2011 Nissan Juke SV AWD

[regfootball]

will get this review up later

[balthazar]

Take yer time, or..... just forget it.

[regfootball]

lmao

[regfootball]

driven (quick spin)

2011 Nissan Juke SV CVT AWD blue, dark interior MSRP like between 21 and 22

HIGHS

responsive CVT (makes you wonder why we have stepped trannies)

no turbo lag

NUTS (lots of power). point. shoot. go!

refined engine idle to redline. quick revs. power everywhere.

looks that a mother can love.

spot on driving height.

unique interior design theme.

the aura of the vehicle conveys "let's go!". attitude.

nice gauges. otherwise fairly decent ergonomics and controls.

slot car (or almost) handling. quick steering, good feel.

otherwise, surprisingly decent ride to go with it.

low price.

adjustable programming on the transmission is not at all a gimmick and works nicely.

low rpm at 75 mph, just a bit under 2500

compact size means vehicle can get anywhere.

all weather ability.

LOWS

cabin noise at speed, in general would benefit from noise insulation and vibration isolation.

cabin claustrophobia and visibility

small cargo hold (expected but not excused)

small back seat (expected but again not entirely excused)

tight front quarters (which actually are just 'intimate', sometimes a bit of stretchout room is ok.

overall not much for cabin room

cheap interior materials that get quick scratch damage, seat cloth is a bit burlappy

"looks only a mother could love"; freakazoid front end

somewhat unimaginative center stack controls considering how expressive the car's design is elsewhere

did I mention that the looks are not entirely appealing? (except from some angles)

SUMMARY

this vehicle is pretty easy to peg. It's small, fun, and tight, and will fit your budget. I will say this though. I have not driven a Mini, but I cannot imagine the parallel here entirely. The Mini is a car, and this feels more like some sort of rally machine. In any case, I can see the appeal for some. It goes nicely, has snappy handling, and conveys attitude. This really is a vehicle that should not be considered by someone who needs a lot of space. It's intimate and it's a little claustrophobic. But it's fun.

The CVT mated to the turbo is a winner. The tranny is trans-parent. It never enters your mind that this is a stepless tranny, and you do not miss it. You just gas it and go. The normal, sport, and eco modes indeed are each entirely different and enhance your driving and they can be changed on the fly. I cannot envision why anyone could want the front drive manual Juke, but it may be worth a drive for comparison. I cannot envision rowing the gears close to fast enough to keep up with how RIGHT NOW this thing adjusts to the moment, especially in sport mode. Roll on acceleration is very good.

It really does come down to looks here. And attitude. This is different, and unique. Do you want to assign yourself to it, or not? Even if I were just single and didn't need a vehicle with more space, I would have to consider first off, is it fun. But then secondly where this fails for me is is it just my cup of tea? I would probably say not. But dynamically its nailed down and the price and value cannot be questioned. At the end of the day the major issue for me is some residual NVH of sound attenuation and claustrophobia. We've seen just enough of the newer small and cheap vehicles come out recently that mitigate that sound issue in a better way to make the experience more pleasing without destroying the fun factor. It's not a deal breaker here.....just something to mark on the scorecard.

Fun factor + value - sound level and small confines equals.....

B+

Edited February 6, 2011 by regfootball

[A Horse With No Name]

Balthazar...we know you want one to go with that Sienna Minivan your trading the Malibu on....

[regfootball]

no doubt Balthy is looking for the SE sports model Sienna......

[balthazar]

The vehicle could rate an 'A' in everything and the horrific looks would still bring it down to a D-.

The headlights are still on the friggin' hood. FAIL.

"This is different, and unique. Do you want to assign yourself to it, or not?"

Perhaps somewhere, someone has seriously asked the same question WRT leprosy.

-- -- -- -- --

Corporate policy forbids japanese vehicles from berthing at Rancho Baltho.

Edited February 6, 2011 by balthazar

[regfootball]

Hey, I'm not lovin it either but just as a device its more than capable.

When I said 'do you wanna assign yourself to it, or not' I should have said, 'um, ok go ahead you be the one to drive one first'. The looks do not do it for me either. This from a former Aztek owner.

This will probably subject me to criticism but I will say it anyways. The premise of this vehicle is interesting. The design just does not. One vehicle I like that i know many others don't is the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The reason I like it is just that it is simply a small responsive, tall, all weather hatchback. To some degree this is the same class of vehicle. Tall, all weather, compact hatchback. If the Outlander Sport ever gets the 237hp Ralliart turbo and a 6 speed and brings the attitude with it that this does, then I really would like that package (that has more space in the front and a little more usable back seat and trunk while still being a light and small vehicle).

Like a tall detuned Evo.

By the way, I started with whiskey this evening. Moved to long island teas, what are they serving at the ranch your way tonight?

If it pleases the court, I am very interested in pursuing either a Cruze Eco or a Malibu LS or LT as a possible vehicle lease in the near term to replace my Cobalt. I do still have eyes for the home team........

Edited February 6, 2011 by regfootball

[balthazar]

Rancho Baltho is, sadly and as usual, without spirits tonight. I am getting closer to my unspecified future take-up hobby of drinking, but not yet. Perhaps I am still coasting on my past drinking hobby. Maybe I'll have a brew during the game tomm.

Anyway, I take umbrage at the implication that this compact CUV does anything markedly different or 'more funner' than the mean average of the segment. In other words- you can get the same functionality without having to constantly explain to people why you bought something that looks like a college frat prank.

[PurdueGuy]

The headlights are still on the friggin' hood. FAIL.

You mean the signal lights - the headlights look like giant fog lights.

[balthazar]

^ Aware, but that's not the way they attempted to make it look, nor is it the way most gape-mawed bystanders are going to interpret it.

[William Maley]

It really does come down to looks here. And attitude. This is different, and unique. Do you want to assign yourself to it, or not? Even if I were just single and didn't need a vehicle with more space, I would have to consider first off, is it fun. But then secondly where this fails for me is is it just my cup of tea? I would probably say not. But dynamically its nailed down and the price and value cannot be questioned. At the end of the day the major issue for me is some residual NVH of sound attenuation and claustrophobia. We've seen just enough of the newer small and cheap vehicles come out recently that mitigate that sound issue in a better way to make the experience more pleasing without destroying the fun factor. It's not a deal breaker here.....just something to mark on the scorecard.

That's what I like about the Juke, it's different. It's not one of the 15 plain vanilla CUVs, it has personality. If I had the money, I would be walking down to my Nissan dealer and drive away in one.

The vehicle could rate an 'A' in everything and the horrific looks would still bring it down to a D-.

The headlights are still on the friggin' hood. FAIL.

Yes, the lights on the hood make it look like it has pimples. It was a big turn off for me on the Juke for awhile. But then it started to grow on me.

[balthazar]

^ I guess that's what pimples do...

[Intrepidation]

I like the Juke because is so damn far out there. I don't care for the styling, but you know what? Its a risk and not just another Cruze. Just like the Murano convertible is a risk. Nissan is actually taking chances and thinking outside the box. Something most companies no longer do. I respect that.

[regfootball]

That's what I like about the Juke, it's different. It's not one of the 15 plain vanilla CUVs, it has personality. If I had the money, I would be walking down to my Nissan dealer and drive away in one.

Yes, the lights on the hood make it look like it has pimples. It was a big turn off for me on the Juke for awhile. But then it started to grow on me.

your response is EXACTLY why I said....."do you want to assign yourself to it, or not?"

Also I said its flaws were merely something to mark on the scorecard and not a deal breaker. So if you read between the lines, it's praise for being unique, and being a good product, and just really otherwise not what I might gravitate to, but I can surely get the appeal it has for others.

mechanically, Nissan has it sorted out for the most part, right out of the gate. Its got a huge upside on the value scale. It provokes a response. On those things alone, major props to Nissan.

Edited February 6, 2011 by regfootball

[pow]

I *do* like the Juke. Nissan could have made a traditional hot hatch, but nobody would have bought one. Instead they made it a raised hot hatch "crossover" to (ironically) broaden its appeal. It's priced well, sandwiched right between the boring Sentra and Altima.

[ocnblu]

I like to think of the Juke as a robot jackrabbit from spaaaaace. His eyes are the headlights, his ears are the signal lights, and the rear end resembles haunches. He's ready to jump. He's like Napoleon Dynamite, wicked weird, but, in the end, cool, doing his own thing.

[A Horse With No Name]

I like the Juke because is so damn far out there. I don't care for the styling, but you know what? Its a risk and not just another Cruze. Just like the Murano convertible is a risk. Nissan is actually taking chances and thinking outside the box. Something most companies no longer do. I respect that.

I respect it...I just don't like the results.

And I disagree with Balthazar, the Maxima in my mind is still the least attractive Nissan.

[balthazar]

maxima has some weird lumps & bumps, and at first glance the 'hook' lights looked a awful lot like 'we'll try anything', but they've settled for me. It's not great, but it's not bad. I still haven't seen a juke on the road, but from the pics, it looks so radically misshapen, I can't imagine it's all in the camera lens.

I'm not necc anti-nissan styling, either; the 370 has a very nice basic shape/proportion (it just falls down on the details), and I generally like the murano's styling. No; I don't know why, exactly.

Edited February 7, 2011 by balthazar

[regfootball]

If Nissan just changed the front end, it would fix all the styling issues on the Juke.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I like the front end. Even the hood-lights.

I think a lot of people on here who complain about "all cars looking the same nowadays" (which they arguably don't) don't really want anything different and new. They just want a complete return to the '50s and '60s. Yes, it was a nice era, but it was not the end-all and be-all pinnacle of automotive styling.

[SAmadei]

If Nissan just changed the front end, it would fix all the styling issues on the Juke.

Nah... the rear of the car has too much "wierd French car" influence.

I like the headlights and grill... I don't care for the lights on the hood.

[SAmadei]

I think a lot of people on here who complain about "all cars looking the same nowadays" (which they arguably don't) don't really want anything different and new. They just want a complete return to the '50s and '60s. Yes, it was a nice era, but it was not the end-all and be-all pinnacle of automotive styling.

There are lots of art cars built every year, they certainly don't look the same, but they usually don't look attractive, either. The Europeans and Asians can make some awful cars, style-wise.

Even Detroit's worst (Aztek?, 2nd gen Sebring?) don't come close.

Don't worry... there are plenty of not-so-great-styled '50-60s cars... early '60s Mopars, for example.

Oh course, I imagine the Juke, even with its styling handicap, will still just blend in with the rest of the appliances.

[Z-06]

I like the Juke because is so damn far out there. I don't care for the styling, but you know what? Its a risk and not just another Cruze. Just like the Murano convertible is a risk. Nissan is actually taking chances and thinking outside the box. Something most companies no longer do. I respect that.

You must like the Aztek, ZDX, and X6 too as all of them have the same virtues you have described.

[Intrepidation]

The Aztek I respect for what it was even though I find it hideous. Uglier than the Juke. The other two are pointless. The X6 is an X5 with less practicality and the ZDX is an X6 rival that manages to be uglier. Neither ones does anything particularly new, neither is very daring.

The Juke brings a good amount of power and fun to drive characteristics to a segment that normally has all of the excitement of a slice of white bread. And its styling is way more adventurous.

[regfootball]

I like the rear of the Juke. Some recent Nissan elements and a little bit of Volvo.

I just cannot stand the beak. Nissan should add a 3-4 hundred to the price and throw some sound deadener and better plastic in it.

[carman21]

This thing is just butt ugly. The designer clearly was on crack. I would never even sit in Nissan Joke.

[balthazar]

Saw the first one on the road yesterday- they are NOT moving here. Still laughingly awful to look at.

Anyone bother to ask how this isn't stepping all over the rogue in size/function?

[Robert Hall]

Saw the first one on the road yesterday- they are NOT moving here. Still laughingly awful to look at.

Anyone bother to ask how this isn't stepping all over the rogue in size/function?

Isn't it much smaller than the Rogue? More a subcompact CUV/WUV (wierd utility vehicle) while the Rogue is a compact CUV?

[balthazar]

184" vs 162", but seems utterly immaterial. Anyone who cannot handle a tiny 184" vehicle had better give up driving. Next will be a nissan CUV around 145" for those who cannot handle 162", and after that, 120". Ludicrous. Murano is 189"- maybe that's the more pertinent overlap question for some.

[regfootball]

Saw the first one on the road yesterday- they are NOT moving here. Still laughingly awful to look at.

Anyone bother to ask how this isn't stepping all over the rogue in size/function?

they are not moving here either. i saw one at Target the other day, and maybe another one one time a couple weeks ago. That's about it.

Rogue is larger and suitable for family use. Juke is small, and has compromised utility.

Nissan must be purposely trying to kill their sales. Juke, new Versa, new Maxima, Cube.......they better hope their next Altima is a savior.

[Robert Hall]

I've only seen Jukes on the Nissan dealer lot...can't recall seeing one on the street yet..

Of course, GM once had a subcompact CUV--remember the Chevy Tracker? More conventional looking than the juke..

Edited April 26, 2011 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Maxy]

Its cool! I prefer the AWD, the car would be easier to maintain

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't know how people are buying the Juke at all. There is Zero back seat room. I couldn't sit in the back seat comfortably at all.

[daves87rs]

I like the Juke because is so damn far out there. I don't care for the styling, but you know what? Its a risk and not just another Cruze. Just like the Murano convertible is a risk. Nissan is actually taking chances and thinking outside the box. Something most companies no longer do. I respect that.

+1

[pow]

Test drove one the other day... really liked it, but they only had one in stock, and it was a fully-loaded six-speed model with a $1,500 mark up. They can hardly keep them on the lots.

The Juke may look like a crossover, but really it's a hot hatch. Vehicles like the GTI and MazdaSpeed3 are pretty much sale proof in the US, so perhaps Nissan thought giving it a crossover persona would help. With a turbo-4, racy interior, and six-speed manual it's a completely different car than the boring Rogue.

[balthazar]

I respect GOOD results from thinking outside the box, not EVERY result from thinking outside the box.

I've seen maybe 4 to date- still not moving here.

The kia dealer has one on the lot- seems far too new to have been traded in already, but I guess the owner didn't care for it.

[regfootball]

I don't know how people are buying the Juke at all. There is Zero back seat room. I couldn't sit in the back seat comfortably at all.

yeah the back seat is murder, the front ain't even spacious

[PurdueGuy]

So I test drove one of these today. I was out seeing what kinds of hatchbacks/wagons I could find in the $10-15k range, and the salesperson wanted to show me the Juke even though it was out of my price range. They only had one, and it was one of the apparently pretty rare FWD manual trans models. It had some extras, and was priced at about $21k. Took it down a twisty road with the salesperson, and while I didn't really beat on it, I didn't hold back either. It was a lot of fun to drive, rode quite well, and had a nice punch to it. It's not sports car fast, but it's way zippy, handles pretty well, is very easy to drive, and would be a blast to drive daily. I'm still not sold on the front end styling, but it's so much fun that I don't think I'd care if I owned one. Being a tightwad, however, I won't be buying one. Plus, there are a lot of great vehicles at ~$21k.

[ZL-1]

After seeing a few of those on the road, I still don't like it, but it has credit for being different. Not different in a bad way as it isn't exactly ugly (it's more a love-or-hate styling IMHO), but plain different.

[ocnblu]

I've seen a few around these parts, and it's always like a robot jackrabbit from spaaace jumping out of the bushes... a shock to the system. I still think they're cool, but ppl's real world fuel mileage has been abysmal for the size, from what I've read.

[regfootball]

yeah i have seen like 20 mpg real world numbers.........cruze eco makes more sense to me from an mpg standpoint

[PurdueGuy]

It's a boosted vehicle, to get good fuel economy, you're going to have to drive it in a way that generally keeps it out of boost.

[SAmadei]

It's a boosted vehicle, to get good fuel economy, you're going to have to drive it in a way that generally keeps it out of boost.

True... and that can be hard in a heavyish vehicle with only a 4. At least with the 3800SC, you can get around on the 6 cyl without struggling to keep up with traffic. Every four I drive, it seems like I have to drive them like I stole it just to keep up with traffic.

[PurdueGuy]

It's a boosted vehicle, to get good fuel economy, you're going to have to drive it in a way that generally keeps it out of boost.

True... and that can be hard in a heavyish vehicle with only a 4. At least with the 3800SC, you can get around on the 6 cyl without struggling to keep up with traffic. Every four I drive, it seems like I have to drive them like I stole it just to keep up with traffic.

From a quick google search, it looks like the juke is under 3k lbs. That's heavy for a small car, but pretty light for a CUV. The Juke is kind of in-between, as I found from some reading that it's based on a widened & raised Versa platform. There's certainly no lack of power for the size & weight, and while driving in a way that keeps it out of boost will result in sluggish driving, that's what you're going to be doing around town anyway.

[A Horse With No Name]

Saw the first one on the road yesterday- they are NOT moving here. Still laughingly awful to look at.

Anyone bother to ask how this isn't stepping all over the rogue in size/function?

Agreed...this is the most godawfulpieceofcrap that could be concieved of...

yeah i have seen like 20 mpg real world numbers.........cruze eco makes more sense to me from an mpg standpoint

Agree on Eco Cruze...