2009 Nissan Cube Krom: Cute, but ...

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:32

The Nissan Cube is one of those cars that seem destined for magnetized signs on the front doors, or even an exotic top-to-bottom paint job advertising a business. Its boxy lines and diminutive size suggest the owner of said business pinches his pennies, no doubt to the benefit of his customers. And the Cube gives the impression the side-hinged rear door opens to an unexpectedly large cargo compartment.

Sadly, it doesn’t quite live up to its billing. In fact, it’s the precise opposite of the less-is-more Honda Fit.

The Cube has that quirky look that helped Scion make a big splash when it introduced the xB to the U.S. market a few years ago. It’s based on the Nissan Versa, a pleasant little sedan that delivers an uncommonly smooth, quiet ride. The Cube gets pretty good fuel economy for a miniature delivery truck: 28 mpg in the city, 30 highway. With Versa DNA, it should be reliable, too.

The Cube’s biggest deficiency is its back seat. The seat backs fold down, but the bottom cushions stay put. So if you want to turn your Cube into a true delivery vehicle, break out the wrenches and screwdrivers. Or make do with 58 cubic feet of cargo room, about the same as the superficially much smaller Honda Fit.

Why Nissan didn’t take advantage of the delivery-truck motif by designing a foldaway or even removable rear seat is a mystery.

Like the Versa, the Cube is reasonably pleasant to drive, though in a few respects it falls short. Room is ample for the driver and front passenger, and head room is copious. But the driving position is awkward for tall drivers, who have to sit upright to keep the steering wheel within reach. The big sun visor also requires a long stretch.

The 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower engine is serves up plenty of power via a smooth, continuously variable transmission. The interior is quiet on urban and secondary roads, but on the interstate highway, wind noise is pronounced. The vertical glass panels also pick up reflections that can be distracting.

Oddly, the Cube’s designers abandoned the square, upright exterior look for round shapes inside. The ceiling and other interior elements have a concentric-circle motif, and the highlight of the $200 Interior Design Package is a round piece of shag carpet attached by Velcro to the center of the dashboard.

Our White Pearl, top-of-the-line 2009 Krom edition had a sticker price of $20,420. The base Cube starts at $13,990. The competitors in the box-on-wheels category are the Kia Soul, starting at $13,300; and Scion xB, $15,850.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety judged the Cube a Top Safety Pick because of its good performance in crash tests and its standard stability control.

The Cube offers good performance and loads of novelty appeal, but strangely, it doesn’t function all that well in the mini-delivery-truck capacity for which it seems to have been designed.

Price: $20,420

Engine: 1.8-liter inline Four, 122 horsepower, 127 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: Xtronic continuously variable automatic

Drive: Front-wheel

Weight: 2,904 lb.

Suspension: 4-wheel independent, MacPherson strut front, torsion beam rear

Wheels: 16x6-inch chrome alloy

Tires: P195/55R16 88V all-season

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 21.4 cu. ft.

Maximum cargo capacity: 58 cu. Ft.

Fuel capacity: 13.2 gallons

Fuel economy: 28 mpg city, 30 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

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