Girlfriends, Nissan and California: The Perfect Trio.
When my friend Dana and I were invited to head to California and visit Yosemite, Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks, we knew we would need a car up to the task. When I picked up a 2014 Nissan Rogue SV, I was excited for the adventure ahead.
Luxury and looks in Los Angeles
I spent the first day driving the 2014 Nissan Rogue SV around Los Angeles and testing how it handled on the highway, discovering how easy the Rogue is to drive and manage, and small enough to easily park in the city.
Even with its reasonable price value—under $30,000— the Rogue is a good looking car and it looked great parked amongst the line of expensive cars on Rodeo Drive. The best part is that you’ll still have money to finally splurge on a designer purse or at least good lunch at the Beverly Wilshire with the reasonable price point on this cross-over.
Safety on the highway
Having not spent a lot of time in California, I was nervous about heading out onto highways I had never even heard of before, let alone driven. The Rogue is a big enough vehicle that I did feel quite safe in it. I loved the large lights on the interior of the car that told me when it was or was not safe to change lanes. I have seen this feature before located on the rearview mirror but much preferred its positioning in the Rogue.
The Rogue also had a great safety system that let me know when I was crossing over lanes, changing lanes without signaling and too close to the land markers. I appreciated the extra help and felt like this would be a great feature for families with teens learning how to drive.
Unfamiliar with navigating California, I relied heavily on the Rogue’s GPS system and was very impressed. Even deep in Yosemite which is a cell service dead zone, I had map capabilities, keeping me connected and safe. The GPS was great at finding little restaurants, shops and even local fruit stands along the way.
The Rogue’s GPS screen smartly displays the current speed limit where the car is driving and if the driver is exceeding it. This was a great feature for areas I wasn’t familiar with as I didn’t have to question what the speed limit was or search for signs.
Going Rogue in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park
During the day we were chauffeured through the parks by our hosts, but with each corner and curve, I dreamed of taking the Nissan Rogue out on the winding roads. Finally, I made a plan to literally go rogue and see the park solo.
I woke up at 4 am and headed out into Sequoia National Park to explore the dark forest. I got to try out the Rogue’s heat system which worked like a charm as well as the headlights and brights. Both were definitely up to the task. Sequoia is one of the darkest places I have ever been with very little light pollution from the sky due to the canopy of trees. The lights were bright enough to spot deer, raccoons and squirrels on the road.
On my adventure, I felt like the Rogue and I were a team. The car handled amazingly well and stopped on a dime when I finally was able to spot my first bear in Sequoia National Park. It was a little creepy to be all alone in the Giant Forest but I felt protected and safe in my Rogue.
What I Loved
- Price starts at $22,790; price of the model we tested, about $28,000
- 23 MPG city/28 MPG highway
- Safety technology package, including lane departure warning, blind spot detector, forward collision warning and moving object detection
- Uses regular gas
- Smart Key with push button starter
- Large panoramic sun roof
- Cool cabin design
- Small available third row that tucks away for more storage
- All wheel drive
- Bluetooth phone connectivity
- Easy to use GPS and touch screen media console
- Run flat tires: Never need to change a flat, jut drive to the gas station and have them do it for you
What you Need to Know
- Third row is an additional $1,190 (not available on models with the panoramic sun roof). Great for occasional carpooling, but a full-sized adult would not want to sit in this seat too long
- The GPS system will not allow you to enter information while on the go even if you are in the passenger seat.
- Divide and hide cargo system makes it easier to store things out of sight while traveling
- 36,000 mile/36 month bumper to bumper warranty
- 60,000 mile/60 month power train warranty
- 36,000 mile/36 month roadside assistance included
Disclosure: The Rogue was provided to me for this review; I was not compensated for this review and opinions expressed are all my own.