REVIEW: Is Nissan's Cube Simply A Style Piece?

In the world of economy cars, automotive designers are always looking for a way to entice teens and young professionals into their autos.  It is not easy either.  Think about it, in today's image-conscious society, most people want to show their success and that they have "made it," so to speak.

One of the first ways to express this sentiment is to have an impressive car, usually of the European persuasion. 

This must have forced design teams to become a little edgy and creative with their work, because we now see that there is a slew of interesting little cars.  No longer are we plagued with bland Ford Escorts or Geo Metros.  Now we see lively and spiffy autos, like the Ford Fiesta and the Chevrolet Spark. 

Is this the European influence that many auto enthusiasts have been waiting for?  Perhaps.  In my eyes, it is not official until the Fiat 500 is actually in U.S. showrooms.

This begs for another question: are we due for a hot hatch invasion? Certainly appears so.  With demands for higher MPG, utility and gobs of fun, it seems that the hot hatch is the only way to go.  Considering how addicted the American consumer is to the practicality of an SUV and the intense hatred of the station wagon, it appears that the hatch will be the buyer's savior.

Although Nissan's design team may beg to differ because they have come up with a better idea; the Cube. 

And contrary to popular belief, the Cube was thought up way back in 1998.  So, they did not "copy" anyone as plenty of people like to assume.  Unfortunately, when they introduced it to the world more than 10 years ago, it was shunned. 

Now the styling has become embraced.  We see boxes driving down the street in several forms, namely: Scion xB, Honda Element, Land Rover Range Rover.  Had Nissan taken a larger risk and sent the Cube to the U.S. sooner, I bet they would have capitalized on the square movement.

During my first glace at a Nissan event, the white Cube looked pretty enticing for an economy car.  In fact, it looked as though its sibling was an iPod.  It is quirky.  But there was a downside I realized when I received the test car.

My ride for a week was green.  Not Hunter Green or Kelly Green, more like a pale, flat Olive Green.  And boy, it did not make me like the Cube any.  Reason being that this awful color hides the lines and it really seems to make the car seem bland.  The Cube needs to be in white or in a bold color to accentuate its character.  No and's, if's or but's. 

For some, the Cube's quirkiness may be a turn off but I happen to appreciate its peculiarities.  The biggest misnomer is the passenger-side wraparound rear window.  Although it is far from an artistic masterpiece, its asymmetry is not something to be frowned upon.

Probably my favorite design element is the bank vault rear door.   Although Nissan insists on comparing it to a refrigerator, I think bank vault is much cooler.  Part of me sort of agrees with Nissan though because their description is pretty close to how it drove; more on this later.

Getting down and dirty on the Cube's interior, there is plenty of room. Everywhere.  Since you are riding around in a gigantic box, essentially, there is ample leg, head, shoulder, and hip room.  This is the perfect vehicle for claustrophobics.  I am pretty confident had you crashed into a lake and sunk to the bottom you would have enough air to survive at least three months.  This makes the Cube an excellent car when you pack it up as if you are Bozo going to the circus. 

Usually when you jam a car tighter than a can of sardines, everyone is uncomfortable, room is scarce and the phrase "are we there yet," becomes engrained in your soul.  However, a road trip to the beach did not reveal this at all.  If anything, I firmly believe the Cube's designers accomplished their goal of creating a social, lounge-like atmosphere.

And the quirks continue within the cabin.  For example, the headliner is designed so it looks like a ripple in water.  Then the dash has a flow-y sort of free-form look to it.  Although I am sure I will get flamed for this, it reminded me of the FX's interior, which had a similar "flow" to it. 

Rather than use multiple dials for the climate control, the system is set up so that all of the controls are held within a circular array of buttons.  To me it bears some resemblance to Koenigsegg's interpretation but without all the glitz and glam that comes with a $1 million dollar supercar.

By far the most obvious and jarring interior quirk is the glare from the vertical side windows.  Manageable during the day, it becomes exponentially worse as the sun fades.  With headlights and taillights buzzing past, it actually made me jump a couple of times.  It is like driving around in a gigantic fishbowl.  I wonder how this and the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox's glare-ridden gauge clusters made it past engineers and testers.

Now, onto the driving experience.

Powered by a 1.8 liter four-cylinder motor, the Cube puts out 122-horsepower and 127 lb-ft of torque.  Paired with this motor is a standard CVT transmission -- note: you can option a Cube with a six-speed manual in the S model.

Although these numbers seem underwhelming, the Cube does have some decent get up and it reaches 60 relatively quick.  It is not the slug you thought it would be.  This is due to the curb weight, which is just under 2,900 pounds.  Even a random passenger was surprised and said "Wow, this car's pretty fast."   Remember, not too many autos weigh under 3,000 pounds these days. 

With some solid straight-line performance, it was time to toss the box into some curves.  And, as one would suspect from a traveling square, it did have some drawbacks.  Because of its height, the higher center of gravity allows the Cube to lean through turns.  That would not be bad, if the seats were more supportive.  The Cube's seats lack true side bolsters and are more like soft lounge chairs.  Problem is, this is not my living room. 

Where these downfalls are made up is in its suspension.  For an economy car, it has an incredibly good, insulated ride.  Taking it over torn up surfaces rittled with potholes and other crevices, the Cube made me feel as though I was gliding over the terrain.  Most vehicles would have jutted about and squeaked and rattled; the Cube held its own.

At speed, the suspension remains on the tighter side, but catch it with a quick elevation change and it will experience some float.  Overall, it is loose enough to take impacts but not to the extent where it is unnerving to drive for a great length with serious speed.

Equipped with speed-sensitive steering, it is light at just about all speeds.  This is not an issue if it is set up so that it is direct, which the Cube was not.  At speed, when steering should have pinpoint accuracy, the Cube remains muddied.  Simply put, there is a lot of play, which does not bode well for confidence.  Lightness is one thing, indirectness is another, but when put together thats about as delicious as tequila sans salt and lime.

On the brighter side though, the Cube does obtain a reasonable MPG.  After giving it a week's worth of testing, it came in at 26 MPG.  Not too bad but for a box under 3,000 pounds I was expecting better.  And that is my general towards the Cube as a whole.

I was anticipating a much more exciting car but it seems to fall short of my expectations.  The build quality seems lethargic while the Z-car has made strides, the MPG is acceptable but it seems as though Nissan could have achieved better, and the steering feel is doable if you do not mind driving something detached from road. 

With the car being available in the Japanese market for quite some time now, I thought it would be a more polished example.  Even little things like the door shutting sounded a bit aloof.

When all is said and done, it is an acceptable vehicle.  It just could be so much more if Nissan took it to the next step.  Look at cars like the GT-R, the 370Z and even the new Maxima.  By going the extra mile, Nissan has created cars that drew gasps and applause, where the Cube seems to be more of a style piece. 

And that is only one element of a car.


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