1st Nov 2009, 19:08

The new Nissan Cube has finally reached our shores and frankly, it's about time. America needs to start using these kinds of vehicles. They're far more fuel efficient, and much better for the environment. And I don't care what anyone says, that is a FACT.

But of course, we'll still have people who insist on buying a Chevy Suburban because they just had their first child.

5th Dec 2009, 16:11

I drove on a week ago. It was the pretty light blue color with a gray interior. I thought it rode very well and was generally pretty quiet. Interior seemed high class.. but it was a nicely equipped version.. alloy wheels and such. Seats were comfy and one I found out the bolt upright rear seatback reclines... I was amazed how comfy it is front and back. Not much trunk room for a family with back seat in use. Rear cargo area not as versatile as the Honda Fit. Cargo room is greater in the Fit, especially when carrying four passengers. I thought it was peppier than the Fit. The swing out rear cargo door should be a hatch... not a door. Not good in parallel parking. I like the original Scion XB and this seems pretty similar to that. For the price difference between a used original XB and a new Cube... I think the used XB would win. I also worry about those CVT transmissions in cars today. Minis have had lots of problems with the CVT.

5th Jan 2010, 16:05

Hello, this is just an update to my review of the 2009 Nissan Cube.

My wife and I still really love the car, which is to be expected as it is still quite new. However, with the advent of winter and some pretty heavy snows up here in North Dakota, I do have to say the Cube is clearly not a snow friendly car. It starts up fine, runs well in the cold and all that, but even with just a small amount of snow on the ground, it is more like sledding. In truth, many cars would have trouble with the 20+ inches of snow and temps at -30, but I really want to reiterate that a decent wind shoves this around even more in the snow and ice.

While we love the car, we are considering getting a 3rd vehicle, an old 4X4 pickup, possibly, for the very worst days. This is really a city car, and not meant for even the occasional unpaved roads we have up here.

One note on the CVT, we just received a letter saying that due to some issues with the CVT, Nissan was doubling the warranty to 6 years and 60K miles for the whole transmission. Some owners have had trouble, but we've been fortunate.

Biggest gripe: Nissan STILL has not provided an owner's manual. It keeps telling us they are on order. I work in publishing -- that's just baloney. Their customer service is really lacking in this regard.

16th Jan 2010, 23:11

If you can, buy some winter tires. I had issues with my 1991 Integra sliding even at slow speeds. Bought some Nokian tires with studs, and haven't had a problem since.