First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke
 

08-26-2010 10:57 AM

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....jukefd2011.jpg

Remember the Nissan NX of the mid-'90s? The tiny, econobox-based sportster was as cute as a bug and spent its brief lifespan mixing it up with other long-gone, sporty front-wheel drive affordables like the Mazda MX-3, Honda Civic CRX, Toyota Paseo and even the Hyundai Scoupe. While there were a lot of inexpensive, racy looking coupes back then, most automakers just don't see any money in that segment anymore. Instead, when they look to spin something off of their entry-level B-class chassis, most veer toward the white-hot crossover segment.

Consider the latest example, Nissan's 2011 Juke. Come to think of it, this in-your-face city slicker has some startling similarities to the NX. For one, at 162.8 inches long, it's deceptively small – just 0.4 inches longer than the '90s coupe. Further, both the Juke and the NX1600 rely on 1.6-liter four-cylinder power. And like the Sentra-based NX, the more emotional Juke is based on the same humble underpinnings that give structure to Nissan's workaday offerings, in this case, the Versa and Cube. And while the Juke may not be cute as a bug, there's something downright insectian about its Predator-like mug.

Despite not being a traditional sporty car, Nissan has been talking up its controversially styled mini-ute with many of the same descriptors, so we hopped a plane to Vancouver to see if the Juke could bob and weave its way into our hearts. Follow the jump to find out how it fared.

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Interesting... it's true that the Juke would be in my list if I were looking for a new car.

... fugly

Nissan Juke | Video Features | Videos | Auto Express
http://theblogaboutcars.com/wp-conte...issan-juke.jpg

http://images-2.drive.com.au/2010/02...00-600x400.jpg

this is the one for sale

I can see a whole segment going after it because it looks weird. LOL Oh and its quite possibly another case of the Nissan that looks better in person than it does in pictures. Which seems to happen quite often of late. I.E. 370Z , Cube, New Maxima etc...

a lot of reviewers seems to like it as well.

thats a funky video. at least it comes in stick.

the way the lights are layed out doesn't appeal to me personally, but other than that it's a cool car. what's not to like about a car that comes with a turbo from the factory? i wouldn't be surprised if the engine starts popping up in other nissan vehicles.

If you're looking for a smaller size cross-over that's fuel efficient & reasonably fun to drive, yeah I guess it's a decent buy.
It does some like a better value than the rogue.
Come to think of it, i don't know why the hell nissan needs so many crossovers/suvs.

Now it's definitely a stretch to say it would appeal to those who want another 240sx.
I would not buy this, and even if I were to want to get something similar, Id opt for a truck.

I pretty much agree with all of this.

When I saw this at the dealership I was dissapointed. The salesman told me nissan was coming out with a new sporty turbo car. Then I saw this and was ultimately dissapointed. Looks like a suzuki. Its the nissan tracker. Of course its going to appeal to a certain segment but I think it will just be the segment that is currently interested in rogue, cube, scion and the likes. It just isn't cheap enough to reel in anyone else.

There's not enough gold in china to make me drive that thing. I'd honestly rather drive a turbo pt loser.

i still think if they put this drivetrain (AWD Turbo) in the cube it would be awesome.

a turbo cube would be sweet

New name:

The Nissan Puke?

The Nissan Joke?

A turbo Cube would be sick as fuck. Damn that funny looking box just made me look like shit. LOL

It would a FU kia Soul. LOL

yeah AWD turbo cube would be a big FU to the Soul and pretty much stick a fork in the Scion XB.

you wont feel the turbo that much but driving this juke is fun you can switch from normal to sport, or to economy mode.

well yeah it's not gonna be a monster out the box but the fact that it's comes stock with a turbo just gives it more potential for power.

....................har har har

Thought the Genesis accelerated slower than that, maybe in the mid sevens iirc.

6.8 is good though, very close to the Forester Turbo.
Certainly one of the quicker vehicles in it's segment.
The thing is probably pretty damn light, or so I'd guess.

Looks like a murano/versa cross, Im not a fan..

& the headlights looks like theyre gonna shoot laser beams at the Death Star

I'd buy this over Scion...
However, I do not have mask like someone so, I won't buy it !


But I am digging the specs...

MR16DDT – 1.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG™) DOHC 16-valve turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
Horsepower – 188 hp @ 5,600 rpm
Torque – 177 lb-ft @ 2,000 – 5,200 rpm

Why couldnt they make the headlights square instead of being circles? I bet that would make the car look alot better...who ever designed it need to get punched, then stabbed with a rusty screwdriver in the face.

I think it actually looks fun, and I'm glad Nissan took some risks here.
Nissan's other designs like the Altima, Rogue, Maxima, Versa, Senta etc are boring as hell (if not also flat out ugly).
Come to think of it, the vast majority of designs todays are very derivative of existing stuff.
Almost everyone is trying to play it safe.

I would agree with the fact that its better to take chances with designs, rather than stagnate with derivative's. About the only derivative design I felt was on point for them was the Altima coupe. Had it been a rwd setup it would have been perfect.
Both the Juke and the Cube stand out because of the out of the box thinking. No pun intended.
Like it or not its a lot better than mundane look a likes.

I'm sorry but once you own a car or two. Keywords like "Direct Injected" and "CVT" equal "Crazy Expensive dealer only parts and service" to me. I picture someone telling my the kanoodler is broke in the gearbox at 100k and a new one is $2600 plus $1200 labor because it must be vin coded with the ECU.

If you get the stick. You get only FWD which replaces the rear multilink with some torsen beam shit. It just costs to much for what it does. Looks like it's good at everything but nothing fits in it.

i get that they are supposed to be quirky, but it looks awkward as fuck.

yeah the rear on the coupes are :boink:
they come with a v6 don't they? maybe they kept it fwd so it wouldn't interfere w/the Z sales...or not i dunno

isn't that the case with any new car? lol

ya they do come with a V6. They made it FWD because it was aimed directly at Scion TC sales.

The thing is Scion aka Toyota has based the marketing of the Scions on towards younger people. Nissan just marketed the Altima Coupe lol

I digress though.

Yes all new cars have unserviceable parts for the end user. TheWolf has just not realized that, yet.
LOL

We no longer can buy cars you can do all the work yourself on.

Unless you are a master mechanic schooled in all the latest and greatest and even they have problems sometimes. LOL