Mazda CX-7 vs Nissan Rogue

[Uppsala9496]

Looking to get a Mazda CX-7 or a Nissan Rogue.

Trading in my Pontiac Aztek (yes, laugh all you want) since it is paid off. It's a '04 with only 49,000 miles and is fully loaded, so I should get about $5,500 minimum.

I like the way the car drives, but it's time to get rid of the ugly beast. It has served me well, especially considering I got it for about 85% value (which some will say is too much since it is so damn ugly).

My wife wants another small(ish) SUV. I can get a GM employee discount, however I think the Equinox is overpriced for what you get. I am looking at a used Rogue or CX-7. Both are just under $20,000. Any other small SUV/CUV/whatever else they call it, should I be looking at?

I don't want to spend more than $20,000 on the vehicle. If I go used, it can't be older than a 2008, and can't have more than 18,000 miles. My car may be ugly as sin, but it runs perfect and is fully loaded (leather, heated seats, XM, 8 way power seats both sides, DVD player, HUD), so I don't need to sell it.

I've read that the Mazda suffers from a faulty turbo charger, but it can't be overly prevalent since there hasn't been a recall.

Any other recommendations? I need to upgrade from the ass ugly SUV I have.

 

[punjabiplaya]

Have you test driven both? The mazda will get you pretty poor mileage especially if you have a heavy foot.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

A friend of mine had a rental rogue, the CVT in it was trash. The CX-7 gets terrible gas mileage for what it is.

You're better off with an Escape/CR-V

 

[Dr. Detroit]

I say keep the Aztek. Highly functional and pretty damn bulletproof.

Rogue is a tall Sentra.

CX7 GT gets abysmal gas mileage and also requires premium fuel.

If you must have another small SUV thats fully loaded look at the Mariner/Escape, Pontiac Torrent GXP, Mitsu Outlander, or a leftover Suzuki XL7.

The Suzuki is a stretched Torrent/Equinox that comes standard with the 3.6L V6.

 

[sdifox]

so if the Aztek is paid off and you don't have an issue with it, why change car?

 

[alfa147x]

I love the new CRV, in white LOVE white on that car

 

[StageLeft]

FYI my local mazda dealership had new CX-7s for $20k a year ago. I thought about it a lot and read up on them. Unfortunately they get truly, truly terrible gas mileage. Some people were reporting mid-teens in the city. Also reliability was poor at least with the 2007 I was looking at. It may be that they are better now.

I think the engine/turbo combo in the cx7 is in a lot of cars so reliability of that may not be a problem but it's the rest of it that raised issues.

I've no opinions on a rogue, though.

Obviously you should keep your Aztek despite it being ugly.

 

[DesiPower]

you can get a Escape for under 20

 

[StageLeft]

I thought about this again. Replacing your Asstek would be a terrible mistake. You would be moving from a fully loaded car to one that is a bit newer (49k miles is nothing) and has AWD but less luxuries plus a car payment. It's actually a bit insane. Can't you put that money elsewhere? I just don't think that once you make the shift you're going to actually enjoy driving that much more, all you'll really have done is spent $15k to trim a few miles off your car and the new one won't even have the cool features your current one does. You should be slapped for buying something as ugly as the Asstek but otherwise I vote you stick with it

And BTW I speak from your position. A year ago I had a 2004 Mazda MPV with about 75k miles and some tiny engine firing problem in it (since solved) had me looking at new cars. I test drove a CX-7 and even had my wife come and check it out again. I decided against it for the reasons in my first post and am glad I did. The van is still kicking, still fine, and now no car payments at all.

 

[PricklyPete]

How about a new Saturn Vue...might be able to get a really good deal...especially with your GM discount. Small SUV...reasonable gas mileage...and not bad looking. Got very good reviews when it came out.

I tend to agree with Skoorb though...just keep the car you have if you want to make the most sound financial decision.

 

[jaedaliu]

Drove a rogue as a rental for a week or 2. It was odd to drive at first. I think it's off a truck platform. Steering response wasn't what I was expecting, but once I got used to it, it was great.

 

[exar333]

The Rogue is not in the same league as the CX-7 or the CR-V. If you want a little bigger, the Murano is AWESOME, but is somewhat pricey.

I would consider the CX-7, CR-V, or Saturn Vue.

 

[brblx]

rogue, cr-v, rav4, and escape are all pretty interchangeable in my mind. none are terribly special nor particularly bad.

i would probably avoid the mazda, though.

 

[soulcougher73]

Used 2009 Subaru Forrester

 

[Arkaign]

The Equinox is overpriced for what you get? What? The price is comparable to everything else in the class, it has a 100k powertrain warranty, great fuel economy, and loads of features standard and even more available.

Or is it because dealers are gouging due to high demand?

Anyway, as others have noted, your Aztec is an odd-looking thing, but in reality a pretty good vehicle, and yours has a lot of options. Trading in and getting another car payment is illogical, but if you feel the need, that's your decision. The Equinox comes with a lot of standard stuff as I said, including satellite radio, but to add heated power leather is gonna cost a bit.

 

[007bond]

Have you actually gotten trade-in quotes on your Aztek? I think people are often not so pleasantly surprised when they do that.

 

[Jumpem]

Forester in that price range.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Forester in that price range.

This or Escape

 

[Mermaidman]

The Equinox is overpriced for what you get? What? The price is comparable to everything else in the class, it has a 100k powertrain warranty, great fuel economy, and loads of features standard and even more available.

Or is it because dealers are gouging due to high demand?

Anyway, as others have noted, your Aztec is an odd-looking thing, but in reality a pretty good vehicle, and yours has a lot of options. Trading in and getting another car payment is illogical, but if you feel the need, that's your decision. The Equinox comes with a lot of standard stuff as I said, including satellite radio, but to add heated power leather is gonna cost a bit.

That's what I was thinking too, especially since he gets the employee price so the dealer can't gouge him.

What's the cargo capacity of the CX-7? I recall reading that it doesn't have much 'U' for a CUV.

 

[brblx]

Have you actually gotten trade-in quotes on your Aztek? I think people are often not so pleasantly surprised when they do that.

this is good advice. dealers won't pay blue book for what they can't sell. you might only get wholesale (i.e. what the auction will pay them) or thereabouts for it.

 

[StageLeft]

That's what I was thinking too, especially since he gets the employee price so the dealer can't gouge him.

What's the cargo capacity of the CX-7? I recall reading that it doesn't have much 'U' for a CUV.

It's not much. It looked to me to be basically a mazda 6 jacked up in height. Certainly it's trunk was nothing to write home about but I imagine that's the case for all of these little "suvs" which are really just jacked up cars (e.g. venza).

EDIT: wiki

The CX-7 receives an all-new platform instead of sharing the Ford/Mazda CD3 platform used by the larger Mazda CX-9/Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX crossovers as well as the Mazda6. It uses the front suspension of the Mazda MPV minivan, with the rear suspension from the Mazda5. Many of the all wheel drive components come from the Mazdaspeed6. It shares its turbocharged engine with the Mazdaspeed6. It uses a 6-speed automatic transmission. The CX-7 currently slots between the Tribute and the CX-9. No manual transmission is offered until 2010 Diesel model uses it.

I hope they got that front suspension toughened. In 87k miles the only problems with my mpv have been front suspension (known weakness in the struts in this vehicle) and ignition coils.

 

[StageLeft]

OP are you looking at an AWD CX-7 or FWD? I didn't realize they had now (I don't think they used to) a non-turbo four with 161 horsepower. Gas economy is much better, but that won't be very quick with that few horses.

 

[stag3]

have a cx-7, 2009
no issues so far, picked it up nov 08 and currently have 23k miles on her
gas mileage sucks, but you have to know that going into it, its around ~18-20mpg

we drove the cx7, crv, murano, vue but the cx7 drove the best, it feels like driving a car, not a pseudo suv. i also have a mazdaspeed3 (same engine, turbo etc..) i'm around the same mileage now ~22k and it is an 08 bought sept 07.

i have read about turbocharger issues, however i have not experienced it, nor my uncle and cousins (in our family we have 4 mazdaspeed 3's and 2 cx7's ) everyone's been happy so far with 0 issues.

drive them all and make your decision then. i paid 24.5 + TTL for the cx7. sticker was at 28k.