The 2010 Nissan Cube is a small hatchback with a unique and head-turning design. While perhaps not everyone will find its look appealing, it will likely continue to attract shoppers who put a higher value on being different. But the new Cube offers more than its edgy style, including peppy acceleration, a long list of standard features, ample passenger room and plenty of personal customization options.
The compact and comfortable Nissan Cube is basically a Nissan Versa with a more flamboyant personality and increased cargo capacity due to its boxy design. Both vehicles feature a relatively strong engine, a comfortable ride, good gas mileage and an impressive available continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
For a small vehicle, the Cube offers plenty of passenger room and the backseat is particularly useful because it both slides and reclines. There's also lots of available features not usually expected from a vehicle in this price range, including Bluetooth, a Rockford Fosgate sound system, a color audio display, and keyless entry and ignition.
There's also a ton of dealer-installed accessories for individual customization opportunities, such as exterior body kit items, 20-color interior mood lighting, a number of colored trim piece choices and even a shag rug dashborad top.
New for the 2010 model year, the Cube S and SL models receive standard Bluetooth as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls. The S also gets two extra speakers and an iPod interface. New standard features for the Krom edition include a color audio display, a rearview camera and keyless entry/ignition (the audio display and camera are available options on the SL).
While the Cube can make a compelling case for itself, active shoppers may also want to check out worthy competitors such as the Honda Fit and Kia Soul.
Trims, Standard Features And Options:
The 2010 Nissan Cube is a four-door hatchback offered in four trims: base, S, SL and Krom Edition.
Standard features on the already well-equipped base model include full power accessories, air conditioning, keyless entry, rear privacy glass, a height-adjustable driver seat, 15 inch steel wheels, a reclining and sliding 60/40-split rear bench and a 2-speaker audio system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack.
Moving up to the Cube S nets cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, Bluetooth, upgraded cloth upholstery and a 6-speaker sound system with an iPod interface.
Additional standard features on the Cube SL include 16 inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, foglights and automatic headlights. In addition, there's an SL Preferred package that adds keyless ignition/entry, a Rockford Fosgate 6-speaker audio system with a subwoofer, satellite radio, a color audio display, a rearview camera and a USB audio port.
The top-of-the-line Krom Edition includes the Preferred package items, plus aluminum-trimmed pedals, different 16 inch alloy wheels, black/gray cloth upholstery, a rear roof spoiler, 20-color ambient lighting and unique front and rear bumpers, grille and side sills.
The long list of customization accessories include various alloy wheel designs, a portable Garmin navigation system, bungee cord map holders, an assortment of body kit items and interior trim pieces, 20-color interior ambient lighting, multicolor interior hooks and shag carpeting for the top of the dashboard.
Engines, Powertrain And Gas Mileage:
Powering the front-wheel drive 2010 Cube is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine good for 122 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a 6-speed manual transmission in the base Cube and Cube S models, while a CVT is standard on the SL and Krom and optional on the S.
The EPA-estimated gas mileage for a Cube with manual transmission stands at a very good 24 mpg city and 29 mpg on the highway. The CVT ups these numbers to 28 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.
Safety:
Standard safety features on all Cube models include traction control, stability control, antilock brakes (ABS) with front discs and rear drums, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and active front head restraints.
In government crash testing, the 2010 Nissan Cube earned five out of five stars for side impact protection and four stars for front impact protection.
Interior:
The 2010 Cube's cabin features soft curves and arcs that differentate it from the usually hard-lined designs of many of its competitors. Particularly striking and unique is its headliner with a "dropped pebble in a pond" effect.
The controls and instruments are simple, well-designed and user friendly. The seating is comfortable, especially in the front seats which are overstuffed.
The rear provides ample headroom and legroom for two fairly tall passengers thanks to its high roof and multiadjustable seat. And while the Cube's split rear seat doesn't fold even with the floor, lowering it still provides a very useful 50 cubic feet of cargo space.
Drive:
The 2010 Nissan Cube demonstrates surprisingly robust road manners in both city traffic and highway passing, thanks in a large part to its exceptional CVT that maximizes the engine's power. Ride comfort and smoothness is another of the Cube's positive qualities.
While most drivers will likely be satisfied with its road manners, it should be noted that its boxy shape elevates wind noise to some extent on the highway. And with its soft suspension tuning and light steering, one shouldn't have high expectations for dynamic maneuvering.
How To Get The Lowest Price:
Best Negotiating Tactic: Well, there's definitely a 'best way' when it comes to new car buying. If you want to get the best bottomline, out-the-door price you need to know exactly who to talk to at the dealership, how to make the contact and how to make this person eager to quickly drop prices as low as possible to get your sale.
Those of you in the market for a used car may want to check out this article about how to buy a used car at the lowest price. It details a super effective buying method, one that often beats down prices to wholesale levels.
And somewhat related to this, here's another excellent method that identifies Price-Distressed Cars Right On Dealer Lots. These are vehicles they are so desperate to unload they would welcome your wholesale offer.
In addition, you can also try Repossessed Bank And Government Auctions in your own geographic area. While there can be a lot of junk vehicles at these auctions, there are often absolute gems sprinkled in as well. This article reviews what to expect at open-to-the-public car auctions and how to locate them in your own area.
Prices:
1.8 base, manual: list price: $13,990, invoice price: $13,500
1.8 S, manual: list price: $15,350, invoice price: $14,808
1.8 S, CVT: list price: $16,350, invoice price: $15,769
SL, CVT: list price: $17,450, invoice price: $16,827
1.8 S Krom Edition, CVT: list price: $20,440, invoice price: $19,572
