SV AWD with SL 2011?

[frankf]

Hi,

Just signed up hoping I'll get some useful info here. RIght now I have a 2006 Is250 AWD. I love the car, but having it for 5 years, the kelly blue book value is between 16-17,000 right now and in 3 yrs who knows. I'm thinking of trading it in sometime this year. I'm looking at the Rogue and the RAV 4. The RAV4 is a bit higher in price, but it has much less than the SV + Sl package for that price. I dont need all that extra stuff in the Sl package, would prefer leather and sunroof. Main concerns-winter driving (NJ), safety, reliability, more economic to own.

My questions- How is the maintence cost of this car? How much should I expect to pay? (The msrp is $29,200.) Simple question, but cant find the answer- regular unleaded gas?

Thanks

[rayjgold]

I just got the 2011 SV/SL in November 2010. I did a pretty long review on in it this forum....it is still on the first page just scroll down a bit.

I also Have a Rav4.

I like the rogue better.....for the looks and the fact that the rear gate opens up instead of out, like the Rav.
The Rav4 is a Better and faster car though, and you can get pretty much the same features in both....but of course the Rav is a lot more expensive.

But they are both great cars. the rav is wider than the rogue and maybe a little longer as well. It feels like the rogue is just a car that is higher......The Rav seem much bigger inside than the rogue.....you are noticeably further away from the passenger in the Rav.

The Rav has the available 3rd row seat and dvd entertainment for the kids....rogue doesnt have this option.

I live in the tristate area as well, and the rogue went though the snow storm with no problem...I didnt get stuck once! But when I drove the Rav, I felt I had less of a chance of getting stuck than i did in the rogue...if that makes since.....The Rav felt heavier and pulled its weight a lot better. But both cars did good. And i have to say, I dont even like driving the RAV anymore after having the rogue :-)

Both use regular and I paid 25k for mine...fully loaded.

[philipa_240sx]

My questions- How is the maintence cost of this car?

I have 76,000mi (122,000km) and nearly 3 years on my Rogue.

I have had very few repairs:

Warranty Repairs:
- Steering Gear Recall
- CVT Reprogramming
- Door handle seal recall

Non-Warranty Repairs:
- 2 stabilizer end links (worn out after 60,000mi): $115
- Failed evaporative emissions vent valve. Replaced with new re-designed Nissan part (it should not fail again): $320

Maintenance:
- Summer Tires at 60k: $750
- Winter Tires: $1100
- Brakes: $500
- Cooling system flush @ 60K by dealer: $100
- New accessory drive belt @ 60K installed by dealer: $100
- 12 Oil changes @ $75 (6K interval, Castrol Syntec): $900

IMHO, these are fairly normal operating costs @ approx $1000/yr. Keep in mind I drive about 30,000mi/yr. I have yet to incur any major repairs or other expenses.

[frankf]

Thanks for all the info. The tires-atleast they have the capability of lasting 60k. I have to change like every 25,000 and only avg about 12,000 miles/yr right now. An issue with the RAV is that the tire is attached to the back (the sport doesnt have this but run flat tires at $200/piece is a lot. I'll have to add some suv's to my research list.
Not married and don't have kids, so no dvd thing-not a problem

I dont plan on driving over snow mounds, just something i can feel secure in the winter with...seems the rogue fits the bill. I'm gonna test drive both so I can see for myself also.

[philipa_240sx]

frankf:

The stock tires may well last 60K. Depends on your driving. I only got about 40K out of the stock Continentals. I have since installed Yokohama Avid TRZ. My winter tires are Nokian Hakkapeliitta R SUV, they don't come cheap but they are one of the top winter tires on the market.

[kerrton]

Hey Frank,

Philipa240sx gave a great overview that pretty much reflects my experience with my 08 FWD Rogue maintenance costs as well, although I drive much less than he does. Another significant point regarding maintenance and the Rogue 2.5 engine is that it does have a timing chain, rather than a timing belt which Toyota had been using in 2008 when I did my research, not sure about the 2011 model year though. Changing a timing belt is a significant maintenance cost (several hundred dollars normally) that you won't have to worry about with the Rogue.

One additional thing that I would highly recommend when test driving the Rogue and competitors is to drive over rough rutted snow and ice-covered roads, washboard would be best, and listen to the noise from the back hatch area as you drive. Myself and many Rogue owners have found the noise from the back cargo area to be quite loud due to a lack of sound deadening material and it seems that the rear mulit-link suspension is quite loud in cold winter conditions. I get a consistent loud knocking from the rear suspension in winter over rough roads that I really don't care for, however when it warms up a bit the noise disapears and everything sounds much better. It's not a really big deal but I just want you to be aware ahead of time and not get stuck with a surprise later on!!

Overall the Rogue is a great vehicle and I've been very happy with it for almost 3 years, it offers the perfect balance of utility, efficiency, and fun, and it requires only regular unleaded fuel....good luck with the research and eventual purchase and let us know if we can help out with any other opinions and info.....we're always happy to help!

edit: I just thought of one more thing, if you test drive the Rogue in cold weather, ask the salesman not to warm the car up ahead of time. The engine is quite loud when cold and it's been discussed on this forum a lot, nothing to worry about but just another thing you should be aware of before purchasing and make sure you're ok with it. If they warm it up before the test drive you won't get a chance to decide if it's an issue for you or not because the engine is very quiet when warm and the CVT keeps a high gear ratio so rpms are quite low; for the majority of owners it's not a big deal but everyone is different.