need to put two card seats, seemed a small as her little Hyundai Elantra. She just didn't like it.

Thanks for the suggestions on the Cherokee and Forester. I think we need to check those out and do some test drives before we make a final decision.

[1019throw]

Yes, we do live where it's cold! Chicago to be exact and it's been horribly cold this year. My wife may take one for an extended test drive this weekend and we will definitely test out the heat thing, thanks for the heads up!

We tried a CX-5, and she didn't like it. It didn't seem to have great pick up (to her) and it seemed really small. The backseat, where we'll need to put two card seats, seemed a small as her little Hyundai Elantra. She just didn't like it.

Thanks for the suggestions on the Cherokee and Forester. I think we need to check those out and do some test drives before we make a final decision.

I wrote a quick review of the new rogue here:
2014-rogue-can-we-get-a-non-complaint-t ... 85281.html


As far as the heater, I live in PA and its been bitterly cold this year. Anytime the defroster is running, it automatically switches to pulling air externally. If you want better heating on the floor, you need to make sure that you change it to recirculate the cabin air and you will have much better results for floor heating. Overall, the Rogue has been great so far for me.

[McHale]

@jeff5

I probably live within an hour of you (I work in Joliet) and I test drove the 2014 Rogue a couple times during these conditions. I didn't notice any issues with the heat and one of the nights I drove was in a bad snowstorm with sub zero temps. I ordered my 2014 SL AWD Premium Package about a month ago from Martin in Skokie (I got an insanely low price). If you go to their website you will find a $500 off coupon and if you contact them via the web, you will pay $200 over list. I got a better deal than that and they gave me more for my trade-in (while allowing me to drive it until the Rogue comes in) than any of the 7 dealers I talked to. If you want, PM me and I'll give you more details.

Before you consider the Forrester, you'll want to check out their forums as well. I found plenty of threads about their horribly reliable transmissions and after owning Jeep products in the past I'd never own another. My first choice was the Rogue and my 2nd was the RAV4. My last vehicle was the Toyota Matrix and I put over 200,000 miles on it and the ONLY thing I ever had to do with it was change the oil. Nothing EVER failed on it or needed repair in the 9 years I owned it. In fact, the only reason I didn't buy the RAV4 months ago was because I depend quite heavily on the in-dash GPS and it was unusable in sunlight and the sales guy was an a-hole. Had he been a decent guy and made me an acceptable offer, I'd never even have looked at the Rogue because I didn't even comparison shop. I was buying the RAV as soon as the 2014's came out.

Anyway, that's my .02.

-Mc

[Leonard1818]

Jeff, have you considered looking at the Rav4? If you can find a 2013, there are pretty good incentives on them right now. We were cross-shopping the Rogue and Rav4 and ended up going with the Rav4. The only things that turned me off about the rogue were the trans and the little problems (some medium) reported on here. The rav, in comparison, has all the cool features of the Rogue that mattered to us plus a traditional automatic (6-spd). The front end looks are not my favorite, but they're growing on me.

[jeff5]

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions everyone! We've pretty much narrowed it down to the CRV or Rogue. My wife test drove a Rav-4 tonight and she didn't like it. I liked it's roominess and features and the touchscreen was awesome. However, the ride was a bit stiff, and she didn't like how close the steering wheel was to the dash. I didn't drive it, so I can't comment, and it's ultimately her car and she has to be comfortable in it.

We also went to a Subaru dealer but they closed at 6 so we couldn't test drive anything. The sales people there were a bit snooty, and she didn't really like the interior of the Subaru.

We then went back to the Nissan dealer and test drove a Rogue again. I drove it this time and drove it hard. I didn't see any issue with how the CRV shifted or noise and I really liked the way it drove. Nice and smooth, handled great, had really good pep and pick up and was very fun to drive.

Tomorrow we'll probably go back to Honda and do another test drive. We're also working the Nissan dealer down to a lower price, and almost have them where we want to be.

So, we're getting close! Again, thanks for all the feedback.

Jeff

[Rogue One]

Have you researched Honda CR-V problems?

3 Honda CRV Problems Every Buyer Needs to Be Aware of http://www.autos.com/car-buying/3-honda ... e-aware-of
For some reason, the constant problem with A/C failure isn't one of the problems mentioned, but it is and ongoing issue. Ditto for dead battery.

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/52 ... blems/p106

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automoti ... a_crv.html

[hawki]

...
We also went to a Subaru dealer but they closed at 6 so we couldn't test drive anything. The sales people there were a bit snooty, and she didn't really like the interior of the Subaru.
....
Jeff

Forester: Are all Subaru dealers like this. Last October went to Subaru dealer to see the 2014 Forester in person and test drive. The salesman would not let us test drive one - because to him we were not serious enough to buy one that day. Without test drive how can someone even seriously consider to buy a car?
On the other hand, the Nissan dealers we visited all let us test drive without any pressure.
For us 2014 Rogue is still top of the list - has all the features we want, look, feature wise almost feel like Acura/Lexus/Inifiti level.
Drive wise to me CR-V felt most comfortable, but look (front grill going in headlights), wrinkly leather seat (in EX-L), and no 2nd row vents for my kids were show stopper for us.
I am a big Honda fan but its a shame in CUV Honda offers nothing that we would like to buy. I even looked at Acura RDX (great power/ride) but don't have 2nd row vent (unbelievable, have to go for MDX for 2nd row vent!!).
However, the new Urban CUV looks really nice (http://automobiles.honda.com/urban-suv/), but may be too small too late for us (and I would not buy in 1st 3-6 months of new production). Hope it does not come with a CVT as in Accord.
Rav-4, looks good, has manual shifter with 6-speed auto - but the ride was stiff and seats were not very comfortable. Interior looked less spacious too, even thought on paper it says bigger than the CR-V.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

[JLD94]

...
We also went to a Subaru dealer but they closed at 6 so we couldn't test drive anything. The sales people there were a bit snooty, and she didn't really like the interior of the Subaru.
....
Jeff

Forester: Are all Subaru dealers like this. Last October went to Subaru dealer to see the 2014 Forester in person and test drive. The salesman would not let us test drive one - because to him we were not serious enough to buy one that day. Without test drive how can someone even seriously consider to buy a car?
On the other hand, the Nissan dealers we visited all let us test drive without any pressure.
For us 2014 Rogue is still top of the list - has all the features we want, look, feature wise almost feel like Acura/Lexus/Inifiti level.
Drive wise to me CR-V felt most comfortable, but look (front grill going in headlights), wrinkly leather seat (in EX-L), and no 2nd row vents for my kids were show stopper for us.
I am a big Honda fan but its a shame in CUV Honda offers nothing that we would like to buy. I even looked at Acura RDX (great power/ride) but don't have 2nd row vent (unbelievable, have to go for MDX for 2nd row vent!!).
However, the new Urban CUV looks really nice (http://automobiles.honda.com/urban-suv/), but may be too small too late for us (and I would not buy in 1st 3-6 months of new production). Hope it does not come with a CVT as in Accord.
Rav-4, looks good, has manual shifter with 6-speed auto - but the ride was stiff and seats were not very comfortable. Interior looked less spacious too, even thought on paper it says bigger than the CR-V.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

I had the opposite experince at the Subaru dealer, the guy we got was super nice, and we took it out on 3 test drives and he didn't go with us any of them, just asked if we had any questions or anything we were concerned about. Even the 3rd time he was like 'if you want to take it for the day we can do that, just need to fill out a loaner form' I really wanted to like the Forester, but the front seat cushion was a little to short and had an odd feeling to it for me.

[dmw56]

If CVT fails after warranty it will be to expensive to repair, leaving you with a Junker. Do yourself a favor , Google the costs of Nissan CVT transmission and add dealer install costs $$$$. This will add up to costing 50% or more than the car is worth.. Run from this car and any Nissan with a CVT trans..

[mag318]

Jeff,
I wouldn't worry about the CVT 99.9% of them never have a problem. I had a 2003 Murano followed by a 2008 Rogue, then a 2013 Altima and finally a 2014 Rogue and never experienced the slightest trouble in all those CVTs. I really like the CVT and the fact you never feel a shift. My 2008 Rogue and 2013 Altima had paddle shifters that mimicked a standard transmission bought found they weren't really necessary. I find the CVTs to be as reliable as any standard transmission and probably more so relying on my experience with 4 of them.