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.