Review: 2011 Nissan Juke

2011 Nissan Juke - above for high-res image click Gallery Nissan seems to be a war path every last ounce of white space in the automotive spectrum to fill. The company has a flood of vehicles that range from playful to downright confusing unleashed. At first glance, the 2011 Nissan Juke would seem to fit into this category. With styling that shakes two away from Robo-Reptile friends, packed the small crossover high power, high ground clearance and a small footprint in a sub-$ 20,000 package. If you can avoid pigeonholing the Juke, you will notice that the engineers at Nissan succeeded in secret, their own interpretation of the hot hatch on the market without raising the wrath of the company bring Accountants.
We would not blame you think for a tunnel behind a lug pattern on this one, but your peepers with a few details and you will see what we mean. The Juke weighs less than 3,000 pounds in front-wheel-drive trim and packs a turbocharged, direct injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, which is good for 188 hp. For reference, results of their own Sentra SE-R is the scale with an additional 88 pounds to his waist, and 11 ponies less at his command. Opt for the manual transmission in the Juke, and things even easier. Intrigued? We were too.Perhaps the biggest compliment that we pay is the design of the 2011 Juke say there is nothing to compare it to the automotive food chain. Sure, there are elements taken from the 370Z in the rear lights and there are more than a little Kia Soul at the roof line, but by and large, the Juke his own machine. This is no small praise considering manufacturers were tons of vehicle concepts for well over 100 years.
Until recently, the Juke is up something like a puzzle with its lighting array. This stylized approach to lenses lighting up is not important as you think compulsory. Instead, they prefer to care both markers and turn-indicator do work, set so that lights detail to the pie plate-sized lens in the front end low. If that's not confusing enough for you, higher trim levels also get fog lamps placed even closer to the ground.From the page, the Juke is a serious bulging fenders front and rear, and a short wheelbase of only 99.6 inches. In fact, from stem to stern measures of crossover a mere 162.4 cm, or shorter than the admittedly small Versa hatchback. Fortunately, the Juke comes from the factory stylish 17-inch alloy wheels, also in the base configuration. This substantial roles give the Juke a little more attitude and are used to prevent the risk of us like an econobox ... uh, harness. Throw in a set of hidden rear door handles in the C-pillar and the Juke replaced as the three-door from a distance.
The back of the Juke shows more of a traditional CUV or crossover design with rounded hatch, tail lights and sculptures, a small roof spoiler. Despite his abbreviated package used, a fairly large aft deck for loading food and the like, and we expect that the painted bumper cover more than a little abuse at the hands of careless owners.Jump inside and suffer the Juke provides an interior with a more Attention to detail, as we are used usually by Nissan. The driver is a sport steering wheel with contours in the right places and quality texture that feels a galaxy or two before the pole covered in the Rogue. Large, easy-to-use buttons make it easier to work with cruise control, audio settings, and calls from the Bluetooth system. Door panels with plastic parts, color bits on the unique "motorcycle tank" matched center stack are decorated and large, rounded chrome handles add a bit of brightwork to an otherwise dark cockpit. Our testers were cut in S, which means that the trick I-CON center of the SV model stack for more pedestrian dials and buttons victims. Base cover net buyer does an iPod interface when navigating the menu structure using the controls on the dashboard and steering wheel is nothing less than confusing.
Otherwise, the Juke is a surprising amount of space is given its tiny size. There is enough space to comfortably ferry four adults in the city without someone Accordion knees, and there is a deceptively large space behind the rear seats for stacking up to luggage or groceries. We are winding on good authority that several propane tanks and several bags of food can fit back there at the same time a lack of straps and hooks provide a lot of noise when the thing goes.
The eggs are never the best things about the trim home.One structure with the Juke is that no matter what configuration you choose, you are guaranteed a very capable four-cylinder engine under the hood to find. Our bare-bones test uses the same direct-injection, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder as the rest of the cast. That is, we were fortunate to play with a full 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. While we were itching to get a full week's worth of time with the six-speed manual transmission, our tester came to drag the Nissan CVT transmission in front-wheel-drive configuration.
But that is not as bad as you think. Nissan has sent the Juke with the same "switchable" CVT programming as in the likes of the maxima found decorated. Nudge the shift lever and the transmission will provide you with a quick jump in ratios that are good for your favorite jump-off along the mountain road. Speaking of piercing is front-wheel drive net driver a torsion-beam suspension in back, although as many inexpensive small cars these days, the rear bar does not seem to hold back the Juke when it comes to the tach tango.Keep had over 2,000 rpm and the Juke like shipping a lot of asphalt with little argument. The tailgate kicks very little understeer, if you manage to keep out of the throttle. Really mash the skinny pedal, however, and the vast pack horses will do their best to the torque-steer you away from your planned route of flight. The result is a small car that you keep hammering asks, despite its high ground clearance. The brakes are tight and when the electric power steering is a characteristic of light, it is not enough to dampen the giggle factor.
It is worth noting that our particular testers a pre-production unit with plenty of hard-earned miles on the Clock in the hands of the dark car was journos. That is, we have a pretty rough idle notice, especially when the engine is not operating. At highway speeds, the car is suffering from road and engine noise, but not enough to look after us. This is a vehicle with an MSRP lighter than its own weight, after all.
The EPA says, you should equipped to be able to net 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway from a CVT, combined front-drivers like our tester, even after a full week's jump-off for the countryside, we saw a measly 22 mpg. Remember, kids: small turbo engines drink fuel like its larger, naturally aspirated counterparts, if you bury your foot into the carpet. In this case, Nissan sucks down premium juice little strange, it would have to go pay a little easier on the fun pedal, you should decide to make a 2011 Juke in your driveway.And Park Nissan will ask how much for the pleasure of the Juke property ? Prices start at $ 18,960 S Trim, and buyers can expect power doors, locks, iPod connector, a six-channel sound system and Bluetooth hands-free for cash stack. The sticker price rooms of the Juke smack dab in between the Nissan Rogue $ 20,810 and the Nissan Sentra at $ 15,520. With decent (if somewhat theoretical) fuel economy and fun, which is more than one of the two options, the Juke is the perfect middle child in Nissan's lineup. While it may not be as functional as the villain, we take this sacrifice for the bump in power and handling hijinks.
The Juke is a modern hot hatch from Nissan in the area, as we are likely to get anytime soon, and it would be us, we would immediately start to receive with respect to the vehicle a little closer to the ground. If ever there were a car, which asked for the aftermarket to right his wrongs, the Juke it. The styling is not for everyone, but after a week with the five-door we grew warm, funky face. Hey, if people pug dogs welcome in their homes, they should have no problem opening the garage door for the 2011 Juke.