For those of us typically
For those of us typically using the car by ourselves, the rear seat issue is not a major one. I have a 2008 Rav4 which I love and which has brought me safely through a couple of nasty New England winters unscathed. I always liked the distinctive look of the rav4, but now that the rear tire is gone (or so it seems) from the back, it looks almost identical to the Nissan... So for looks I guess now they are pretty much equal for me.
I put lots of mileage on my cars, so which of the two has the better resale value? Also as it is entering it's twilight years, I have spent a small fortune on repairs... Is the new Rav4 better in this respect? Is the Nissan better?
As I mentioned I drive in pretty nasty weather in winter, does one have the edge over the other in this respect. I have the cheapest model which does not have AWD. BTW, what is the comparative fuel efficiency of the non AWD models?
Now that the two look virtually identical, the fact that the rouge is so much cheaper might tip me to buying one of those next, once my trusty Rav4 finally kicks the bucket.
Also, you mentioned the back of the Rogue is lower, I have a kayak and getting it up on top of the Rav is a major workout, hopefully it will be easier with the Rouge? Does it have p reinstalled bars on top like the Rav?