DRIVEN TO DRIVE

Let’s get down to business. The bottom line is – once we’re past a certain level of practicality, we buy vehicles because they tell the world about us.  Some people may disagree with that statement, but if it wasn’t true, there would only one type and style of vehicle, not to mention the fact that everyone would be dress exactly the same.  Regardless, what does the Nissan cube tell the world about you – the proud new owner?  It says you are practical, economical, like to attract attention for all the right reasons and that you are not swayed by the herd mentality.  OK – enough of the patronising street smart quasi -psychoanalysis.  The reality is, the Nissan cube is a practical and economically means of transportation for the individual, the couple or average sized family.  Its unusual design is attractive and full of trend setting potential.

So what’s it like to drive?

Despite its internal layout, it’s surprisingly ergonomical (I know – that’s not a real word), but it fits the description. The seats are firm yet comfortable – the steering wheel is nicely placed – the foot peddles are ideally positioned and the gear shifter is in the right spot. What more could a driver ask for?  Moving on – the console controls are simple and all in easy reach.  The multi-functional steering column stalks that control lights (on the left) and window washing (on the left), are standard and therefore intuitive.  Oh what a joy!

Visibility is unusual in as much as there is lots of it.  The font window is positioned far forward which means that the “A” pillars are also forward.  What this means is, the “A” pillars, especially the left one, present less of a blind spot as they would if they were closer to the driver.  I do hate having to lean forward to see past the “A” pillar while making a left turn.  With the Nissan cube, I can sit normal and see everything out of the side window – how cool is that?

I love the side mirrors – the rear view mirror not so much!

The side mirrors are large and practical.  The rear view mirror – the one attached to the ceiling inside the vehicle, is more of an elaborate attachment from which to hang the fluffy dice.  It’s way too small.  Because the rear view is positioned so far forward, the angle of view is correspondingly narrow – yuk!  Looking through it is like having tunnel vision.  To be practical, it really does need to be both wider and deeper.

Space for stuff

Did I mention the cup holders – the ones that greatly outnumber passengers?  Perhaps someone in the design department won the “how many cup holders can I include” contest – who knows, but enough about cup holders.  One thing I really really like is the large and very practical “bin” under the front passenger’s dash.  It’s way to large to be called a glove compartment unless we’re talking a pair of hockey player’s gloves.  What’s really nice is the separate space specially designed for the Owner’s Manual and service booklets, plus there is a divider in the compartment’s drop-down door to help keep things arranged.  But the compartment itself is wonderfully large and functional.  Perhaps we’ll overlook the cube’s designer’s their cup holder obsession.

Driving at night

I came home last night in a light rain listening to a CD by Katie Malua.  The rain was not as noisy on the roof as I had experienced the day I picked up he vehicle and so I was able to enjoy the relaxing music and voice of Katie.  As for driving at night, the instrument panel was overly bright until I discovered how to dim it.  Other than that, driving at night was a pleasant experience.  The trip home was on well illuminated stretches of road and on those stretches less lit, the head lights took care of business quite nicely.

Stay tuned – there’s more to come – including the pricing which just arrived by email.