Today, I embarked on a journey to trade in my 2016 Honda Accord for a 2021 CX-5 Signature, but fate had other plans. At Enterprise, I was unexpectedly tempted by a 2022 Nissan Rogue SV with less than 100 miles on it. The deal seemed too good to pass up - only $255 a month with a 60k mile/5-year warranty, and a stress-free, fair experience. Plus, there’s a 7-day, 1000-mile return policy, albeit with a $200 restock fee.
But here’s where it gets tricky. I couldn’t shake off my initial fascination with the CX-5. So, I headed to a Mazda dealership and found a tempting 2022 CX-5 Premium, a lease return in great condition. After an exhausting 6-hour negotiation marathon, I managed to bring them down from a $8k over-list dealer add-on price to a more reasonable $28k. But the deal still included a $698 LoJack fee.
Fast forward, I’m sitting in the finance office, and the deal is set at $315 a month for 72 months, including a warp 100k mile/7-year warranty and a bi-annual oil change package.
In a whirlwind of stress and second-guessing, I signed the papers for the CX-5 but then rushed back to Enterprise to return the Rogue. The Mazda folks weren’t thrilled when I expressed my doubts about the deal and I left Mazda with the Rogue.
So now, Reddit, I’m decompressing and reevaluating. Was the Nissan Rogue the smarter choice for long-term value and reliability, or did the CX-5’s allure and features justify its price? I’m second-guessing my decision and could really use your perspectives.
TLDR: Opted for a new Rogue with a solid warranty at Enterprise, but a visit to Mazda led me to start negotiating a 2022 CX-5 after hours of negotiation. Ended up with the Rogue but wondering if I made the right choice. What do you think?
you made the wrong choice. How much research have you done prior to purchase as based on your story you kind of rushed the whole process and got swept up by shiny words from Enterprise. Nissans, at least in the last 15 years have been hot garbage. poor build quality, ticking time bomb CVT transmissions (which you have, RIP transmission), oil consumption issues at 20k miles+, sub par fuel mileage, and a brand that has fallen so hard not even their GT-R could cushion the fall. And i hope you looked carefully at the warranty from Enterprise and its normally full of asterisk and conditions before they honor it.
also note when buying fleet vehicles from rental companies like Enterprise or Hertz, their cars, although low mileage, have very likely been driven hard because you know, rental.
i would of deny the LoJack outright and if they wouldn’t budge, i would go somewhere else. you are not obligated to purchase a vehicle with features/add-ons (especially not factory add-ons).
I generally agree with the statement about buying a previous rental car, but I’m guessing this Rogue is a trade they received.
Enterprise has a “minimum holding requirement” which means that they can not sell any car from a particular brand until it reaches a specified mileage. Auto manufacturers don’t want them buying fleet vehicles at a discount and immediately flipping them.
Maybe it has changed since I worked there, but the lowest required mileage was around 10,000 - 12,000.
All that said, the Nissan is still the wrong choice IMO.
The CVT issues were when Nissan still used Jatco for their transmissions. They’ve switched to another manufacturer as of like 5 years ago and haven’t had nearly as many issues. Just the reputation they’ve earned from those problem years.
That’s what I am hearing.
Thank you for your help. It helped me go back and get the CX-5.