Rogue in snow = very scary!

[TONYJETT]

I MUST ADD I FOUND MY 2008 ROGUE WITH AWD TO BE EXCELLENT IN THE SNOW THIS RECENT RECORD SNOW FALL 14" WAS A GOOD TEST OF THEAWD....I USED THE AWD LOCK BUTTON ( THEY COULD HAVE MADE THISBUTTON EASIER TO FIND AND FEEL AS ITS NOT EASY TO SEE) TO GET OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY ONCE ON THE ROAD I SWITCH OUT OF THE LOCK POSITION TO REG AWD WITH NO TROUBLE AT ALL AND I FEEL QUITE SECURE WITH OUT SNOW TIRES....ANTHONY GATTUSO LI NY

[psfod3]

I have a 08 SL awd with 40,000 miles. I still have the stock conti's and the car still does pretty well in the snow. My last car was a Subaru Forester which was great around town in the snow but totally unstable on highways in bad weather. I will most likely replace them with michelin latitude tour hp they are v rated which should not be a problem and are well rated in the snow and handling

[nbguy66]

You cannot judge a vehicle's performance after one bad experience in snow. There are many factors which influence driving experience, such as ice under the snow, slush and more.

Prior to the Rogue, I drove a Nissan XTrail through 4 winters in north-west New Brunswick, Canada. I always had winter tires from Nov-April - Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice. The XTrail was fine in snow, but was not sure-footed in slushy conditions. I rarely passed vehicles on the highway because the XT would skid too easily. (By the way, I had two cars prior to the XT, and have over 27 years of winter driving experience.)

This is the first winter I've had my Rogue. It's fitted with new Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires. The Rogue has been excellent in all winter conditions, from storms to freezing rain, and surprise slushy situations on the highway. A huge improvement over the XT and Goodyear tires. The only conditions that have caused sliding would be when loose snow sits over packed snow or ice (would cause the same concerns with any vehicle). That said, I'm a very defensive driver and adjust my speed to the road conditions. Not to say I don't enjoy the occasional intentional sideways skid in empty parking lots while my disapproving wife clutches the door handle.

In my book, the Rogue, with winter tires, is top notch in snow.

[computerguy]

WOW, I have nothing but but good things to say about the Rogue in winter best car in snow I have ever driven. And the VDC saved me from and expensive trip into a farmers field.

[Big_Joe]

I took my rogue out in the snow storm that just hit and all I can say is it is a beast. I still have the conti's on it, but she handled like a pro. I agree with everyone here it is a HUGE change from a fwd car. My previous was an '04 civic. Just trust the car and keep your put on the pedal lightly when you feel the back end start to loosen up. Really when I think about how much fun i had driving in the snow getting accustomed to the AWD system is WOW! Tons of fun in the parking lots and taking turns and feeling the car handle itself!!!! A+++

[IdaCrue]

I have nothing but good to say about my AWD Rogue and the way it handles snow and ice covered roads. I have the original Conti tires and it still grips the road and rarely, if ever, looses traction. I sometimes take a corner too fast and start to slip, but the VDC just pulls me back into alignment. I purchased the AWD Rogue because I live in the Rocky Mountains and winters are a challenge to safe driving. I have not been disappointed in the Rogue's performance in the winter, summer, spring or fall. Great car. I can't imagine how well it will perform with some decent tires.

[orijin]

Truthfully driving in the snow with the awd make your car invincible, i live in buffalo, ny where it snows every other day around winter.

Snow tires are a big help, if you have the money you could just buy new rims and put snow tires on them and them swap them out yourself when the season comes.

1. AWD + Stock Tires = Bad

2. FWD + Snow Tires = Sometimes better than AWD + Stock All Season Tires

3. AWD + Snow Tires = Good

[mydoghoser]

Wow - I had just the opposite experience. I've done a lot of snow/ice/wet driving as well and my reference standard for unbeatable all-weather performance was my Subaru Forester XT with raised suspension and bigger tires. That said, when I bought my 09 S AWD Rogue, I went straight from the dealer to the tire shop and swapped the impotent Conti's and steel wheels for some five-spoke allows and General Grabber 225/70/16's (slightly larger than stock tire size).

We were in Northern NM about 30 mi south of CO for spring break and it snowed 8-9 inches (Hwy 64/84). I've already been impressed several times with the Rogue's wet-weather performance (like it's on rails) but this was the first test driving in snow (a bit of ice here and there). It was coming down pretty hard and before we knew it there was a heavy blanket on the road and not too many other vehicles coming or going - sort of felt like no-man's land. The Rogue tracked true and stable up the mountain (10K+ ft) and then back down. And the bonus was after we stopped to get gas there was a huge mud puddle at the exit of the station. I had no idea it was like 3 feet deep chowder as I ambled through it. My sons were a little freaked as we realized the hole was kinda deep and in the middle the back end started to lip just a bit, but I just maintained a steady rate and we were up and out in no time, at which point we just had to pull over and go back and look at what we'd just come through. Mud was slung all the way up the doors (no water or slush got inside, though).

I'm still very impressed with the AWD performance and stability of the Rogue and I gotta believe the CVT has a lot to do with it. Anyway, we maintained speeds of 30-45mph though the snow and I never felt the car track anywhere except where I pointed it.

[allbluesmen]

IF you have the conti's on they are not the best in the snow, they are quieter than the dunlops but the dunlops work real well in the snow, but loud on the road. It was a trade off when I bought my wife her Rogue AWD but I knew we were going to the snow a lot and they worked perfect. If you want to upgrade your tires but not get a stand alone snow tire try the Michelin Latitude Tour HP (225/60R17 on SL models) and you won't be disappointed. I work at a tire shop and this was a huge instant upgrade, they will be pricey but well worth it.

[StndrdRogue13]

What seems similar to me with my Nissan Rogue 2013 AWD is I wonder if I am stopping correctly during the cold Winters in CO. The first time I gently pushed my brake pedal the car did not stop and I kept moving as I heard what sounded like metal to metal (and I know the brakes are good...had them checked). I had to gently pump the brakes to stop without hitting the car in front of me. So now in the Winter before I hit traffic, I pump my brakes on a mile long road first, which seems to get...is it ice off the brakes? Am I stopping wrong .... anyone else experience this? I searched the forum and did not find similar post.

[ImStricken06]

What seems similar to me with my Nissan Rogue 2013 AWD is I wonder if I am stopping correctly during the cold Winters in CO. The first time I gently pushed my brake pedal the car did not stop and I kept moving as I heard what sounded like metal to metal (and I know the brakes are good...had them checked). I had to gently pump the brakes to stop without hitting the car in front of me. So now in the Winter before I hit traffic, I pump my brakes on a mile long road first, which seems to get...is it ice off the brakes? Am I stopping wrong .... anyone else experience this? I searched the forum and did not find similar post.

never pump ABS brakes. you are going to lock them up.

what you hear is tires slipping, and the ABS module kicking in. you need to slow down, is all you need to do.