2010 Nissan Cube
Never before has there been a new vehicle released on the market that has so blatantly called out for it to have an interior disco ball option. What car is so funky that even those Disco dancing maestros from the 1970's known only as Chic would have done Le Freak at the mere sight of it? The 2009 Nissan Cube, of course.The 2009 Cube is new to these shores but has been sold for years in its native Japan where it is quite the big seller. Apparently the easy to drive nature and capacious interior dimensions have some sort of appeal to the youth of that country. While the 2009 Cube will no doubt appeal to some young people in this country who share its off-kilter sensibility, it will also no doubt ape its Scion XB progenitor by appealing to older folks looking for a vehicle with a high ease of entry quotient. You see, boxy cars are just easier to get in and out of. No stooping and crouching like when you try to get into one of those sporty cars with curves!Young people in this country are far more prone to be interested in Japanese cars like the Subaru WRX and the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO. Maybe if they put the Cube in the next version of Gran Turismo on PlayStation 12 it would sell a little better to the youth of this country. As it stands, the Nissan Cube will probably only appeal to guys like your dorky college dorm R.A. with all The Lord of the Rings posters.Contrary to its name, the Cube isn't really a cube. Its form is actually rather asymmetrical and features one D pillar that is entirely made of glass. While that does take care of one sizable blind spot, it does make the car look funny. Not ha-ha funny. But more like wow, that guy has 14 toes kind of funny. You will have to be very secure in who you are to drive this car with your head held high.It's not all bad. The front end of the Cube is endearingly cute and was apparently inspired by a bulldog wearing sunglasses. We all know that you see so many of those running around. What exactly are they smoking over at Nissan? And where can we get some?The wackiness continues unabated in the interior of the Cube what with its optional shag carpeting (yes, like your parents had in the living room when Saturday Night Fever came out) cover for the center of the dashboard and the speedo/tach that are colored like the Earth and the Moon when you turn on the headlights. In addition the headliner also features fabric that ripples out from the center like a pond right after you drop a pebble into it. No wacky stone has remained unturned in the design of the 2009 Nissan Cube.Motivation for the lilliputian Cube comes in the form of a 1.8 liter four banger with 122 horsepower and 127 pound feet of torque. In other words, don't try to drive up too many steep hills. It is far wiser to just park the Cube in a parking lot and smoke whatever the Nissan designers were imbibing during the creation of this wacky wonder.On an even greener note, the 2009 Nissan Cube does manage an impressive 28 miles per gallon city/30 miles per gallon highway rating with the CVT transmission. That is all the more impressive when you consider the fact that this vehicle is about as aerodynamic as your 380 pound Aunt Phyllis. But all that boxiness does pay dividends with interior volume that shames many SUVs.Regardless of what you think of the styling of the 2009 Cube you have to applaud Nissan for having the stones to bring such an out there design to the United States market. If for no other reason than the fact that it is so wantonly creative the Cube deserves to succeed. Who is going to buy it? You sure got me.
Never before has there been a new vehicle released on the market that has so blatantly called out for it to have an interior disco ball option. What car is so funky that even those Disco dancing maestros from the 1970's known only as Chic would have done Le Freak at the mere sight of it? The 2009 Nissan Cube, of course.
The 2009 Cube is new to these shores but has been sold for years in its native Japan where it is quite the big seller. Apparently the easy to drive nature and capacious interior dimensions have some sort of appeal to the youth of that country. While the 2009 Cube will no doubt appeal to some young people in this country who share its off-kilter sensibility, it will also no doubt ape its Scion XB progenitor by appealing to older folks looking for a vehicle with a high ease of entry quotient. You see, boxy cars are just easier to get in and out of. No stooping and crouching like when you try to get into one of those sporty cars with curves!
Young people in this country are far more prone to be interested in Japanese cars like the Subaru WRX and the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO. Maybe if they put the Cube in the next version of Gran Turismo on PlayStation 12 it would sell a little better to the youth of this country. As it stands, the Nissan Cube will probably only appeal to guys like your dorky college dorm R.A. with all The Lord of the Rings posters.
Contrary to its name, the Cube isn't really a cube. Its form is actually rather asymmetrical and features one D pillar that is entirely made of glass. While that does take care of one sizable blind spot, it does make the car look funny. Not ha-ha funny. But more like wow, that guy has 14 toes kind of funny. You will have to be very secure in who you are to drive this car with your head held high.
It's not all bad. The front end of the Cube is endearingly cute and was apparently inspired by a bulldog wearing sunglasses. We all know that you see so many of those running around. What exactly are they smoking over at Nissan? And where can we get some?
The wackiness continues unabated in the interior of the Cube what with its optional shag carpeting (yes, like your parents had in the living room when Saturday Night Fever came out) cover for the center of the dashboard and the speedo/tach that are colored like the Earth and the Moon when you turn on the headlights. In addition the headliner also features fabric that ripples out from the center like a pond right after you drop a pebble into it. No wacky stone has remained unturned in the design of the 2009 Nissan Cube.
Motivation for the lilliputian Cube comes in the form of a 1.8 liter four banger with 122 horsepower and 127 pound feet of torque. In other words, don't try to drive up too many steep hills. It is far wiser to just park the Cube in a parking lot and smoke whatever the Nissan designers were imbibing during the creation of this wacky wonder.
On an even greener note, the 2009 Nissan Cube does manage an impressive 28 miles per gallon city/30 miles per gallon highway rating with the CVT transmission. That is all the more impressive when you consider the fact that this vehicle is about as aerodynamic as your 380 pound Aunt Phyllis. But all that boxiness does pay dividends with interior volume that shames many SUVs.
Regardless of what you think of the styling of the 2009 Cube you have to applaud Nissan for having the stones to bring such an out there design to the United States market. If for no other reason than the fact that it is so wantonly creative the Cube deserves to succeed. Who is going to buy it? You sure got me.
