I really liked it. I couldnt figure out how to turn on the fog lights but thats the only thing I didnt know right off the bat. I was finishing the salesmans sentences because of reading posts on here and from research.

I liked the CVT, its smooth.Inside was nice.Drove great.

Some other things were good. Its at the top of my list but I still want to test drive a CRV and Patriot and maybe a Santa Fe and RAV4 before I make a final decision.

I did test drive the Rogue today with wife and son. My son drove the car and I sat at the back listening to the noise most complaint. Felt no vibration at speed changed. But noise at the back like wind going out through a crack and road noise. What I found that the rear wheel well do not have liner, if you look at the back while door open, on your left and right corners you have find grill-like for speakers or exhaust air inside the car, that is where the noise come from. I might be wrong don't take my word.

Happy Holidays

I have not driven the RAV or CRV so I can't speak to those, but I can give you my 2 cents on the Sante Fe.

I drove a Sante Fe Limited a week after driving a SL AWD w/ prem. pkge. The interior of the Sante Fe looked and felt cheap. Also, the ride quality and handling was extremely poor. I could over look these things if the price were in line with what you were getting. The sticker on the Limited was almost 29k. It had an impressive engine, but with such poor handling you couldn't really use the power.

The Rogue really beats the Sante Fe on all counts in my view.

dk

You must be talking about the higher end Santa Fe engine. The lower end model, while being a 6 cylinder, only has ~180 hp, and is very sluggish.

The RAV4 drove great, but isn't as fun to drive. Its definitely up there with the Rogue on practicality and engine performance. Its V6 model is even better, and definitely has the performance if you need it. I was planning on getting a RAV4 until the Rogue came out, and it just suited my needs more.

The CRV I found to be underpowered. Make sure you test drive it on the highway, and attempt some high speed passing. It depends on the type of driver you are, but I needed some more power at high speeds.

I also tested the Outlander, which was pretty decent. Great warranty, nice ride and features. Didn't really like the look that much.

i'm still deciding between the Rogue and a couple of options.

I've already nixed the idea of the Rav and CRV. Both are excellent cars, but much too boring for my tastes.

I'm leaning towards the Mazda CX-7. It's nearly the same amount of money between the Rogue and CX-7 although the Mazda's higher model puts it about 4000 more expensive with all the extras. Looking at the extras there's nothing important in there.

I would choose the CX-7 because it looks and feels like a much more expensive ride than the Rogue. The Rogue does look nice, but still don't like the cheap front fascia look, or the cheap seats (they don't really feel, or even look nice), I'm also not sold on the CVT, but a base model Rogue vs a fully loaded CX7 would save a ton of money I can put to something else

I think the choice will come down to two things, MPG and body roll.

I've been looking at reported mpg carefully, and it appears the Rogue is only 1 or 2 points better than the CX7 if not the same, and the CX7 for 08 has been downgraded from premium to regular.

I am also not a fan of the bodyroll you get in minivans and SUVs, or even regular sedans (civic below the Si models are pretty bad). I need to go test the Nissan and Mazda through some spirited corner driving.

I think i'll have a look at the Santa Fe, wouldn't be fair to outright dismiss it without having a looksee.

Before you get your heart set on the CX-7, check out its reliability... So far, first year reliability is well-below average says Consumer Reports.

oh yeah, i know about those.

It's first year issues that I'm hoping (and need to confirm) that have been sorted out 08.

There are a number of small TSB's that need to be addressed, nothing's major though so I'm not worried - software upgrade, gas cap etc... If it were something like a suspension/structural flaw in the Honda Element that caused the rear wheels to bow outward, I'd forget the CX7 altogether.

the rogue seems to have faired better in it's first year, which is great

I also was trying to decide between the Rouge and the Mazda CX-7. I liked the way the CX-7 looked but the reliability isn't that good. I was a little leary with the Rouge being the first year. I have owned 4 other Nissan's and have been very happy with their reliability. For $1,000, I purchased the 6 year, 75,000 mile warrentee. Once I test drove the Rouge, I was set. It drove like a sports car, little to no body roll. It has some great options like Bluetooth, AWD, MP3.

rossifumi wrote:i'm still deciding between the Rogue and a couple of options.

I've already nixed the idea of the Rav and CRV. Both are excellent cars, but much too boring for my tastes.

I'm leaning towards the Mazda CX-7. It's nearly the same amount of money between the Rogue and CX-7 although the Mazda's higher model puts it about 4000 more expensive with all the extras. Looking at the extras there's nothing important in there.

I would choose the CX-7 because it looks and feels like a much more expensive ride than the Rogue. The Rogue does look nice, but still don't like the cheap front fascia look, or the cheap seats (they don't really feel, or even look nice), I'm also not sold on the CVT, but a base model Rogue vs a fully loaded CX7 would save a ton of money I can put to something else

I think the choice will come down to two things, MPG and body roll.

I've been looking at reported mpg carefully, and it appears the Rogue is only 1 or 2 points better than the CX7 if not the same, and the CX7 for 08 has been downgraded from premium to regular.

I am also not a fan of the bodyroll you get in minivans and SUVs, or even regular sedans (civic below the Si models are pretty bad). I need to go test the Nissan and Mazda through some spirited corner driving.

I think i'll have a look at the Santa Fe, wouldn't be fair to outright dismiss it without having a looksee.

When I see a CX7 on the road, I don't immediately class it in a different class than the Rogue. In fact, whenever I see a Mazda, I generally feel sorry for the driver. This coming from an owner of a previous Mazda product; they're not high on my list of cars to repurchase.

From what I've read, the CX7 sounds like a nice car, and it's great news to hear about the regular gas downgrade. However, Nissan products have never done me wrong (knocks on wood) and I feel more confident and comfortable purchasing a Nissan.

Finally, from my research (I'm also in the market and am deciding), the Rogue appears to be the most nimble and sportiest SUV out there.

I've ruled out the Santa Fe (yesterday) without driving it. I personally can't get over the Hyundai brand image and potential weak resale value. I'm standing in between the Rogue and the Rav4 V6. The Rogue is winning slightly since it presents a better value and I like Nissan more than Toyota. However, the Rav's V6 is absolutely brilliant. I've driven a Rav4 V6 AWD for an extended period of time (week rental) and fell in love. I hope to test drive the Rogue this weekend and see if I can live with a 4 cylinder.

BrianV wrote:
When I see a CX7 on the road, I don't immediately class it in a different class than the Rogue. In fact, whenever I see a Mazda, I generally feel sorry for the driver. This coming from an owner of a previous Mazda product; they're not high on my list of cars to repurchase.

From what I've read, the CX7 sounds like a nice car, and it's great news to hear about the regular gas downgrade. However, Nissan products have never done me wrong (knocks on wood) and I feel more confident and comfortable purchasing a Nissan.

Finally, from my research (I'm also in the market and am deciding), the Rogue appears to be the most nimble and sportiest SUV out there.

I've ruled out the Santa Fe (yesterday) without driving it. I personally can't get over the Hyundai brand image and potential weak resale value. I'm standing in between the Rogue and the Rav4 V6. The Rogue is winning slightly since it presents a better value and I like Nissan more than Toyota. However, the Rav's V6 is absolutely brilliant. I've driven a Rav4 V6 AWD for an extended period of time (week rental) and fell in love. I hope to test drive the Rogue this weekend and see if I can live with a 4 cylinder.

PS - It's worth noting that the upcoming VW Tiguan looks VERY attractive in this space. The TDI version even more welcome.

be still my beating heart... it's got a manual shift! ok, now I have to look into this VW, I'd given up hope of having a std in these crossovershttp://www.motortrend.com/road....html

it's still largely unknown and unconfirmed, but Audi has a new crossover or sportwagon type of car coming out, the A2, sometime this year

re: reliability, it's worth noting that the Mazda has topped the reliability charts with it's 3, over the hondas and toyotas, and that's certainly no small accomplishment, so Mazda seems to have gotten their act together.

rossifumi wrote:be still my beating heart... it's got a manual shift! ok, now I have to look into this VW, I'd given up hope of having a std in these crossovershttp://www.motortrend.com/road....html

it's still largely unknown and unconfirmed, but Audi has a new crossover or sportwagon type of car coming out, the A2, sometime this year

re: reliability, it's worth noting that the Mazda has topped the reliability charts with it's 3, over the hondas and toyotas, and that's certainly no small accomplishment, so Mazda seems to have gotten their act together.

Well it IS coming to the US, but what's unknown is whether the manual will make it or whether the TDI will make it. Only the Sport & Style package will likely make it overseas.

Regardless, that thing is PIMP.

rossifumi wrote:i'm still deciding between the Rogue and a couple of options.

I've already nixed the idea of the Rav and CRV. Both are excellent cars, but much too boring for my tastes.

I'm leaning towards the Mazda CX-7. It's nearly the same amount of money between the Rogue and CX-7 although the Mazda's higher model puts it about 4000 more expensive with all the extras. Looking at the extras there's nothing important in there.

I would choose the CX-7 because it looks and feels like a much more expensive ride than the Rogue. The Rogue does look nice, but still don't like the cheap front fascia look, or the cheap seats (they don't really feel, or even look nice), I'm also not sold on the CVT, but a base model Rogue vs a fully loaded CX7 would save a ton of money I can put to something else

I think the choice will come down to two things, MPG and body roll.

I've been looking at reported mpg carefully, and it appears the Rogue is only 1 or 2 points better than the CX7 if not the same, and the CX7 for 08 has been downgraded from premium to regular.

I am also not a fan of the bodyroll you get in minivans and SUVs, or even regular sedans (civic below the Si models are pretty bad). I need to go test the Nissan and Mazda through some spirited corner driving.

I think i'll have a look at the Santa Fe, wouldn't be fair to outright dismiss it without having a looksee.

I agree that the Mazda CX7 is a good looking sporty crossover. It does turn my head when I see one. I thought about checking one out, but didn't once I saw the real world milage reports of 15-19 mpg, of course these were only reports, but I would not risk having a new vehicle that got that poor of fuel milage. I will say that the Rogue has been rock solid around 24 mpg mixed driving and as high as 28 on the highway at 75mph for me in my 2wd Rogue. I don't think I have seen any CX7 owner report this good of fuel milage. The Rogue also handles pretty good with very little body roll. Other comments I have read noted that the CX7 had quiet a bit of road noise, I find my Rogue to be very quiet.

BrianV wrote:PS - It's worth noting that the upcoming VW Tiguan looks VERY attractive in this space. The TDI version even more welcome.

TDI isn't coming and its a VW you'll have a lemon,way before you leave the dealership lot,and the interior cargo space is the smallest out of all the SUV's and the sides are blocked inside so its a small and tiny square area which means alot of lost room. The Rouge and many other SUVs have the sides of the cargo area open so you can put more things in there,and there is more space for putting things on the side and straight etc. I don't trust VW,plus VW's reliablilty rating is terrible just like BMW and Mercedes. The Tiguan looks too much like a Hyundai/kia and more like a lifted golf/rabbit.. and it will most likely be mid to high 30's for nav and a few other small options which is too high. I can get a Rouge for much less and the Rouge has much better reliability and i can get an aftermarket nav/backup camera. The Tiguan,just for the sunroof that will cost you like $1,800-2,000 and the nav,an extra 2-3 grand etc. The base Tiguan is 22k but you don't get anything with it at all and for the high end model that will probably be 26k but with nothing either. So just think about that,VW and reliability don't go together in the same sentence.

Modified by Rogue Man at 7:06 PM 12/27/2007

Modified by Rogue Man at 7:08 PM 12/27/2007
Modified by Rogue Man at 7:08 PM 12/27/2007

Rogue Man wrote:
TDI isn't coming and its a VW you'll have a lemon,way before you leave the dealership lot,and the interior cargo space is the smallest out of all the SUV's and the sides are blocked inside so its a small and tiny square area which means alot of lost room. The Rouge and many other SUVs have the sides of the cargo area open so you can put more things in there,and there is more space for putting things on the side and straight etc. I don't trust VW,plus VW's reliablilty rating is terrible just like BMW and Mercedes. The Tiguan looks too much like a Hyundai/kia and more like a lifted golf/rabbit.. and it will most likely be mid to high 30's for nav and a few other small options which is too high. I can get a Rouge for much less and the Rouge has much better reliability and i can get an aftermarket nav/backup camera. The Tiguan,just for the sunroof that will cost you like $1,800-2,000 and the nav,an extra 2-3 grand etc. The base Tiguan is 22k but you don't get anything with it at all and for the high end model that will probably be 26k but with nothing either. So just think about that,VW and reliability don't go together in the same sentence.

Modified by Rogue Man at 7:06 PM 12/27/2007

Modified by Rogue Man at 7:08 PM 12/27/2007

Yeah you're right, a loaded Tiguan will run $35k or so, but it has many options like NAV, park assist (like the Lexus), etc. My bet is that if you configure it similarly, it will be in the ball park. I agree with the questionable reliability of VW but if it were out today with the TDI I'd sport it. I doubt it'll come TDI but they are bringing the Jetta TDI back this year. My bet is if it does well, they might bring the Tiguan.

These import companies need to start a positive advertising campaign around diesel. Too many Americans think of brown smoking trucks and old Benzs and horrible smelling vehicles. That's just not the case. Diesel has come so far and I'd definitely drive one. However, America has a love-crush for hybrids which have unproven long-term reliability (I know my laptop and cell phone battery doesn't hold a charge as well over time, etc.), and the disposal of the batteries when the car gets retired is a bigger environmental danger than all of the extra fuel the car would've burned in its life-time if it weren't a hybrid.

I rented a brand new BMW 525d in BMW for a week in Germany and it got 45 mpg on the autobahn, and I was running it hard 180-210 km/h most of the way. I got almost 60 mpg when in the speed restricted 120 km/h areas. It wasn't the fastest thing in the world, but I'd dig having that car here. Prius like gas mileage in a large, luxurious full size:

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-r....htmlPics of our rental; sweet when I found out it was a 6spd with only 8km on the clock.

BRING DIESEL INTO THE US.

tikus wrote:I did test drive the Rogue today with wife and son. My son drove the car and I sat at the back listening to the noise most complaint. Felt no vibration at speed changed. But noise at the back like wind going out through a crack and road noise. What I found that the rear wheel well do not have liner, if you look at the back while door open, on your left and right corners you have find grill-like for speakers or exhaust air inside the car, that is where the noise come from. I might be wrong don't take my word.

Happy Holidays

I didnt hear that sound myself. Couldnt you put some dynamat around that area?

It was a wet and raining day, I sat at the back of driver side. I heard that wind noise like the hatch door did not closed properly. That salesman did not admitted not hearing it. Beside that I still like to buy Rogue. Oh, I will test drive one more time before buying I will put my jacket in that area to see if that noise come from there.