My sister bought a 2019 Nissan Rogue SV with pretty much every option except leather, AWD, and fog lights. Because Cassie the Caspian Blue Rogue won’t be a part of my daily life, I wanted to answer why I steered my sister towards a Rogue.
“What did she look at?”
She wanted heated cloth seats and a sunroof. Because she liked the immense cargo capacity of a small crossover, she didn’t want a subcompact crossover. I found the cars for her: Equinox LT, Escape SE (drove an SEL because no SE’s), Forester Premium, RAV4 XLE Convenience, & Rogue SV. Surprisingly, Honda doesn’t have a dealer in Kennesaw (where we looked at the Japanese cars), and the part of town with more variety (including Honda and Mazda dealers) is crowded, farther away, and difficult to deal with. I’m in Kennesaw a lot, so no issue for me.
“But, but, fun driving, CX-5, I have one and forced the dealer to take the sticker off! CR-V reliable!”
I suggested the CR-V EX and the CX-5 Touring with the Sun and Sound Package to my sister. Both of those crossovers are excellent choices; the new CR-V is huge inside. We looked at the five vehicles last Tuesday, and she decided she was fine with what she looked at. There was no need to look further. If she liked the Rogue, she liked the Rogue. The CX-5 was an idea in 2016, too, but the CR-V in the background is what my mom got instead. She loves it. Mazda needs to increase their dealer network and incentives if they want more sales.
“It has a CVT!”
Yes. My sister’s old Rogue also had a CVT, and she liked it. In fact, she wanted one again. My mom was the same way after driving the old Rogue. She got her CVT back with her CR-V, but it was different going to a four-speed auto in her RAV4 (which I now drive). I drove the old Rogue some, and I didn’t notice anything. I don’t care about fixed RPM or any of that. When I floor it in the RAV4, it gets up near redline and that’s cool. Otherwise, none of that shifting junk matters to me. My RAV4 is covered in bird poop and bugs and never spends time in a garage (to explain how much the little details matter to me). It’s reliable, and that’s what matters. That’s how the old Rogue was, too.
“Another Rogue?”
As a pretty good car finder (pats self on back), I will say that the facelifted first-generation Rogue (2011-2013) is one of the most underrated used crossovers. They don’t have the popularity of the new ones, but they’re still super good and a better value than the CR-V and the RAV4 of the era (sorry, car). The pre-facelift looks better in my opinion, but some of the 2008's had bad transmission issues and are less modern. My sister’s old Rogue didn’t even have Bluetooth for phone calls (amazingly, you could get keyless access and Bluetooth with a package). As a result, she got a screen for it. My sister’s old Rogue was also very reliable and served my family well; some of the last big trips we took were in the Rogue. My dad got through the 2014 snowstorm in it. There’s a lot of attachment to that car, being the longest my parents had ever owned a car. I figured my sister would like the Rogue I found her, and I’m glad she did.
“Subprime haha!”
The only reason it’s being financed for a few months was to get all the deals. My mom is fantastic financially, and my sister will be, too. This car was a great deal, especially considering that USAA’s Rogue discount was pathetic.
“Is the RAV4 sticking around?”
She shouldn’t be going anywhere for at least another year. My sister was thinking the same thing for the 2008 Rogue, though. Knock on wood, I hope the RAV4 makes it to 200,000! As long as I have keyless access, push button start, and Bluetooth streaming audio, I’ll be happy!
TL;DR: My sister likes her Rogue, and that’s what matters. These are very popular for a reason.