The question is this: How much
vibration is one willing to absorb when the price of a vehicle
— and most everything else about it — is just right?
The vibrations I am concerned
about come from the in-line 4-cylinder in the Rogue, a new competitor to
the Honda CR-V,
Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4 and a host of other small crossover utility wagons.
Although many 4-cylinder vehicles are prone
to vibrations through the steering column (like the Scion xB I recently drove)
these are exceptionally intrusive in the Rogue.
Still, the Rogue has a lot of
positives. It is competitively priced, costing less than 4-cylinder versions
of the segment’s three
best sellers, the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape (when comparably
equipped with an automatic transmission).
The Nissan is very well appointed.
The least expensive model, the
Rogue S, starts at C$24,995 with front-wheel drive and C$26,315 with all-wheel
drive.
The nicer SL starts at C$26,535 with front drive and C$27,735 with all-wheel
drive.
Based on the underpinnings of
the Sentra compact car, the Rogue uses the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine from
the Altima,
which produces more horsepower and torque than many competitors can claim.
It is paired with Nissan’s continuously
variable automatic transmission.
In the Rogue, Nissan says, the
engine produces 170 horsepower at 6,000 r.p.m. and 175 pound-feet of torque
at 4,400 r.p.m.
While the Rogue can be a bit slow when starting out, it moves along nicely
once the engine is over 2,500 r.p.m.
Although several other small
sport utilities offer 6-cylinder engines in addition to in-line 4’s, Nissan
thought the Rogue could
be competitive without a V-6. (The larger Murano gets that.)
All Rogues have electronic stability
control, antilock brakes and six air bags, including side bags in the front
seats and
roof-mounted inflatable curtains that extend to cover front and rear passengers.
Active head restraints, which help to protect
the necks of those in a rear crash, are standard.
I tested an S model with all-wheel
drive and splash guards ($125). Its sticker price was C$29,598
Other options could run the price up another C$5,400*.
I had previously driven two
pre-production development models, a step away from cars that would go to
customers.
It was in the first preproduction model that I noted vibrations through the
floor and steering wheel in the 1,200 to 1,500 r.p.m.
range. In a second preproduction model, the vibrations were much less noticeable,
but still present.
So I waited to drive a production version before forming my judgment.
It wasn’t long into this drive
to Pittsburg that the vibrations started givin’ me excitations once again.
They were less noticeable than
with the first car, but worse than the second. In any case, they were still
annoying at
around-town speeds — enough that I pondered the wisdom of ignoring the speed
limits and driving everywhere at 50 m.p.h.
The intrusive buzzing was a
shame because otherwise the Rogue is a nice addition to a crowded segment.
In several important ways I liked it better than either the CR-V or RAV4.
A Nissan spokesman, Brian Brockman,
said the vibrations, and sometimes a booming noise, were associated with
the
way the torque converter lockup clutch, which works to increase an engine’s
efficiency and fuel economy, is tuned.
Some people are more sensitive to these than others, he said.
Since fuel economy is important
to buyers in this segment, Nissan thought customers would be happier with
better fuel
economy than they would be with eliminating a vibration that some people
may not even detect, he said.
In all-wheel-drive form, the
Rogue gets marginally the best mileage in its class, I got close to 32 m.p.g.
in the
production version.
The dashboard and instrument
panel are fairly attractive partly because Nissan uses soft-touch plastic,
which looks
much nicer than the hard stuff. Even the cloth seats are attractive.
Over all, the Rogue’s interior
is a big step up from the CR-V and RAV4. Only the speedometer — with its
very small
numbers and orange illumination — is out of character with the legible and
easy-to-use controls.
The split back seat flops forward
easily, but doesn’t fold completely flat or move fore and aft like those
of some competitors.
There is no third-row seat, like those available in the RAV4 and Mitsubishi
Outlander, although these are pretty cramped
accommodations in vehicles this small.
But the virtues of the Rogue
became obvious after we turned right onto a lane-and-a-quarter-wide road
which quickly turned
into hard-packed dirt. It got narrower and signs warned of logging trucks.
The Rogue handled the washboards without the tail
getting distracted. Even when cornering on a washboard surface, the vehicle
stayed planted.
Heading south on narrow and
twisty-treacherous road, the Rogue showed that it is pretty nimble.
Where the road dropped away after a crest, the Rogue settled down quickly.
Despite the comfortable suspension, there wasn’t a lot of bobbling.
On back-to-back drives with
the CR-V and RAV4, I found the Rogue to be quieter and to ride more comfortably
than the RAV4.
And while both it and the CR-V feel somewhat sporty, the Rogue strikes a
better balance between sporty handling
and comfortable ride.
The variable transmission, which
uses a belt to create a constantly changing array of gear ratios, worked
well on the sharp
turns that required some serious slowing. Once you can see your way through
the turn and it is safe to finally press down
on the accelerator, you get the power when you want it, without waiting for
a conventional transmission to downshift. It just goes.
But my internal debate goes
on.
The Rogue is attractive on many
levels: price, safety features, ride, handling, engine performance, fuel
economy.
Is all that enough to cancel out those negative vibes?
