My wife is wanting a new, used, car. She thinks that she wants a SUV...I'm thinking a cross-over SUV.

She wants it to be about a 2010 and have less than 100K on it.

We've found Muranos and Rogues in our price-range. But, I don't know much about them.

The Murano comes w/a 3.5 V6. It is supposed to be a good motor...is it? What about the transmissions? The AWD system?

We've also found Rogues in our price-range. But again, I don't know much about them.

The Rogue comes w/a 2.5 4 cyl. Good motor? Good trans? The AWD system?

I see a lot of bad stuff about the CVT transmissions are they that bad?

The only problem we really see with AWD Murano's is clutches on the rear diff causing drivetrain vibration, and even that isn't terribly frequent. As discussed elsewhere, the V6 CVT's don't "beat up" the fluid as quickly as I4 units, so they're less critical of fluid quality. However, I'd be leery about any CVT from any brand that went over 70K without a provable fluid change. The VQ35 is a very reliable engine, no worries on that count. If it's over 100K watch out for signs of bad cats, pretty much all Nissans use Miller-cycling in lieu of EGR valves and "cat inhalation" is a potential engine destroyer that must be dealt with immediately, you can't let it go. If you're looking at a pre-'15 model, be sure to check the blower and radio volume controls for "bouncing" when adjusted, the encoders go bad and the control panels are very expensive to replace.

We see very few AWD problems on Rogues of any year. The CVT's are another matter, the gen1's ('08~'13's and '14~'15 Rogue Select) had under-designed CVT coolers that could cause big problems, particularly in hot climates. The '08~'09's also had valve body issues from "soft" construction materials. Since I4 CVT's are hard on fluid to begin with, I'd insist on service records for frequent fluid changes (no more than 60K for first change and 30~40K thereafter). The Nissan refit trans cooler or a good aftermarket cooler is a plus, and if it doesn't have one you should probably invest in it. The QR25 is beyond reliable, it's probably the most die-hard powerplant in existence. I've seen them survive incredible abuse. However, like almost all Nissans, it uses Miller-cycling in lieu of an EGR valve, so if it's over 100K look out for signs of a bad cat. "Cat inhalation" is a potential engine destroyer that must be dealt with immediately, you can't let it go. If it has a sunroof, check the rear of the car for signs of flooding. Because of the roof angle, gen1 Rogues tend to stop-up the rear drains instead of the fronts, so make sure you're not purchasing a flooder that wasn't properly cleaned and repaired.