Tim's New Ride

Well, it was time. My 2000 XTerra had 135,000 miles on it. We were at the point where we would either spend a couple thousand dollars fixing it up or getting something different. I opted for the latter!

I had been planning my replacement vehicle for a while. Crossovers fit many of our criteria (size and fuel economy being our biggest). The “compact” crossovers are very competitive. Out of all them, the Nissan Rogue stands out above the rest. Mainly because it comes with bells and whistles (of which, I’m a sucker for).

It’s super safe, best fuel economy in its class, and at the lower end of the price range. I’m really happy with it. Of course, it’s a big change. Jamie and I took it camping the first weekend. Wow… what a difference. It’s soooooo much smaller than the XTerra. That’s fine though. Maybe we’ll stop bringing so much crap with us ;)

My favorite feature is the Bluetooth hands-free phone system. Wow. I love how I can keep my cell phone in my pocket and still answer it (and talk without holding up to my ear). Another interesting feature are the paddle shifters. The Rogue doesn’t have gears (it uses CVT). However, Nissan gives you the ability to drive the car “manually.” I guess it would help when you know you need a little extra torque.

I took some pictures last week.