Rogue in snow = very scary!

[92hatchattack]

Now i must say i have owned alot of different small cars, all fwd. The Rogue is my first larger car, and also my first AWD.

I thought it was going to be very nice in the snow, and allthough it is nice for getting unstuck i find it extremely scary to drive on the road. The car is very unstable and i always feel like my rear end is trying to sneak out on me. Last night in the snow, doing only 25mph going dead straight is came out on me for no reason. Almost spun me.

Let me once say again i have done a A LOT of driving in the snow in the past and never once have i been as scared to drive in a straight line as i am with this thing.

Has anyone else had the same experiance?

[ntwrkd]

Now i must say i have owned alot of different small cars, all fwd. The Rogue is my first larger car, and also my first AWD.

I thought it was going to be very nice in the snow, and allthough it is nice for getting unstuck i find it extremely scary to drive on the road. The car is very unstable and i always feel like my rear end is trying to sneak out on me. Last night in the snow, doing only 25mph going dead straight is came out on me for no reason. Almost spun me.

Let me once say again i have done a A LOT of driving in the snow in the past and never once have i been as scared to drive in a straight line as i am with this thing.

Has anyone else had the same experiance?

You have to learn to "trust" the awd. You said "Almost spun me". I'm assuming you didn't actually spin out. My experience has been that the car feels like it's going to whip around but a light and steady foot on the gas pedal will transfer the power to the wheels that are getting grip. I must admit, the first time my wheels started slipping, I took my foot off the gas and ended up at an awkward angle almost stopped as my forward momentum was not enough to keep me rolling. Again, slight pressure on the accelerator as you start to spin will give the AWD system the power to transfer the drive to the tires that are getting grip.

[92hatchattack]

I was about 30 degrees turned... Thats a substantial danger on a two way street. Going in a straight line this really shouldnt happen i feel. I constantly feel that my rear is slipping out from me, even with the AWD lock on. Really conffused i must tell you.

[ntwrkd]

Maybe someone else with more AWD experiences can chime in on your situation. Some info on the AWD lock...... zerothread/302258

[philipa_240sx]

From personal experience....

The stock Continental tires are not the greatest. Especially in snow... and it's even worse on ice.

That being said, I have 4 snow tires on my Rogue SL FWD and have not had the issues you are experiencing. Snow tires make a world of difference, AWD is not going to help if the tires are not up to the task.

[mrirvine]

Do you have a rear brake caliper thats partially stuck on?

[92hatchattack]

^^^ i highly doubt it. I would think these days that something like that would throw a cel.

[trusty_getto]

That is bizarre. You might want to check to see that everything is alright with your AWD, as my Rogue is much more stable and controllable on snow/ice than any vehicle I have ever owned (including Chevy S-10 Blazer 4WD). I find myself much more in control during dangerous conditions than those around me on the road/fwy.

[rjchoops]

That is bizarre. You might want to check to see that everything is alright with your AWD, as my Rogue is much more stable and controllable on snow/ice than any vehicle I have ever owned (including Chevy S-10 Blazer 4WD). I find myself much more in control during dangerous conditions than those around me on the road/fwy.

I agree. I have not had any snow trouble with my AWD either. Something must be wrong with your car.

[92hatchattack]

Maybe im just used to my smaller hondas that cut through the snow better? I supose i can mention it next time i go in for an oil change.

[paulvanharte]

Sorry, you must be doing something wrong, because I have yet to experience anything like you describe. You are sure the VDC is on and not off??I love my AWD in the snow. You have to get used to the VDC. I dont care what people say about AWD, but if you just have all seasons, you will notice decreased handling in snow. First thing I did was get some good snow tires and that makes a huge difference.

Paul

[92hatchattack]

Nothing wrong here. VDC is on of course. Know all about VDC .. had the same in the 350Z i used to have. Both these nissans ive had have been the worst ive ever had in the snow, allthough it was expected from the Z, i thought the Rogue would be much better than it has been.

Maybe i will try some snow tires next season, But its kinda a big investment when you consider having to purchase another set of rims as well.

[Nick 568]

The Rogue is the best car I've ever driven in the snow. I brag to my friends about how controllable it is...I do have snow tires, but when I drove it with the stock tires in the snow/ice, it was absolutely no worse than any other car without snow tires. Perhaps not as good as my Ram 1500 I had, but that weighed just under 6000 lbs compared to the Rogue's ~3300 lbs, and it had all-terrain tires compared to the stock all-season's on the Rogue.

And you don't have to buy new wheels for winter tires. Any tire shop can swap your summer and your winter tires out for you. It runs about $38 where I get it done, but that is pretty cheap. I think otherwise, you can expect $50-60 each time.

[going rogue]

Nick, do you have the AWD or the FWD?

[Robteesit]

I Must agree with Nick 568 - I have owned a few 4wd vehicles in my day but the Rogue is the most stable of them all. I was in the storm of the century here on the east coast and this little car performed fantastic. On hills and heavy snow, 14 inches, I just flipped it into 4wd lock, and it just ate up the hills and dug right thru the snow, with the stock tires. Fantastic stability, very sure footed from this drivers point of view. The hardist part I have is gettin in and out of the driveway after the snow plow pushes new snow in front of it...Maybe it's just where I live, and can't speak for anybody driving conditions, but as much as I complained about the low speed shudder on this car - is just the oppisite of how I feel about driveablity in the snow of this little beauty....

[Nick 568]

Nick, do you have the AWD or the FWD?

I have the AWD like the OP.

[philipa_240sx]

Hmmm, an AWD or RWD car will be far different in the snow compared to the typical FWD. Oversteer is something many FWD car users are not familiar with.

Where is Pescakl1? He's the winter driving guru...

[koolyce]

The Nissan Rogue AWD drive like a charm in winter condition.

First, with AWD, the rear will skid first if you accelerate when you turn. This make the car easier to control with some "drift".

Also, the Rogue comme with VCD, so if your tire slip, the VCD will do the job to keep the car in control.

If it is your first AWD, I recommand you to try your Rogue in a parking with some snow, because the feeling is completely different.

Once you will get some practice, you won't go back a a RWD or FWD.

[Couz]

I agree with Phil,

The tires make a world of difference.

i unfortunately got caught in a snow storm four days before my appointment to get my winters on.

it was hell driving in the snow and ice with the continentals...when I put my snow tires on it was great, it felt so much more stable and i felt in control, very confident.

[Leo2005]

I don't know why do you complain so much about but I found Rogue much safer than my '97 audi a4 quattro which had 4wd turned all the time. I could spin on the snow so easily and there was no traction control. Take a look at this video. It is old but still alive and I saw my audi just a couple days ago: http://video.google.com/videop...s+a4#

[Pescakl1]

Where is Pescakl1? He's the winter driving guru...

Hello, I am back!!! (from a business trip).

So, I am a snow guru now ? Doing stupid things in the snow usually don't qualify people as gurus at the end, but why not.

I pretty much agree with everything that has been said previously, especially the winter tires advice. But getting winter tires for one or two snow storms a year may be quite a expense.

Something that has not been asked to the OP: Did the snow were even on the road when the car moved?That reminds me when I had my Subaru Legacy (Subaru = ones of the best of snowy conditions): Everybody were going too slow to my opinion on the highway, so I decided to use the third line which was unplowed and barely used. The left front tire took a groove while the right one hit a plow a slush heavy snow, which instantly tried to spun me around. I believed I was at about 30 degrees spun when I was able to catch it back (thanks to the all wheel drive system, keep your foot down), and I decided to stop my idiocies and go back in the middle line with the others.

If one side of your car hits more snow than the other, it will be slowed down and makes the car turn around. That is what may be happened to you.

The AWD system of the Rogue is probably one of the best of the non-permanent ones (permanent ones: Subarus and I think the RAV4). As contrary as the others which takes too much time to kick in (= too late), the one on the Rogue works almost all the time: At the start, in curves, etc...

I thought it was like the other ones, that is why I bought a FWD, but if I had to do it again, I would probably take an AWD (but there was also some economic reasons for the FWD choice).

Also, check your tire pressures: If they are too high, you will lose some grip. You could them down to about 28-30 psi during snow storm to get better grip and more confidence, and then back up to 32-34 when there is no snow on the road.

[philipa_240sx]

Hello, I am back!!! (from a business trip).

So, I am a snow guru now ? Doing stupid things in the snow usually don't qualify people as gurus at the end, but why not.

I dunno what it is, the more snow there is the greater the challenge... and I actually enjoy driving in it!

I think I should get one of these for a winter car:

1991 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R Rally Spec:

- 2.0l turbo I-4, over 300hp- ATESSA ET-S AWD system (with electronic/computerized torque split)

Note: The production version of the GTI-R used 230hp motor and a simpler AWD system. Sadly, they were never sold in North America.

[sileung]

I beg to differ, I think the Rogue is great in snow compared to many other cars.

Like others have stated, winter tires are your best bet.

[kerrton]

I too agree that the Rogue is exceptionally good in snow, so if your troubles continue and you feel your Rogue is extremely dangerous, perhaps there is an issue and you might want to discuss it with your service manager. But I'd suggest driving it a lot more and trying to get used to the vehicle first, good luck!!

[jk47]

I have to say I was surprised when I read your experience with the AWD rogue. I traded in the worst handling car in the snow I ever owned (98 Accord coupe - FWD) and couldn't be happier with the rogue. We just got hit with almost 2ft of show here in Philadelphia so I've had a good chance to put it through it's paces on some 1/2 plowed and unplowed streets. On the 1st day (just for fun) I pulled right out of my snowed in street parking spot without lifting a shovel. I really didn't expect it to work but it was effortless. Street parking is a breeze. I can just back it in over whatever tracks or snow piles are there. I took turns that would have pinwheeled my accord with minimal slip in the rogue (this is with the stock Conti's with about 16k miles on them) I feel the back drift out a little at the start of the turn then the AWD kicks in and straightens the car right out. All in all this car has made driving in my neighborhood fun instead of the white knuckle experience I used to have on snow days.

[Leo2005]

Going to test your snow this weeked:) Planning to visit my sister in Dallas, PA.

[Couz]

I think tire quality has an impact too.

I have the Yoko Geolanders, I think in thick snow they are great, but in slushy post snow storm conditions it doesn't grip as well, especially when taking off from a complete stop.

But then again those are probably the worse road conditions, slippery and slushy, so I shouldn't expect perfection.

[cd_zzzzz]

Not Scary!

I drove in a full out Chicago snowstorm this past weekend and the Rogue (2009 AWD) was rock solid. I felt completely in control. Great in the snow & ice.

[defiant324]

I felt the same way until I ditched the stock tires & bought a set of Yokohama Avids. The tires make a huge difference

[RubenTheRogue]

I'm on 30k miles and my second winter on those "crappy" conti's. Not a single problem, even in the the 3 day storm up here in NY.

I think it is mainly the driver, not the tires.