Weekend Athlete: 2008 Nissan Rogue
This is the part of the job that's not so fun: Grading. If the Rogue were a student, it would be the one who tried hard, whom you liked and who did many things right, but just couldn't quite put it all together come test time.
I got to take the Rogue for a weekend of cyclocross racing in the fall; it was OK at that, but not a standout. Slip off the wheel, slide the bike in and you're done. Driving and parking the Rogue was just as easy; I parallel parked it the first time out with no problem. The interior was suitably roomy to recline the seat and relax between races.
When I loaded the Rogue with what I'd need for camping and racing, however, it was just too small. There was a lot of cramming, and I have to say other cars do it better. The real shame is that if the rear headrests had been detachable, it would have been much easier. I would have been able to take both bike wheels off, stand them behind the seats and create enough room for my gear. But the headrests were fixed. Sigh.
Ultimately, the Rogue doesn't score well, and that's too bad. I really enjoyed driving it, and it was the most comfortable car I've had after a day at the races. I guess it's up to you whether you carry enough gear to make the small size a problem.
Weekend Athlete Scores (Out of 10)
Ease of loading gear: 3
The issue here is there's just not enough room for everything I need.
Ease of seat operation: 9.5
Simple, one-handed operation is so nice.
Bike hauling: 5
Average. Remove the wheel, slide in. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing special.
Locker room cred: 7
It doesn't try to be uber-macho, which I really like, but others might find it too tame. Your call.
All-around: 6
It's a fun little ride, but it can’t quite carry all my toys.
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As an avid cyclist I don't understand why you insist on abusing your bike by putting the gear on top? Put the gear in first and the bike can sit on top quite easily.
Well, that's the sleeping bag which weighs much less than a pound. I tend to put the heavy stuff on the bottom and lighter stuff on top of that, so that everything stays stable.
So, yeah, if I had something that was heavy, it'd go on the bottom of the cargo floor and the bike would get secured on top of it.
Not to nit pick, but that sleeping bag weighs more than a pound. It's probably pushing 3. What cx bike are riding? Steel?
i like everything about the rogue except its front end. nissan needs to put a little more effort into that grill...actually kind of bland, which is odd for nissan.
nissan is nothing but bland
@bilbo
Whoops, yeah, I checked with the manufacturer and it's closer to 3 pounds. Not compressed, though, it really doesn't put much weight on the rim.
As for the bike, yep, it's steel. It's the LeMond Poprad from a couple years ago. I've only been doing 'cross for a few years now, so I'm still not fast enough to warrant an upgrade to a lighter, faster bike.
@cody
Yeah, I've seen Rogues in other colors and some look better, some look worse. Either way, I agree it's not their most inspired design.
The Poprad is sweet. I didn't recognize that one, I've got an older one as a commuter all-around fun bike. As for the Rogue. It reminds me of the new Hyundai SUVs. Overall, Nissan does nothing for me, doesn't elicit strong like/dislike.