There are seat belts for five, four doors, a
folding rear seat and expanded cargo capacity. But
Juke is not exactly a sedan, a wagon or a hatchback
— though it can function as each of those. Nissan
calls it a sport cross.
With its concealed rear door handles, it
resembles a coupe — but a crazed, hopped-up coupe
with ground clearance that would be at home scooting
along a dirt road in the backcountry or skimming
across a frozen lake. Juke would be an ideal RV
dinghy, but it can't be flat towed.
As intensely as this car seems to be aimed toward
younger drivers, it works equally well for mature
drivers. The seats have a high hip point, so there
is no drop-down to the driving position — or
hoist-up when exiting. The steering weight is light
but direct. The four-wheel disc brakes have strong
power and feel somewhat over-engineered, which is
always good. And the turning circle is so tight —
36.4 feet — you could nickname the car Dunkin' for
the doughnuts it can pull.
There are eight models with pricing that starts
at $17,910 with the CVT. The least expensive
six-speed-manual model starts at $21,010. There is
only one option package — the Navigation Package,
which includes a Secure Digital card-based
navigation system with 5-inch color touch screen
display and XM NavTraffic (with subscription,
upgraded speakers and Rockford Fosgate-powered
subwoofer and USB connectivity for iPod and other
digital devices.
The test Juke was a top-line SL with all-wheel
drive ($25,300), and it had all the fun and cool
features, including leather-trimmed and seats with
heaters up front, rearview camera, Intelligent Key
with push-button ignition, power sliding moonroof
and a black and red interior.
All Jukes have center console painted glossy red
or silver, which Nissan says resembles a motorcycle
fuel tank.
The leather upholstery looks more expensive than
what is typically found in a $20,000 car. The
displays on the 5-inch screen are readable and
simple to navigate. And Nissan makes it comfortable
with supportive, bolstered seats and padded
door-side armrests.
The 1.6-liter four-cylinder is new for Juke, and
it uses direct injection and turbocharging, which
requires premium fuel for the peak 188 horsepower
and 170 foot-pounds of torque. Front-wheel drive
Jukes are rated 27 mpg city and 32 highway with the
CVT and 24/31 with the manual. The Juke AWD with CVT
gets 25/30.
I'm not fond of continuously variable
transmissions in vehicles that urge me to cut loose,
such as this one, but Nissan's CVT is about as good
as they come. In Sport mode, this one simulates gear
changes and gives a little harder launch than some.
Once the engine builds turbo pressure, the
acceleration can be brisk. If the manual has a
smooth, short-throw shifter, it may be the choice
for those who like a more direct power response.
The AWD system will split traction 50:50 between
the front and rear wheels, and it also can split the
power from side-to-side across the rear axle. This
system can be a savior in those "uh-oh" moments when
the driver enters a corner way too fast for
front-tire adhesion. That's when the system takes
over to keep the car going in the driver's intended
direction.
If I were going to drive a Juke across country, I
might like to have driver's right and passenger's
left armrests. Back seat access is a little tight
for old folks. There is some drumming road noise on
concrete interstate. And the sun visors are deep but
short at the windshield pillars, and that's where
the sun always managed to glare through on my
commutes.
But there is honesty to what Juke delivers — its
value, the features and nimbleness. The daily grind
was just a little more fun in a Juke.
Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at
Mark.Maynard@uniontrib.com.
COPYRIGHT 2010 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM.
TOP
