CC reader Franco P. sent me this shot of two Nissan Cubes side-by-side. A while back, this might not have been so unusual, but the Cube is quickly slipping into obscurity, at least from a subjective point of view, if not quite truly rare.
As a die-hard lover of the boxy genre, I was sorry to see that the Cube never caught on. I had high hopes for the Cube, and reviewed one back at the other site.The Cube arrived just about the same time as the unfortunate gen2 xB was replacing the original, and to me it was the closest thing to a successor to the gen1 xB. But even I was a bit less than totally enthused, as the gen2 Cube also lost some of the charm of its predecessor.
The previous generation of Cube (gen2), available only in Japan, was truly charming, and the black A pillar gave the roof a floating feeling, supported only by the B pillar. Something a bit like a Japanese parasol or such. And of course the front end was cuter too.
The gen3 Cube lost that levity, and came off a bit too heavy and thickened-out. But it was still the most unique thing on the roads in the US at the time.
To me, these kind of boxes on wheels were the more obvious replacements of the low, three-box sedan, not CUVs. They’re more space efficient, lighter, and they are by far the most ergonomic vehicle in terms of entry and exit, due to their low floor and chair-high seating. But boxes are just not the right image, at least in the US and Europe. The Cube did very poorly in Europe and sales stopped there already in 2011. And in the US, the plug was pulled in 2014. Does “cartoonish” sum it up?
Just like the world wasn’t ready for Exner’s asymmetrical ’62s, so it was with the Cube. Well, I need to exempt Japan from that, as they embraced its asymmetry quite lovingly. Farewell, Cube; we hardly knew you.
You may have wondered what the second part of the headline “Squares Cubed” referred to. Here it is. it’s not the first time these three have congregated. Two of them used to live at this house just a couple of blocks from me, but they’ve moved on (kids, maybe). But they were back the other day, so I couldn’t resist the opportunity. I see these folks are hanging on to their xBs like I am to mine. It’s now almost 14 years old, and as reliable as a…toaster.
Toaster? I thought they kinda looked like a microwave oven. Pacer wagons reminded me of toasters.
Does this help? 🙂
Nice. Just bring peanut butter.
Wait, there was a gen 2?!?!? And a gen 3?!?!? Why would anyone assign generations to “ugly”?
Not you, Paul, but I find many self-professed auto writers to be hypocrites when they spew venom on the less-than-perfect Pontiac Aztec, yet are silent about the market failures of these mini toasters. And let’s not forget their silence over complete failures like the Acura ZDX (or most any Acura car in the last 10-15 years), And then there are all the Nissan, Toyota, and (lately) Honda eyesores on the market. We must be living in a parallel universe when the ugly and quality flawed Nissan Altima lives, and the sweet Ford Fusion is not to be continued. It’s just wrong in so many ways.
The Cube looks like its styling inspiration was a washing machine. The asymmetry just makes it look like a really weird washing machine.
I once went to check out the Cube. I was impressed with how much space it had inside – what a versatile vehicle. I also liked all the windows it had. However, Nissan really overdid it on the funky/cute factor. The one I checked out had the shag carpeting on the dash. I also remember the circular motif on the headliner.
I think it would have sold better if they hadn’t gone so rounded on the door/window frames. They have a sort of cartoon effect on the vehicle.
I went to see it with a friend of mine whose mother was visiting from Venezuela. She came with us. I’ll always remember what she called it….”Caro no culo!”
The deep bevel around the side windows reminds me of a 1960’s TV set, not what I want a 21st century vehicle to remind me of!
Had one as a rental once. On a highway in the rain, the side windows didn’t get wet! It was like driving your living room, with the shag button on top.
I was disappointed to learn that the wraparound rear window at the rear of the Cube was a fake – it concealed a thick pillar at the right rear corner.
Me too. A car like this has great cool potential, but Nissan can’t get the details right.
Another example is that the rounded corners of the windows aren’t matched on the vehicle interior. You can see a blacked-out quarter-circle of the exterior skin from the inside of the car. It’s a nitpick, but an unpleasant detail nonetheless.
The real reason I didn’t shop for these is, of course, the CVT.
Let me tell you my take on the Cube. The company I work for has 8 of them as marketing/estimating vehicles. some 2010’s and the rest are a year or two newer. i am assigned one of them for company and personal use.
The good- spacious, eye catching, especially in our SERVPRO green motif. You cannot kill them. Several are 100k + in miles. I average 30MPG. Tires, oil changes and 1 set of brakes on the one I drive.
The bad- God help you if you are caught on the highway on a windy day. Even worse in a storm. It’s loud, rough and could use 200 pounds of additional sound insulation.
I leave it home at least once a week and drive my Charger R/T. What a huge difference!
It’s the same (or worse) with my xB. it’s a great city car, and fun on winding, twisty back roads, but it rather sucks for long freeway trips. Noisy and harsh-riding.
Part of the reason I finally traded mine in. The replacement Fiat had much longer legs on the highway, was quieter (and I’ve got the cabriolet), and more comfortable on a long trip.
When I look at the second picture, my eyes are drawn more to the Cube than the xB. The concept is the same, but I like the Cube’s styling more.
+1.
Nissan has a history of trying too hard to look different. B210, F10, 210, Juke, Cube, their minivan – all of these vehicles go out of their way to throw the market a styling curve. So it wasn’t a surprise to see Nissan taking the popular Japanese mini box vehicles, and doing it up in a deliberately weird fashion. Once again, they tried too hard to be different.
The Cube was never a positive styling statement – it was never cool. It was a styling theory that shunned normality, and deliberately contrarian. Like the Ovoid Taurus, the Cube deliberately damned what traditionally passed as attractive, in order to present their vision of what we should be accepting as attractive. The Cube comes from an era when it seemed that outside forces would demand that we all drive cars that were the vehicular equivalent of a communist Mao suit. No fun permitted.
This vehicle tried too hard to be what came natural to the Beetle, the Valiant, the Fairmont, or their own 510 sedans. The Cube seemed to try presenting itself that it was a minimalist box design – but then stumbled upon its own goofy cuteness. The market decides to make a Rambler American cool, AMC couldn’t even when they tried.
With the Cube, the Juke and their other rolling weird-looking designs, Nissan should leave contrarian-coolness alone and stop trying to chase it.
The Cube is a Japanese market vehicle that didn’t catch on outside of that country. It is/was cool in Japan. And it’s not abnormal or contrarian over there. it’s a reflection of their playful nature. We’re obviously a bit too stodgy and hidebound to be ok with it. The result being that everyone drives look-alike CUVs. Non-conformity didn’t really catch on here, despite the attempts in the 60s.
Interesting comment, Paul – those of us who don’t know the Japanese don’t tend to think of them as playful, yet their automotive tastes certainly show a willingness to embrace the unusual. Nissan’s Pike factory cars certainly tapped that nerve on a cult rather than mainstream level, and look how popular the Figaro and S-cargo are as used imports! I think the Cube carries on that inspiration into mainstream production. or the original one did, for sure. This later one looks like the designers were trying too hard.
Also interesting to think of other countries as ‘stodgy and hidebound’, yet look how ready we are to follow the crowd. Grey SUVs….
The Cube- wow, I dont know. As an Xb1 owner I’m very sympathetic to its boxy style and want to like it, but look at that 5th photo. The Cube is a clown car. Maybe if you put suicide doors on it, would that make it more serious? Anyway, the Cube makes the Xb1 look mean which is no small task.
Long live the Xb1, 264K and still rolling along
What’s wrong with being a clown car? I’d take a first gen xB or a Cube, but if offer both on equal terms I’d take the Cube every time.
Isn’t it CC commenter Lee Wilcox who owns one? If it isn’t him, someone here does…
Yes. Lee was also known as wstarvingteacher, IIRC, and had authored several CC posts. Haven’t seen him in these parts recently. 🙁
Lee has a progressive health condition. He’s shown up once or twice this year, but the prognosis is not good.
He authored a series of articles here on motorcycles that were not very popular initially, but have found a strong and steady following from Google searches and such. I’ve been surprised at their success. They’re a lasting tribute to Lee.
They can be found here:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/motorcycles-trikes-bicycles/
He commented on the 1949 Olds post yesterday.
The problem with the Cube was it didn’t have any of the clever, practical touches that these types of goofy-styled vehicles from companies like Toyota and Honda usually have. The main one is the Honda ‘magic’ folding rear seat from the Fit. If Nissan had went the extra mile and engineered that into the Cube, it could have made a world of difference.
As it is, the Cube just didn’t have much going for it other than not nearly as practical marketing gimmicks like the round shag carpeting spot on the dash or the molded, concentric ring headliner. I knew a girl who was a Dead-Head and she thought the Cube was great, but it highlights how the Cube was definitely for a small, artistic niche market.
I actually pre ordered a Cube way back when. And canceled purchasing the car after seeing how the rear seat only folded down onto itself, but NOT flat. We currently own a Fit, with the “magic seat” being a big influence in the decision.
Reason > dogs
Looks like the car Pee Wee Herman would drive if he ever made another movie.Like my mother would say-a strange duck. It probably IS better forgotten.
The only box-like vehicle I could see myself owning is an EcoBoost Flex. Although I drove a Cube once and was pleasantly surprised with its power.
There’s always this . . . .
For years in their annual buyer’s guide special, Car and Driver pointed out that “nobody drives an Econoline by choice”.
Ha, I did!
I resemble that statement. JP does not as he sought to buy one.
That said, mine has grown on me which is a frightful realization.
Didn’t Niedermeyer choose one to go on the lam? Or am I misremembering?
for some reason when i look at the rear of the cube all i see is Oldsmobile.
+1 it kind of looks to me like there’s a low slung car inside pushing to get out of the box it came in 🙂
The styling has grown on me though..
Amongst the 60 odd vehicles owned was an ’09 Cube, in black with that god awful olive green interior. Liked the quirky styling, but really, that was pushing the accolades a bit. Ok, the sliding rear seat was handy, the CVT was annoying, the dash cheap looking and the vertical side glass reflections from the inside a throwback to cars of the what? Twenties? Thirties? On the other hand, the space inside surprised everyone given the petite size outside, and the ride was quite good.
What really killed it was the cost cutting by Nissan, and their totally GM “f-u” attitude on warranty. In our case it was the keyless entry module, which is the steering lock etc, which died, leaving us stranded, and a 60 mile tow later to the dealer (as no aftermarket solution exists), and $1300 later we were Cubing along again. Pushed for some co-pay, and tried all the routes to get some satisfaction, but “f-u” by the dealer, “f-u” by the manufacturer. If you wish to court evil, buy any Nissan from this era with keyless start and save a bit for the eventual pain. They did grant warranty extensions to some year Altimas and Maximas as the hordes of pissed off folks did get somewhere, but for Cubists, “f-u”.
Bitter? oh ya! And as such will NEVER own another Nissan, which is too bad as I had owned several, including my first car, a ’70 510. But that was made in another time, by a company far different to the current iteration.
Ended its time with us as a trade in on our current car, a Lexus CT200h, which we love.
This was from early 2015. FWIW, we got 32.4 MPG average which was actually quite reasonable, and made it a funky commuter that was not in everyones driveway, so it was too bad the dealer and mfg. support was deal breaking, as the cars themselves deserved better.
Sorry to hear that experience! That is an absurdly expensive repair. Is that the going price to replace the keyless module? At this point or soon, that could total some older, high mileage Cubes.
Its the steering lock module, located below the column, which provides the interlock to the steering, as well as the keyless interlock module. Its not a key fob. Its the “brain” that the fob communicates with. When its done, your done.
One more reason to hate those systems. Among other things, I don’t want some random code writer deciding when I do or don’t want my car unlocked.
IIRC the character Jonah on Veep drives a Cube. I wonder if the Cube is replacing the PT Cruiser as Hollywood’s go to “uncool” vehicle.
The Cube is an incredibly appropriate vehicle for Jonah. Although I can’t remember the last time the car was mentioned.
I actually liked the Cube but finding 1 that DIDN’T have a CVT was almost impossible. Then a few websites also mentioned that the electric power steering was very trouble-prone.
I have to wonder what might have happened to sales of the Cube if Nissan had used the ad agency that Kia had used to advertise the Soul.
There are presently two manual transmission Cubes offered on my local craigslist. Both are on offer by dealers lacking ethics (dealbreaker) and neither is painted a color (virtually always a dealbreaker). Good thing I’m not really in the market for one right now.
These did seem to come and go pretty quickly. I think they arrived just a few years late for the subcompact “box” fad. By that point, newer entries like the Fiat 500 (another vehicle that’s proven to have been a fad gone-by) arrived.
I find it striking that while the world clamors for something that is unique, the minute that something automotive comes out with a new take on style, they flop, and flop hard. Not only do they flop, they flop because they are different looking, which is exactly what people were asking for to begin with. That is the conundrum with this Cube, xB, Juke, original Kia Santa Fe, anything French, or any vehicle that comes out even remotely unlike all the other vehicles on the market. Unless they become a fad, which usually does not happen, they get scorned and derided as too funky.
No wonder we have so many gray variants of jellybean sedans and lookalike CUVs.
Did the original xB flop, though? It was short-cycled in the US because they brought it out several years after the bB in Japan.
I get the distinct sense that Toyota could still be moving a good number of them if they blacked-out the bodykit and changed nothing else.
There’s been a few quirky, unique vehicles that have been a hit. The PT Cruiser is one I can think of, though it became dated quickly and hasn’t aged well. In many ways the Prius is another. Of course, the Prius had the whole hybrid thing that helped sell it, but the first generation which was a conventional 3-box design only sold very modestly. It wasn’t until they redesigned it into its current shape that it became a hit.
Of course, there are a lot of misses too. Scion sold quite a few quirky vehicles, but really only scored one hit with the xB. There’s quite a few people who are surprised to learn that Scion sold cars other than the original xBox.
Hi Todd, you mention the PT Cruiser, but that was more a “retro” design than a unique style. It basically was a copy of a 39 Ford, done by Chrysler as a probable Plymouth before they ended up killing the brand. That it made it to market at all was miraculous.
Retro, at least to me, does not count as a unique style. The Tucker, with it’s center “cyclops eye” headlight, bucked trends. The Airflow bucked trends. This Cube bucked trends. All of these were not good selling cars, albeit for a lot of reasons. However, I stand firm in saying that the public says one thing (we want style! we want unique rides to assert our individuality!) and then actually purchase anything but that.
“Going Quirk” is tough, and I suspect that the success of the undisputed King of Quirk, the VW Beetle, is what a few auto manufacturers have been trying to replicate ever since. I definitely put GM’s Corvair effort in that category and, for being so radical, actually did okay.
The issue with “quirk” is that everything else with unorthodox (for the time) auto styling has to be right on track, including uncontrollable variables like simple timing. A good example of a classic quirk failure is the Pontiac Aztek. The polarizing styling of the Aztek really isn’t what ultimately killed it; it was that it was priced out of the range of a demographic that would actually have embraced the styling. Add in that the sloping rear roof precluded a third row seat, pretty much the death knell for a minivan-type crossover. Again, with a more accommodating price, that could have been overlooked.
Contrast that with the current quirk success story, the Kia Soul. Everything has been right on point with it, including a low price and a very effective marketing campaign. Ironic since the Soul came on the scene at about the same time as the Cube.
I can’t say that the Cube really had much else going for it besides the out-of-the-box styling. By itself, that’s just not enough.
My mechanic uses a Cube as their customer shuttle van. It seems well-suited for that purpose. It’s easy to get in and out of, and has lots of headroom.
Thank you for the write up on this quirky vehicle that even in Tualatin is not all that common. I remember the hype about 10 years ago when it debuted, then the losing interest in the Cube, and finally its cancellation. I do wonder about the long term reliability of the Cube.
My take is that Nissan’s early and somewhat unreliable CVT killed the cube.And the CVT killed the cube not once, but twice – on the front end and on the back end.
As a new vehicle, potential owners were put off by the CVT. I was in its infancy, and a lot of drivers thought they “felt weird”. There were also (possibly legitimate) concerns about long-term reliability of the CVT. I think those factors kept potential buyers away.
On the back end, when the CVT *did* die, owners were in possession of a 6 or 7 year old economy car that was worth maybe $6k, and the CVT died, and was going to cost $3500 to replace… well, it’s easy to make the decision to junk it and buy something else. (A Soul, perhaps?)
Yes, there were stick shift Cubes, but it’s easy to set those aside. The numbers of manual transmission buyers in the US were pretty small by then.
The secret to Nissan CVT longevity is use the correct transmission fluid then they seem to last ok.
Reading these comments about the CVT, and adding to my earlier comments- of our 8 Cubes in the fleet, one has had a CVT replaced. That was done under the extended 100K warranty. The others have been fine. Annoying, but fine.
Totally different note, we have a Toyota Tundra that is just about to roll over 500K. That is amazing to me!
I always wanted to be open minded about these. I wanted to like them. But these have the same problem of almost every Nissan I have encountered since the Maxima of the 4DSC era: The just do nothing for me at all. Odd looks could grow on a person if the car had the bulletproof reliability of Nissans of old. But these seem to have the looks of the Oddball end of the Japanese scale, along with the reliability and resale of American cars. The Kia Soul seems to have done it properly.
Rare? really you’d never know judging by local traffic I see quite a few in fact more Cubes than Toyota BBs like Pauls NA version, lots of them being the JDM models imported used it seems you guys dont have.
I live in the Netherlands where there are only 200 Cubes registered in the entire country (sold only in 2010-2011) and I happen to own one: a white manual (no CVT) 2010, bought used in 2013. Due to its unique styling and rarity, over here the Cube has already become a little bit like a cult object — maybe it will even end up becoming a collectors’ item: over the past three years, the price of a good second-hand Cube (never more than 10 available in the entire country) has stabilized instead of going down!
I use the Cube as a second car, and must tell you I’ve become very much attached to it. Apart from its roominess and practicality (it will take my bike in the back with no problem) it’s also fun to drive something quirky, something that stands out in the endless stream of more conventional bullet-nosed small cars that all look more or less the same. It really is a proven conversation piece: whether at a florist shop, a streetside café, or in a supermarket parking lot, random strangers keep telling me how they like this “funky” car, asking me what exactly it is. Of course there might be even more people around who find it butt-ugly: I suspect this silent majority would be less likely to comment…
The Cube is also reasonably comfortable and in daily use it’s very dependable and economical, although I have to admit that recently, when it needed a new muffler (due to a rip in the old one) I had to wait almost three weeks for the replacement part to be shipped all the way from Japan…
As the main negative point, I can confirm @Codylikesit’s comment about the Cube’s poor stability on the highway on a windy day. I’ve driven it on the nearby German Autobahn at speeds of 100-110 mph, where (especially when passing big trucks) you really need to firmly grasp the steering wheel with both hands, to be prepared for sudden gusts of wind… And yes, in that situation it’s a bit noisy too. But of course this is not really what the Cube was designed for. My V6 Saab convertible makes in all respects a much better Autobahn car.
My advice to Americans? There may still be a lot more Cubes around where you live, I don’t know, but anyway if you can get a good one cheap, buy it and hold on to it: in the long run, when it becomes more rare, it may not be your worst investment!
Like the Cube, but have never experienced one. They were just popular enough in central Ohio to be fun to spot, without being cliche.
The shot of the squares cubed made me laugh! Paul should’ve added his to the lineup to make “Squares^4.” 😉
I did. There were two there before I added the third.
What happened to your red steelies?
+1. Didn’t recognize it as Paul’s.
Of course I like the earlier Japanese version better. Better lines, grill and a skinnier bumper.
I looked at these (Gen2) when they came out but I believe they received some bad reviews in the press. Can’t remember what they didn’t like. Poor handling or maybe the CVT?
I remember they brought a 2nd gen JDM Cube to the LA Auto Show circa ’03-’04. The car was mobbed with people. Nissan must’ve misinterpreted it as genuine interest rather than people gawking at this JDM oddity.
I for one am a sucker for JDM weirdness and wanted to love it and even checked one out. Even I knew this wouldn’t work in the US and the CVT and and cheap interior quality didn’t help.
When these first came out,I was a service advisor at a Nissan dealer.The general manager thought these would be a great was to advertise our store by using Cubes with dealer signage as service loaners.I had many customers who flat-out refused to be seen in one.Luckily there was a Hertz location next door.
I actually liked these because they were so goofy and different. They made me smile every time I saw one.
A city car box doesn’t fit my life, but I certainly enjoy seeing other people drive these.
Another point in the Cube’s favor is that they seemed to come in a nice range of colors.
The Cube wasn’t my kind of vehicle, but they’re so distinctive that I can’t not notice them. I like the asymmetrical rear window.
My one experience with a Cube was as a rental car a few years ago. From the inside, it felt as though the sides of the car leaned OUT at the top. It’s just an optical illusion, but it weirded me out anyway. The next strange experience was when I needed gas. This is the only car ever where I had to Google an owner’s manual to figure out where the gas filler door release is. It’s located so low on the dash that it is not visible while sitting in normal driving position for me.
Other than those quirks, it served the purpose fine. I also thought the cupholder was cute. Disneyphiles will recognize this as an unintentional “Hidden Mickey.”
My Fiat Panda isn’t a cube or a square but a “squircle”!
It is roomy and fun to drive – on any kind of road.
When my Nissan Frontier was having transmission problems back in 2011, the dealership loaned me a Cube. A what? The funky appearance did me no good, but beggars (for transportation) can’t be choosers. I did not think this was as cool as a xB first gen. However, I did find it useful as a city runabout: it was roomy even though it looked small, it seemed to move at command from a standing start. It was highly maneuverable in close quarters and parking. It was spacious inside and could fit 4 large people and a pile of groceries in the back. It was economical. It was a practical design. But I also took it on the expressway, and it sucked as a highway cruiser. Did not accelerate well at highway speeds, and a little unstable at times although don’t recall getting caught in cross winds. I saw it as a strictly urban car, and I spent way too much time on the highway (I was going between states almost every weekend) to begin liking the Cube. I was happy to get my truck back. I still have the truck, too.