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Thursday, February 13, 2014 Creston Valley Advance
Welcome to the driver’s seat
Visit the 2014 Rogue gallery at DrivewayBC.ca
Roguish luxury at an economy price signals, plus available power lift gate Mont Tremblant, Quebec – The and an optional panoramic moon roof. 2014 Nissan Rogue is the newest entry The dimensions of this new Rogue are to the fastest growing segment in Caa bit of an optical allusion, as it looks nadian auto market – the compact SUV. much bigger than the outgoing model The sales leaders are the Ford Escape, but, in fact, is 25mm shorter. Yes, the Honda CR-V, Toyota RV4 and many, width and height have increased but many others. There is no mistaking this small SUV looks longer because the why these products have become so wheelbase has been stretched to make popular. They offer room for a family of rom for an optional third row of seats. four, with a high seating position that drivers and passengers like, plus plenty Inside of room for cargo and a price that’s not Nissan has done a good job of delivering too outlandish. a pleasant looking dash with the feaThe fact that these station wagon-retures people really want. Just because placements have become so popular this isn’t a mid-sized SUV, doesn’t mean is also the dramatic that Canadians don’t improvement in fuel want the finer things. economy these companies The middle SV trim will have been able to achieve. be the most popular due No longer does a family to 17-inch alloy wheels, have to give up huge fog lights, heated seats, dollars on fuel to drive a power driver’s seat and small SUV. a huge panoramic moon And what makes this roof for $26,748 in FWD new Nissan Rogue so The objective and $2,000 more in AWD. interesting is the level of with this new Rogue To get the three-row refinement and capability version the SV needs for up to seven passengers was to be noticed to be equipped with over three rows of seats. and provide a level the $2,050 Family Tech To test this new entry, Package which might of refinement and Nissan held its launch be worth the stretch event in and around Mont creature comforts that because it really does Tremblant, Que., getting the competition isn’t amp up the goodies. They a real taste of sub-zero, include the third row of providing winter, Canadian driving. seats that makes this a
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Zack Spencer
Looks Last year, Nissan introduced the bigger mid-sized Pathfinder SUV and this smaller Rogue shares many styling cues from its bigger brother. This, in my opinion, is a good idea. It has a sense of purpose, sophistication and commonality that helps define Nissan’s brand. Nissan wants to portray “everyday premium” with this new Rogue, including such nice touches as LED daytime running lights, wheel arch extensions, integrated mirror turn
7-passenger SUV. Granted, the third row is tight but perfect for those occasional times when extra family members are in town. In addition, this package includes navigation, a 7-inch touch screen monitor, power lift gate, blind-spot detection system, and lane departure warning system. These really are premium features found only in luxury SUVs just a few short years ago. Unfortunately, the top SL trim is only available in a two-row 5-seat configuration because
Drives-U-Crazy Cross A Chilliwack readers asks: When did it become okay to turn left, over a solid yellow line, or a double solid line to whip in for groceries? – These clowns also do not seem to care if traffic is backed up behind them for blocks; they seem to think their time is more important than that of others. It’s NOT illegal to turn left across such lines as long as the manoeuvre does not cause back-ups as described by the reader. kmorgan@drivewaybc.ca
Question OF THE WEEK:
Should winter tires be compulsory on all vehicles during the winter season? Please explain why you have made that decision.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK!
it was felt the price would be too high for compact SUV buyers. Drive As hard as it might be to believe, this new, larger and slightly heavier (49kg) Rogue is actually more fuel-efficient than the last model. They were able to improve the economy by 18 per cent through the introduction of a new continuously variable transmission (CVT), aerodynamic tricks, and letting the carried-over engine breathe a bit better. Still rated at 170hp, the 2.5L 4-cylinder engine does a good job in city driving, thanks to the gearing of the new CVT but can seam a bit underpowered for higher, passing manouevre on the highway. Overall, the person filling the new Rogue up with fuel will welcome this balance of efficiency and everyday drivability. As part of the winter driving experience, I drove on an ice course in Macaglisse, Que., to highlight the vehicle’s stability system and the Active Trace Control feature. On the first run, through the twisty, sheer ice roads the entire system was shut off. As I crested a hill, then made a hard right turn, the Rogue slid all
the way out to the edges of the corner, almost hitting the opposing snow bank. On the second run, with the advanced systems on, the same road was almost uneventful. The stability and traction control kept the wheels from spinning but the Trace Control System provides just a slight amount of brake force to the inside wheels to help the Rogue navigate the sheet ice with confidence. Verdict The objective with this new Rogue was to be noticed and provide a level of refinement and creature comforts that the competition isn’t providing. The pricing is fantastic, especially the middle SV models. The larger interior dimensions will always be welcome, as buyers like to get more for their money, but it is still small and efficient enough for city buyers.
Go to drivewayBC.ca to submit your answer.
Safety Tip: Distracted driving is the third leading cause of car crash fatalities in our province, which is why police are out in full force this month as part of a province-wide distracted driving campaign. According to one recent study, texting while driving makes you 23 times more likely to be in a crash.
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The Lowdown Power: 2.5L 4-cylinder with 170hp Fill-up: 8.2L/6.2L/100km (city/highway AWD) Sticker price: $23,498-$33,098 zack.spencer@drivewaybc.ca
The six coolest car names ever By Rob Sass Shakespeare famously asked, “What’s in a name?” • Mercury Marauder: The name conjures up bands of roving barbarians. In addition to providing basic transportation, who wouldn’t want a car that’s also proficient at looting and pillaging? • Ferrari 500 Superfast: Even in the early 1960s, using this name took cojones - something that Enzo Ferrari never lacked. It’s almost over-the-top comical, not unlike Wile E. Coyote’s business card, which listed his occupation as “Super Genius.” One can only imagine the response of today’s product liability lawyers to this one. • Ford Mustang: While the association with the car doesn’t hurt, the name Mustang was cool long before the car debuted in April 1964. Whether it’s
the war-winning fighter plane the P-51 Mustang or the wild horse, it’s just plain cool. • Shelby Cobra: As venomous snakes go, Cobras are wicked cool. The whole hood thing, their exotic origins and their highly concentrated venom make your ordinary rattlers and water moccasins seem, well, ordinary. It makes for one of the all-time great hood badges, too. • Plymouth Barracuda: As fish go, after the shark, the barracuda is arguably the most badass. Beautifully streamlined, highly aggressive and possessing a mouthful of piranha-like teeth, it’s possibly one of the most evocative names for a performance car ever. • Aston Martin Vanquish: Vanquish is generally defined as follows: To utterly defeat; soundly thrash or beat; to overpower, subjugate or subdue. Enough said.