WoW!!!!

I just picked up my new 2008 Rogue SL AWD and is it NICE!!!!!

I've always been pleased with Nissan and this one is just perfect.

I switched 4 years ago from Nissan to a Kia and yes, it was OK and the only maintenance was oil changes on the Kia but boy did I take a hit on the trade in value. The Sorento was $22,000 plus 4 years ago and I'm lucky I got $6-7,000 on the trade in.

I have 8000 miles on my Rogue and several paint chips in my hood that are down to the metal. I don't drive on gravel roads at all and very little on highways. Since my travel is primarily on country roads with little traffic I wouldn't expect to see these chips on this new of a car. I am very disappointed in the paint quality and Nissan is not responding with a fix to their poor quality paint but claim it is normal wear and tear.

Pros
Styling - It's a scaled down Murano. You either like the look or you don't and I do.

Handling - Very nimble on the road, maybe a little stiff on a long ride but handles sudden maneuvers nicely.

Moon roof (on the SL) I never had one and it adds a pleasant dimension to a drive in the country.

Interior size - Back seats fit two adults comfortably and I can load some 8ft 2x4s in there if I need to.

CVT - The shiftless transmission might feel a little sluggish when you first step on the gas but all of a sudden you're going fast.

Cons
MPG - I've had it about a month and I've driven it around home and took it on one long trip (Boston-DC and back) and so far I'm only getting about 23mpg. My 2004 Highlander with 230hp got 20mpg and I was hoping for more like 26-27. It's supposed to have advanced AWD that turns it into a front wheel drive car on the highway but it hasn't seemed to help.

Amenities - Nissan REALLY skimped on the amenities. No auto locking doors when you get in, no auto off headlights when you get out, no power drivers seat, no auto dimming rear view mirror, no exterior temperature display. Similar level Subaru Foresters and Saturn Vues have some or all of these features. And I spent an extra $3000 for the SL which got me the moon roof and 17" tires and not much else. Some of these features can be had for another $3000 in the premium package but I had spent enough.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons

I love this ride! I was looking for a roomy, economical vehicle (I'm 6'3" with long legs). I looked at the CR-V & Rav4 among other options and fell in love with the Rogue the first time I drove it. For the first time in years I can take friends out to dinner in MY car, we seat 4 adults with great ease, there is plenty of room for my 6'1" friend to sit behind me.

I've heard many comments against the CVT transmission that the Rogue uses and after 8,000 miles I've yet to understand what they are talking about.

The car handles the highway beautifully and I've actually managed to do better than 29MPG on several tanks.

The Rogue feels solid and I enjoy the simple clean interior, along with the bag carrier that came with our SL option.

This car is great for the person who wants a pretty much go anywhere utilitarian SUV...have taken the 2wd through several inches of mud and felt confident. I don't like the rear visibilty or the CVT transmission(would be so much more fun to drive with a manual). Great to put my bicycle in the back. Interior material quality could be better, as well as an option for climate control as well as making the bluetooth available on the 2wd model. After 8500 miles, the car is fine, except for irregular interior seat wear. The cvt does take some getting used to (I am still not used to it, or happy with it for that matter).

I've had my Rogue since September 2007, and have nothing but GREAT things to say about it! The size is perfect for my husband and I all year round (even holds our snowboarding equipment with laying down the back seat). The ride is smooth and comfortable. The standard stereo gave us a pleasant surprise at what it could do. I can typically get between 25-29 miles per gallon, which is really nice with the way gas prices are here in California. I would recommend the Rogue to ANYONE!! LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!! The only thing I regret is not getting it fully loaded!!

I have owned a '08 Rouge AWD SL w/ premium package, leather package, and moonroof for about 2 weeks now and I love it. Traded in my '03 Eddie Bauer Explorer to get something with better mpg. I have been getting around 27-29 mpg in mixed city/highway driving in the Rouge. My Explorer I was getting 19 mpg max. I am saving about $20 per fill-up plus the added mileage.

Great feel to the Rouge, very "solid" feeling and handles great for a small SUV. I have every option and things like keyless start, Bose stereo, Zenon headlights, and Bluetooth are options you typically only find in far more expensive vehicles. For every option, the list price is around $27k which is a great value for what you get.

I didn't find the CVT hard to adjust to at all. It seems to have a decent amount of torque from a start which is when you typically need it. Not as much higher end but I have not found it to be an issue.

It is a little hard to see out the back with the small window. The side mirrors are pretty large though so once you adjust to using them more it is not a big deal. I also adjusted them so they point out a little further than I would have in my Explorer or my wife's car. I am still getting used to backing up in terms of knowing how much room I have.

Other Features:

Love the Zenon Headlights - like daylight with the highbeams on. Also, they have a manual adjustment which makes it nice if you need to raise your lights due to hilly roads or heavy load in back

Bose stereo/Sat radio/6 cd/Aux input - great stereo with an Aux input for an iPod. Sat radio sound could be better. The radio could use a few more adjustments besides tweeter and bass. Nice to have 18 presets which can be mixed between FM, SAT, or AM. Overall, very nice radio!

The steering wheel controls work well. I like that you can cycle through your radio station presets forwards or backwards. Explorer had them but you could only cycle forward

Under-the-floor trunk organizer is pretty cool. Works well in holding small items in place

Things I would like to see improved:

Larger moonroof - I'm sure it will be coming since Nissan seems to be moving in that direction

Larger center console armrest - it is just a couple inches too short

Telescopic steering wheel - just an inch or so would improve my driving position

Reverse sensors or larger back window - I had the sensors in my Explorer and really liked them. The window is really small so it takes some getting used to.

Center console storage design improvement - It could use some rubber material to line the bottom of the storage compartments. You can hear things slide around if you store stuff in there, especially if they are plastic. Instead of a separate bin that comes out I would prefer a hinged, two tier storage area

reshape rear opening - the way the door is shaped it takes away some storage space and ease of putting things in

Overall, I could have not been more pleased. I will miss the storage of my Ford but the rest makes up for it by a mile!

Before purchasing white Rogue SL 2WD, I drove CRV, RAV, and Forester. Hands down, the Rogue stood out as the best driving feel, classy looks, and pleasant interior. Wish Rouge offered beige interior.I had no problem getting use to the CVT transmission. Still do not know what the rough in trailer wiring is. I took a 400 mile trip and got 29.2 MPG with some driving over a small mountain area. I live in a rual area with winding roads. The Rogue handle must better than I expected. Our daughter has a CRV and the Rogue driving feel is superior to the Honda. The Forester makes you sit way too low and the RAV's interior is dark and that tire on the back is ugly. I do not need the extra capacity in the rear offer by the others because I can put the seats flat. My wife love the Rogue too. Retired

i got my nissan rogue sl awd today and i am sooooo pleased with it.the handling and ride are excellent.this is my first suv.i waited a long time before i decided on which one to buy and narrowed it down to the crv and the rogue.go for the rogue.the crv is good but it doesnt have the keyless entry and keyless start which is a great feature to have not to mention the bose speaker system.cannot wait to see how this handles in the snow

After 1000 Miles:

Overall this is a nice little CUV. My wifes goal was to get a safe, comfortable, commuter vehicle that is fun to drive. CHECK. She downsized from a 03AcuraMDX - which I drive now. And my son drives my 05Ford500limitedAWD (great car).

We had time to make our choice (6 months) and we test drove Honda CRV (twice), Toyota Rav4, Prius. Infinity EX35 (Nice MPG not good, premium gas and NO rear leg room for 3 kids), Mercury Mariner, Buick Enclave, Acura RDX, looked at Saturn Vue, Subaru outback, MazdaCUV3, BMW3X, Mercedes Small SUV, Murano w/o test driving - and the Rogue won out.

Extra wants:
Nissan should consider incorporating Memory - seats, mirrors, accelerator and brakes, for those of us that share a car once in awhile - Tall guy short gal or vice versa. This car needs rear sensors period. It would be nice to have climate control option so you don't have to screw around with the controls while driving. Wind fluttering noise is an issue - but it was the same in our 1999 BMW 323i. DISPLAY of MPG, Gas guage etc. could have been upgraded somehow - not a big fan.

Pluses: Bose Sound System, Blue tooth works well, Xenon headlights nice, XM radio OK but too many colorful metaphors with young kids listening and on the expensive side for the few channels we will listen to. Keyless entry and start. Homelink and auto dimming mirror, Stearing wheel controls for Radio, Phone and Cruise.

Not needed: Paddle shifters - make steering wheel too busy. I'd rather have options [especially rear sensor] listed above.

So far so good. Keeping my fingers crossed.