2009 Nissan Cube review

Scion's quasi-iconic xB has finally encountered some lookalikes in the 2010 Kia Soul and 2009 Nissan Cube. Both cars hit the market last spring. I've spent considerable time in all three, and am ready to call some results. The Cube is the best choice for the group's advertised environment: Metropolis. But few drivers rack up all of their miles in urban areas, and for shoppers who want their vehicle to meet a wider set of needs, Nissan's box-car turns out to be a lot less viable.

The Cube comes in four trim levels: 1.8, 1.8 S, 1.8 SL and the tricked-out Krom ("Chrome") edition. Nissan offers manual or automatic transmissions, but the 1.8 SL and Krom come only with automatics. I drove a stick-shift Cube 1.8 S. Compare the four trims here.

See also:

Suggested maximum speed in each gear
Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is not running smoothly, or if you need to accelerate. Do not exceed the maximum suggested speed (shown below) in any gear. For level road driving, use t ...

Checking engine oil level
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake. 2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature. 3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than 10 minutes for the oil to ...

F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label
The Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S.) certification label is affixed as shown. This label contains valuable vehicle information, such as: Gross Vehicle ...