Nissan cube - everyone asks why!?
Discussion
Following a house move and the need for something slightly more practical than the daily Elise, I've ended up with a nissan cube.
Reactions seem to be the same question from two extremes: "that's amazing/ awful, why did you buy it?"
Well, looking around at what was kicking about for around a 3 grand budget, everything was either bland, ropey, or a combination of the two. This cube appeared to be neither!
The car was for sale around an hour away, and having taken my interest a bit, I went to have a look.
The looks are obviously subjective, but I'd seen some pretty poor reviews on how they drove, though mainly of the CVT versions.
This one is a 5 speed manual and while it's not a fast car, it's acceptable enough, not frustratingly slow which was one of my concerns before having a test drive. It seemed fine so a decision was made. The sellers son was disappointed I wasn't trading in the Elise for it!
So what do you get within this slab sided... thing? Well, air con, sat nav, reverse camera, cruise control, panoramic roof and keyless entry mean with the addition of a Bluetooth dongle it's got all I really need, even the stereo is a lot better than I was expecting it to be.
Feels colossal inside. Stacks of headroom, windscreen seems like it's miles away and the panoramic roof keeps the whole thing fairly bright. Unsurprisingly it's not especially agreeable to crosswinds, but otherwise a fairly undramatic drive.
A few little rust spots but tidy enough to be presentable without causing any stress if anything happens to it.
Jobs so far: car was bought knowing it needed front brakes and a wheel bearing done. Couple other suspension bits getting replaced as I go, but relatively drama free to work on so far. And while it's not as simple as "just buy Micra bits", everything I've needed so far has been cheap enough and working on it myself it's been relatively easygoing.
I'm hoping the lack of turbos, high pressure this and that or questionable gearboxes mean it should be a fairly stress free car for a while, though I'll see what the MOT says in a couple weeks!
Reactions seem to be the same question from two extremes: "that's amazing/ awful, why did you buy it?"
Well, looking around at what was kicking about for around a 3 grand budget, everything was either bland, ropey, or a combination of the two. This cube appeared to be neither!
The car was for sale around an hour away, and having taken my interest a bit, I went to have a look.
The looks are obviously subjective, but I'd seen some pretty poor reviews on how they drove, though mainly of the CVT versions.
This one is a 5 speed manual and while it's not a fast car, it's acceptable enough, not frustratingly slow which was one of my concerns before having a test drive. It seemed fine so a decision was made. The sellers son was disappointed I wasn't trading in the Elise for it!
So what do you get within this slab sided... thing? Well, air con, sat nav, reverse camera, cruise control, panoramic roof and keyless entry mean with the addition of a Bluetooth dongle it's got all I really need, even the stereo is a lot better than I was expecting it to be.
Feels colossal inside. Stacks of headroom, windscreen seems like it's miles away and the panoramic roof keeps the whole thing fairly bright. Unsurprisingly it's not especially agreeable to crosswinds, but otherwise a fairly undramatic drive.
A few little rust spots but tidy enough to be presentable without causing any stress if anything happens to it.
Jobs so far: car was bought knowing it needed front brakes and a wheel bearing done. Couple other suspension bits getting replaced as I go, but relatively drama free to work on so far. And while it's not as simple as "just buy Micra bits", everything I've needed so far has been cheap enough and working on it myself it's been relatively easygoing.
I'm hoping the lack of turbos, high pressure this and that or questionable gearboxes mean it should be a fairly stress free car for a while, though I'll see what the MOT says in a couple weeks!
No Irish association so far as I know, plate is as assigned from new. Generally being referred to as sluggo!
Photos, not an awful lot more at the moment, just a couple from getting the brakes and wheel bearing replaced.
Easy jobs, but definitely needed done! The pads especially looked pretty groovy.
Lower arms done as well. It's a novelty having parts cheap enough to justify just doing them while I'm at it!
ETA: this thread has had a lot less abuse for my awful taste in cars than I was expecting!
Photos, not an awful lot more at the moment, just a couple from getting the brakes and wheel bearing replaced.
Easy jobs, but definitely needed done! The pads especially looked pretty groovy.
Lower arms done as well. It's a novelty having parts cheap enough to justify just doing them while I'm at it!
ETA: this thread has had a lot less abuse for my awful taste in cars than I was expecting!
Edited by Ian974 on Wednesday 25th January 10:34
My guilty pleasure these, though I favour the earlier version. Fair play for going for it. I've been threatening to get one as a general runaround for a while and had alerts set up on Ebay, but just as they were coming down to the amount I'd want to pay for one they bounced and have tripled in price and I really cant justify one at £5k 
maybe with a Lotto win.
Though I guess if they are rapidly appreciating, now would actually be the sensible time to get one for free motoring!
maybe with a Lotto win. Though I guess if they are rapidly appreciating, now would actually be the sensible time to get one for free motoring!
More than a few of these on the roads in Cyprus.
It's a mode of transport, gets you from A to B and back so it's completely functional.
As for the looks, as you say, very Marmite, whenever I see one I think, if you asked a four year old to draw a car, this is what they'd draw, it is very cartoonish, not a bad thing necessarily.
Anyway who cares what other people think, each to their own!
It's a mode of transport, gets you from A to B and back so it's completely functional.
As for the looks, as you say, very Marmite, whenever I see one I think, if you asked a four year old to draw a car, this is what they'd draw, it is very cartoonish, not a bad thing necessarily.
Anyway who cares what other people think, each to their own!
but a search doesn't reveal any so perhaps they didn't sell. I like their quirkiness, one huge rear door with an off centre rear window, sort of Postman Pat. 
ChattingWham said:
I love these, good job. Best colour too — iPod white.
Toyota bB / Daihatsu Materia similar principle, similarly ignored by UK buyers (not sure if the bB was ever officially sold here, actually).
There's a seven-seater version called the Cubic.
I own a bB. For such a small car, they are massive inside. It was my first time owning an automatic and I was surprised how good it was. Only thing is, I don't find the bench style seat particularly comfy on long journey's. Toyota bB / Daihatsu Materia similar principle, similarly ignored by UK buyers (not sure if the bB was ever officially sold here, actually).
There's a seven-seater version called the Cubic.
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