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:

    Seatback pockets (if so equipped)
    Type A The seatback pockets are located on the back of the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The pockets can be used to store maps. Type B ...

    Door locks/unlocks precaution
    ● Do not push the door handle request switch with the Intelligent Key held in your hand as illustrated. The close distance to the door handle will cause the Intelligent Key system to have ...

    ON position
    When the switch is in the ON position 1 , the map lights will illuminate. ...