Thanks for the support for the decision. It was VERY tough, but unlike Ontario, our roads are not plowed well, and they don’t even pretend to plow them in the night time – on the assumption that people only drive during daylight hours!!! Or so the DoT site says!!
BTW I am driving a rental car at the moment and it is… an Impala! The trunk is enormous! Wish I could put the bunny and the cat in the trunk-- I might invest in that!
Mike in NH,
I don’t know why your post suddenly shows up with a strike through, but I’d like to respond. I am interested in why you see are a Nissan fan, given the fact that a number of their cars seem to have CVT. What is it that’s good about Nissan given your feelings about the CVT?
Around these parts (Eastern Ontario) the roads are plowed and sanded by 6am, or earlier. I work nights at a grocery store, and often times I see plows out doing their thing at 11pm. Sure we pay more taxes… but our roads are plowed… And you now know one of the reasons I like the Impala - it has a ton of cargo space. I think I could almost put the Hyundai Accent I used to own in the trunk.
And as MikeinNH said below, the CVTs aren’t repairable… but I haven’t heard of many (or any) breaking yet… can’t say the same for GM, Ford, Chrysler, or anyone else’s transmissions…
So that’s another reason to leave the US for Canada - beside the past 7 years!
I don’t know why they show up that way either.
I think the CVT may be fine for a car…but NOT for trucks (which I drive). I also need something for towing which the CVT isn’t good for. I would love to own a vehicle the size of the Murano…IF IT COULD TOW.
I hope the CVT is a reliable transmission. But I still don’t like the idea of it NOT being able so service. And what is reliable??? I tend to keep my vehicles 300k miles plus. What’s the failure rate for the CVT trannies at 300k miles??? It’s one thing putting $2000 to rebuild a tranny on a 8yo car…it’s something totally different spending $7000 to REPLACE the transmission on a 8yo car.
We’ve owned a Nissan Maxima since 1996. Bought it new. Best car I’ve ever owned.
Good luck with your new car.
Thanks for the endorsement of the Nissan, Mike. Does it have a CVT? I am assuming that was introduced later - yes?
Nope. Conventional automatic.
I had to look at NissanUSA at the Rogue. I really like it. That’s a nice looking car.
Strike thru: It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
Yeah, I think these theories on not being able to tow with a CVT need some work. One of the options available for the Rogue is a trailer towing package.
I guess the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Again.
Heh. Even the “Submit” key is strike-thru. This is so cool!
My memory is that the Rogue was rated for a higher towing capacity than the others (CrV and Rav4) though I may have that wrong, but if Mike in NH is towing more than 5000 pounds there may be a problem - and I don’t know that the Rogue will do well at 300K - Give me about 299,950K and I’ll let you both know.
Does anyone on this forum want to weigh in on the value of an extended warranty with THIS type of transmission?
The Rogue’s rated towing capacity is but 1,000 lbs.
ONE FINAL QUESTION before I let you all “go home.” Given the “new-ish” technology of the CVT in the Rogue - would you-all amend the conventional wisdom re NOT buying an extended warranty if I expect to keep the car for the long haul? ( I know, I know, it only hauls 1500 pounds, but you know what I mean! )
ONE FINAL QUESTION before I let you all “go home.” Given the “new-ish” technology of the CVT in the Rogue - would you-all amend the conventional wisdom re NOT buying an extended warranty if I expect to keep the car for the long haul? ( I know, I know, it only hauls 1500 pounds, but you know what I mean! )
First, before you consider an extended warranty, sit down with the paperwork and read the warranty to see if it even covers the CVT transmission, and make sure the warranty if from the factory, and not some other non-Nissan company. Those types of warranties are typically worthless.
Also, the CVT transmissions that Nissan has been using the Altima, Maxima, Versa, and Murano have had fewer warranty issues than any of their previous conventional transmissions have, according to my various friends who run the Parts and Service departments in Nissan Dealerships in a couple different areas of the country.
If less cars are coming in for repairs due to the new transmission type over the past 4 years, then that’s a great thing in the long run.
Also, the transmission is in fact repairable, but it is alot easier for a dealership to pull the whole thing out, and replace it with a new one, while the damaged unit goes back to the factory for teardown. Why would a dealership want to spend time having their mechanic spend 3 additional hours tearing down and troubleshooting the insides of a transmission when he could have used that time to work on another vehicle?
BC.
I agree 100%. I’ve driven front wheel drive vehicles for the last 35 years without any accidents or getting stuck, living in NH and MA. When the conditions get slippery, the most important thing you can do is SLOW DOWN. Get in the right lane and let the idiots pass you. Know the capabilities of your vehicle. Keep a good distance behind the car in front of you.
What is DSG?
Joe…I hear you say this EVERY time the question of AWD vertures and faults come up. THE new SUBARU WRX uses variable center differential control to ENHANCE the cornering. If you have NEVER owned an AWD car (which you have stated you have not) you would not appeciate the variable power going from front to back to improve cornering in ALL conditions. Where I do agree is…no system can live up to it’s potential W/O a good set of tires for conditions and proper balance and even under these conditions an inexperienced driver can get into trouble at higher speeds which is more dangerous.
So keep repeating your mantra but that doesn’t make it true.
Though the Rogue is too new, check the owner satisfaction on the Rav 4. By the way, the spare can be locked onto it’s mount easily. And, you do get what you pay for. Ravs and CRVs are bullit proof…nothing is carved in stone with the Nissan products; some good some average, some poor.
I’m in full agreement. A lot of 4WD owners don’t seem to understand that everybody has all wheel brakes. A 2WD car can stop just as fast one ice and snow as a 4WD car, given that the tires are equal.
Well friends,
I did the deed. I bought the Rogue – and so far - in the first 400 miles, I am very happy. The weather was beautiful when I bought it, crumbled ice as I drove it home and ice-slick today, and so far, there hasn’t been even a hint of a slip. While that’s not much mileage to test out all the bells and whistles, I have found it to go up the local hills without a problem, and have even played with the paddle shifters which simulate a manual transmission. So far, it feels VERY different than my beloved 10 year old Jeep, but I am beginning to believe that’s not a bad thing. It has accelerated easily past trucks at highway speed, and though I ma not towing a load, it has some amazingly thoughtful features like headlights that can be leveled up or down depending on the load in the car.
I have no idea what the future holds for the CVT, but I am happy to have driven off in this car, and to have put 200 miles on it since. It had 180 test miles on it when I bought it, but it still is averaging around 25mpg. Not bad for the pre-break in period. And it IS quiet other than some wheel noise on ice crumbly surfaces… so… thanks again for all the suggestions and clarifications and cautions. I took them all to heart and hope that I will be as happy over the long term as I am today.
Oh yes, one postscript for lprocter: Not only aren’t the roads around here plowed as they are in Ontario, but I came back to Vermont to find virtually nothing done on the ice sheet on the roads. It turns out that this town and thy7e neighboring one both have only frozen sand/salt hills and have nothing to use on the roads – or so I am told! It’s a good thing I have an AWD car!
That variable center differential may help reduce reduced road handling ability that all 4WD/AWDs have. It in no way will make it more stable on the road than 2WD. The only thing that works well that way is “Traction Control.” It may well “feel” safer, but that is only giving a false sense of security. Winter tyres do provide some additional safety as would traction control.
Off roading is a different matter and 4WD and AWDs are useful there.