FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB

By: Melanie Droz Shawcroft

2014 NISSAN ROGUE SV FWD

It was fitting that I got to test drive the All-New 2014 Nissan Rogue SV FWD during my first week back in the grind.

Since I was just starting a new job upon moving back to Phoenix, it was fitting that I got to test drive the All-New 2014 Nissan Rogue SV FWD during my first week back in the grind.

Starting a new job can be nerve-racking, exciting, stressful, liberating, and much more. The Brilliant Silver of the exterior and charcoal interior were soothing enough to help me relax, the 6-way power driver seat made the drive comfortable and the 2.5-liter DOHC I-4 Engine with 170 horsepower got me there with plenty of time to spare. It actually took me about 10 minutes to build the courage and energy to get out of the car.

I was so peaceful after my drive in the 2014 Nissan Rogue, that I was certain the first day would go well. I was right – my new place of business was definitely going to be a long-term home; I already felt like part of the family after just a couple days. I was invited to lunch by a few of my new co-workers, and, of course, I offered to drive. Luckily having the Rogue SV, I was able to use the 3rd row of seating to fit everyone securely and blast the 2nd row A/C vents to keep them all cool. Since the car seat was taking up space in the second row using the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH), I had to make use of the extra space.

There was plenty of comfort in the Rogue as well. I was definitely winning newbie points with the 6 speakers and NissanConnect that comes as part of the SV premium package. With the 7” color touch-screen display we had fun playing music on SirusXM, keeping current on social media by seeing where the rest of the coworkers were going for lunch and navigating our way to the closest Chipotle. Little did I know, every Wednesday at my new job was Chipotle Wednesday. Too bad I would not have the Rogue to drive the group every week.

We were able to see the vehicle’s position in relation to the surrounding cars . 

I used the 360-degree Around View Mirror to park at the busy shopping center. I also wanted to show off a little bit in front of my new friends. The monitor converts the view from each of the 4 wide-angle cameras (in the front, rear and side mirrors) into a composite overhead view of the Rogue. We were able to see the vehicle’s position in relation to the surrounding cars (who clearly did not know how to park). This allowed me to park effortlessly without being too close to either car on both sides (or the curb in front), making it easy for my company to get out.

Heading back to work, we had plenty of leftovers and a few meals for coworkers we had to leave behind. With our hands full, we used the power liftgate in the Nissan Rogue to open the back cargo area. With 70 cubic feet of cargo room available and the Divide and Hide cargo system, we were able to hide the amount of food we had in the private storage space and even stack some items on the top shelf.

Safely returning my new friends and invaluable food to the office was essential. This was made easy with the NissanConnect. With blind spot warning, lane departure warning and moving object detection, I was able to avoid near collisions. I also looked pretty cool with these technology-advanced features. By the end of my first week, I was able to easily use less than the tank provided since the Rogue gets 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. With only $1,900 as the annual fuel cost and an MSRP of $24,490, my new job could definitely afford me the 2014 Nissan Rogue, a $28,135 price tag for the SV model I test drove which includes the roof rail cross bars, floor mats, the SV premium package and SV family package. Unfortunately, my cool points went down at work when I offered to drive my second Chipotle Wednesday and they did not see the 2014 Nissan Rogue SV FWD in the covered parking lot.