Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with this car. However, it's less than one year old.

General Comments:

We love our Cube! Still have a 2004 Scion xB and needed another car. Was disappointed with the new xB models getting worse gas mileage than the original, and could not wait for the Cube to arrive in the U.S. One test drive and I was hooked. The best word to describe it is "peppy". Just push the gas and next thing you know you're doing 80. With CVT, you don't feel the shifting between gears -- the only indication is the tachometer moving.

The Cube has nearly the exact size, features, & MPG of the original xB, but with a bigger, faster engine, more seat comfort, less noise, and more features. I loved my xB until I drove the Cube. It handles more like a larger sedan. The rear seats can actually move up & back and also recline -- very important for rear seat passengers on long trips. The rear door opens to the side, instead of up -- more convenient and (I anticipate) more reliable.

Like the xB, the Cube is basically a short, tall station wagon. It is very easy to get in & out of, has lots of headroom, plenty of space for 4 adults. It has limited rear storage with the seats up, but they can fold down to create an enormous amount of space if you have no rear passengers.

The car is fine for long trips too. We took it from San Antonio, TX to Colorado and back. It did just fine over the hills of West TX and New Mexico doing 70+.

I would buy another one today if I could afford two car payments.

Faults:

Nothing yet, but it is very new.

General Comments:

The shape of these cars is downright polarizing. Some people, like my wife and I, love the car. We think it is cool, and quirky. Other folks, not so much. The first weekend we had the car, we parked it at the zoo. When we cam back, someone had spit right in the center of the driver's side window. (It was clearly spit -- I'm not being paranoid.) That is something about this car that some folks will deal with, FYI.

For our part, we love the car. That big window in the back makes parallel parking a snap. In fact, it was difficult getting used to how much better you could see when parking, a different kind of problem, really.

The seats are incredibly comfortable for such an inexpensive car. Also new for me was the fact that the rear seat adjusts front and back and reclines a bit for comfort. The car looks small, and it is, but feel spacious inside. I was surprised at the accessibility -- getting in and out is easy for my 6 foot 2 carpool buddy, who does prefer the front seat. He remarked though that even he can't reach the windshield while sitting.

The most interesting feature is the CVT (continuously variable transmission). From a standing start, to getting on the freeway, say, you feel like you're in one gear -- there is no discernible gear-shifting. At first, that lack of tangible performance feels weird, but you get used to it, and come to enjoy it, in my case, rather quickly. The 1.8L 4 cylinder is peppy, but the car isn't going to win any races. However, you won't feel like you are under-powered either unless you were looking for a 5 series BMW and settled on this.

Two things I don't like about the car: First, up here in North Dakota, we get a heck of a lot of wind. On the highway, the vehicle's high-profile toes mean you catch a bit more of that than I’d like. In strong sidewinds, the car drifts more than most cars we’ve owned, and means you should use extra caution on very windy days.

Secondly, I hate hate hate the sun visors in this car. They are just completely inferior. They block most of the sun through the windshield, but as for the door? Forget it. They are about 8 inches too short, which is annoying. I wish there was something that could be done about this, but I’m sure not.

Finally, I would say we looked at a lot of cars before settling on the Cube. We liked the Xb, Camry and Element, too, but the Cube offered most of what those vehicles had at a more reasonable price. Looking back, I would make the same decision again. I’ll check back in a year or so and try to give an update on this vehicle.