Safety & Features

The Cube has yet to be tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Standard safety features include six airbags, antilock brakes and an electronic stability system; click here for the full list. The Soul and xB have similar features, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another $14,000 car with antilock brakes and a stability system standard. On this front, I'm impressed with all three of these cars.

The Cube 1.8 starts at $13,990, which is $690 more than the base Soul but $1,760 less than the xB. Standard features include remote keyless entry — it's optional on the Soul — plus power windows and locks, air conditioning, and a two-speaker CD stereo with an MP3 jack. The xB and Soul include standard USB/iPod inputs, which offer better integration for music players than the Cube's basic jack.

The 1.8 S starts at $14,690 and adds a four-speaker stereo, cruise control and a few other convenience features. The CVT automatic runs $1,000. The 1.8 SL ($16,790) includes the CVT standard; it also gets alloy wheels, automatic climate control and a six-speaker stereo with — finally! — a USB/iPod input. A Rockford Fosgate stereo with steering-wheel audio controls is optional. The tricked-out Cube Krom, which includes all these features, runs $19,370.

    See also:

    Clutch fluid (if so equipped)
    Check the clutch fluid level in the reservoir (manual transmissions only). Add Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or equivalent DOT 3 fluid up to the MAX line A . If fluid must be a ...

    Installing front license plate
    To mount the front license plate, attach the license plate bracket 1 to the plastic finisher at the location marks (small dimples) using the two 6 mm screws provided. ...

    Giving voice commands
    To operate NISSAN Voice Recognition, press and release the button located on the steering wheel. After the tone sounds, speak a command. The command given is picked up by the microphone, and v ...