2009 Nissan Cube: Long-termer wrap-up - AutoWeek
Our love affair with the Nissan Cube cooled off toward the end of our year with it. During the first three months, we were smitten with the funky, asymmetrical box. The cargo room, decent steering and loud stereo made the Cube a good around-town cruiser and people mover. Airport trips, camping duty and Costco runs were the norm, with rare complaints aside from wind noise at expressway speeds. The Cube was packed full of options for our yearlong test, to the tune of $5,270. The Preferred package included keyless entry and ignition, upgraded stereo with iPod input, fog lights and rear parking assist. A few staffers noticed other cars jockeying for position to get a better look. “Well, first, the Cube is asymmetric,” one editor noted, “and that is generally unusual except in concept cars or cars as art or, for God’s sake, cars built by Ed Roth. But we liked it. The only time the styling became an issue was when a staffer tried to unload it in her garage and found that the wide-swinging rear door needed space to open all the way. Entering the fast lane was still a chore, and keeping the Cube steady at speed took a firm hand and a keen eye on the weather report. That’s where the Cube received mixed reviews. In any sort of wind, the upright box was thrown around significantly, especially on the highway. In the rain, the Cube didn’t inspire much confidence during lane changes or avoidance maneuvers. Source: autoweek.com
