2010 Nissan Cube 1.8 SL

Is Nissan’s “mobile device” the right tool for active lifestyles?

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Cube

I have to wonder why the company which designed the iconic Z sports car produces something as deliberately homely as the Cube. Granted, the Nissan Cube isn’t the first box-on-wheels to roll out stateside. But at least two of the cars that preceded it- the Honda Element and Scion xB- have an internal logic that the Cube lacks.

The Element’s form-follows-function Honda-ness gives it a certain cache within its intended audience. The Scion xB evolved from a Japan market car called the bB. The compact box-on-wheels was a logical solution for carrying cargo in dense urban areas. The original car’s compact dimensions made sense on crowded roads with low speed limits, and fit in public parking spaces too small to hold most of what we drive in the US.

The Nissan Cube follows in the box-on-wheels tradition, without improving it in a meaningful way. Thoughtful ergonomic features are countered by design errors which essentially negate their benefit.

Here are a couple of examples: the cargo area’s low lift-over height and refrigerator-style door should make the Cube ideal for bicycle owners. However, with the rear seats in place, the cargo area is too small to hold much besides a couple bags of groceries. The rear seats fold flat, but do not create an uninterrupted cargo floor. To get a bicycle in the car, the owner has to lift the frame over the bump created by the seat cushions.

The Cube’s large windows bring an abundance of ambient light inside: an appealing feature. Unfortunately, the extreme verticality of the windshield makes it a target for every insect within range. After twenty miles, I could barely see out the front of the car for the bug splats covering the glass. In addition, wide A-pillars dissect the driver’s sight-line when cornering to the left or right. Read the rest of this entry »