Two years ago, CarMax customer Cathy and her husband, Ken, were making a move from Illinois to Texas. Due to Ken’s health, their main goal was to find an SUV that could handle transporting medical equipment and making the 950-mile trip with ease. After narrowing options and test-packing Ken’s equipment in SUVs on a CarMax lot, the couple decided to buy a used 2020 Nissan Rogue. We sat down with Cathy to learn more about why they picked a 2020 Rogue and how things are going now.
2020 Nissan Rogue owner pros:
Plenty of cargo space
Low clearance
Interior comfort
2020 Nissan Rogue owner cons:
Little front seat storage space for smaller items
No turn signal on side mirrors
What were your must-haves in a car?
Our must-have was more interior space and a car with lower mileage. My husband has multiple sclerosis, so we usually travel with a scooter, walker, CPAP machine, and stuff like that. I really thought it had to have cruise control because we go on long trips. I also wanted it to be more weather-friendly for Texas with good A/C and a lighter exterior color. It had to be reliable enough to make the back-and-forth trips several times a year.
Cathy’s Must-Haves:
Cargo space
Comfortable interior for road trips
Low mileage
Hot-weather friendly
Is there a reason you decided on the 2020 Nissan Rogue specifically?
We wanted a crossover and narrowed it down to several different models. My sister-in-law had a Nissan Rogue, and my mother-in-law had a similar crossover, and we test-drove both. After that, we went to the CarMax website and looked up crossovers and different models. Then we made an appointment to go into CarMax so that we could test drive them.
After that, I came back to the store with my husband's scooter and walker so that I could see how they fit in the trunk or cargo space. We also wanted to make sure he could get in and out of it comfortably on the passenger side because his right side doesn't work well. CarMax put a hold on the car, and we tested it with his equipment, and the Rogue worked great.
What features do you like most about the 2020 Rogue?
My favorite things about the Nissan Rogue are that it's really comfortable. Last year I went back and forth to Illinois six times in 13 months because we were getting work done on our house before we bought it.
I love how easy the Rogue is to handle. It's much easier to park than I thought it would be going from hybrids and smaller cars in the past to a longer car. And of course, the storage space works wonderfully for all our equipment.
The other thing I love is the location and size of the GPS screen. Some other cars have ones that are higher on the dashboard and glare too much and the Rogue’s doesn't.
Anything you don’t like?
There are only two things I wish it had. One is a little more room up front for items like a purse. My purse has to be on the floor by my husband's feet, so I always feel like I’m crowding the passenger side. The other thing I miss is having the turn signal on the side mirrors. But I do like that you can see the turn signals in the rearview mirror.
How comfortable is the 2020 Nissan Rogue for passengers?
We have taken my elderly mother on rides—she's 93 years-old and she uses a walker, too. I can fold my mom's walker and put it behind the front passenger seat, and it works out well. My husband is just about 6-feet tall, and my mom is barely 5-feet tall, and neither of them have a problem getting in or out of the Rogue.
How is the 2020 Rogue on longer road trips?
Last summer, it was 110 degrees in Texas. It was the longest time this area has been above 100° for more than six weeks in a row in decades. The air conditioner handled it fine. I also love the fact that it has a heated steering wheel and heated seats! When we go back to Chicago for a while in winter, it does well with the different climates, which I wouldn’t have thought of when I was shopping.
Our Living with Your Car series explores real owners and their experiences of living with a car after you sign on the dotted line. From dream features to those quirks you just can't ignore; these stories cover the questions you really want to ask.
