# Nissan cube??



## homey (May 24, 2004)

I'm looking at one of these but I'd like to know how well they hold bikes. All there ads market it too much as an urban cruiser and I guess they don't want people to put anything other then... Whatever urban people put in the back of their cars?

Anyway. Anybody actual own one of these things? I'd like to know what's good and not so good about the cube.


----------



## dennisadhs (Aug 8, 2007)

I would like to know as well, I looked at one yesterday and even though it looks weird, its a good weird. Didn't really look as though it could hold much though....


----------



## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

easily the most hideous car on the road! 

ive worked for both companies, toyota makes better vehicles, by a lot. especially first years, nissan fails terribly at first year cars. get an xb if you want some strange ugly box!


----------



## dennisadhs (Aug 8, 2007)

We own a 96 maxima that just wont die. the vq engine is one of the best ever made! The nissan cube is different, kind of reminds me of a fish bowl, but I like it!


----------



## Tuff Gong (May 8, 2009)

tomsmoto said:


> easily the most hideous car on the road!
> 
> ive worked for both companies, toyota makes better vehicles, by a lot. especially first years, nissan fails terribly at first year cars. get an xb if you want some strange ugly box!


+1 Get a xb. Some of Nissan's quality has gone down after the Renault merger IMO. Nevertheless, they were never as good as Toyota. They did have more exciting cars then conservative Toyota but if your looking for a practical lunch box, go for the xb.

The Cube looks like an alien from the front and some sort of appliance from the rear:skep:

...then again, 2010 is the first year Toyota started using Chinese manufactured engines in the xb


----------



## tsp_2177 (Jun 16, 2009)

maybe a honda element? at least their proven quality as they have been around a while and i bet you could pick up a good used one anywhere, plus they have plastic floors to when your muddy you can just spray it out!


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

*wow*

Thanks for the replies so far but... stop the nissan versus TOYota garbage. I hate that crap! if you're honest you'd admit that the new xb looks totally different then the old one and my opinion is that the 1st one looked great (hence me liking the cube, duh) and the new one looks kinda like a vanilla (typical boring toyota) version of it.

SO, now lets focus on the cube and give up the personal opinions till the conversation turns to politics, religion or abortion or something that.

btw, my family has owned nothing but nissans for 23 years and they've lasted that long so i don't want to hear about reliability. and TOYota makes a good product also.:madman:


----------



## Tuff Gong (May 8, 2009)

Whoa! My bad, didn't realize how posting a 'how about this and that' post would hit a nerve. Well, I have nothing to add then cause I'm not too crazy about the Cube's washing machine style. 

Good luck on your search man.

PS, I'll be honest. I like the new larger, heavier, more powerful and better looking(imo) xb more then the old one....but thats just me.


----------



## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

I dig the U.S. spec Cube. I don't know if it should be looked at as a first model year car, I thought a decent amount carried over from the first gen Cube, but I could be wrong. Actually I think I am wrong.

As far as the new xB, it is absolutely inexcusable as to why that thing weighs 600+ lbs more than the first gen xB/bB, that pretty much negates the extra horsepower (and lower MPG). I don't even think they should still classify it as a B segment vehicle. It's like a tank compared to the Fit, Soul, Cube, Mini, etc.

Toyotas are not as reliable as they used to be. They still make a quality lineup for the most part, but they've made quite a few blunders over the last few years. I believe they got a bit too cocky with their status in the automotive world.


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

XJaredX said:


> I dig the U.S. spec Cube. I don't know if it should be looked at as a first model year car, I thought a decent amount carried over from the first gen Cube, but I could be wrong. Actually I think I am wrong.
> 
> As far as the new xB, it is absolutely inexcusable as to why that thing weighs 600+ lbs more than the first gen xB/bB, that pretty much negates the extra horsepower (and lower MPG). I don't even think they should still classify it as a B segment vehicle. It's like a tank compared to the Fit, Soul, Cube, Mini, etc.
> 
> Toyotas are not as reliable as they used to be. They still make a quality lineup for the most part, but they've made quite a few blunders over the last few years. I believe they got a bit too cocky with their status in the automotive world.


One of the things that didn't transfer over was the cool looking bench seats for the driver and passenger, DANG. I really think the bench seat tied the interior room together, but it won't work with the American transmission on the floor, DANG. Also, they had a battery/electric motor that drove the rear wheels which made it AWD and that isn't on the American one either, double DANG!! Maybe in the future but for now it's not an option... yet.


----------



## shwinn8 (Feb 25, 2006)

Nissan Cube









Handa Element









:shocked:


----------



## tsp_2177 (Jun 16, 2009)

you can get an AWD element in the us lol if thats what your looking for if i could do it again (and known that i would be riding bikes now) and instead of trading my new mustang for a civic i would have gotten a 5 speed element lol even though they get less gas mileage i do dig how easy they would be to clean out lol and a roof rack would look pretty good on it where as i have a hitch mounted rack now on my civic, heck even a hitch mounted rack would look better on the element then my civic lol


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

tsp_2177 said:


> you can get an AWD element in the us lol if thats what your looking for if i could do it again (and known that i would be riding bikes now) and instead of trading my new mustang for a civic i would have gotten a 5 speed element lol even though they get less gas mileage i do dig how easy they would be to clean out lol and a roof rack would look pretty good on it where as i have a hitch mounted rack now on my civic, heck even a hitch mounted rack would look better on the element then my civic lol


Do you giggle as you talk in real life? It seems like you'd be a guy who kinda has a small laugh after every other sentence... I have a good friend who does the same thing. funny


----------



## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

homey said:


> Thanks for the replies so far but... stop the nissan versus TOYota garbage. I hate that crap!


you hate hands on experience and an unbiased opinion? thats weird. ive worked on more nissans than you've owned in 23 years 

it sounds like you dont really care what anyone thinks, you're gonna buy the hideous cube anyway. why bother asking if you're dead set on it already?


----------



## dennisadhs (Aug 8, 2007)

tomsmoto said:


> you hate hands on experience and an unbiased opinion? thats weird. ive worked on more nissans than you've owned in 23 years
> 
> it sounds like you dont really care what anyone thinks, you're gonna buy the hideous cube anyway. why bother asking if you're dead set on it already?


\

You sound pretty biased to me. Just sayin..


----------



## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

i like german cars... bmw's specifically. if i was buying a car i wouldnt be looking at nissan or toyota, but ive been employed by both companies, done training for both, and seen how both take care of their issues. nissan waits until the last possible second to own up to mistakes and releases the most half assed fixes to get you out of their hair. the hoops toyota jumps through to remedy problems is pretty crazy. 

but i know, you just cant say "x is better" without being called biased.


----------



## tsp_2177 (Jun 16, 2009)

homey said:


> Do you giggle as you talk in real life? It seems like you'd be a guy who kinda has a small laugh after every other sentence... I have a good friend who does the same thing. funny


i do laugh a good bit haha i guess i use "lol" so much i dont even realize it now


----------



## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

The picture comparison is kinda odd because the Element dwarfs the Cube sizewize.

While we're on the subject, concerning the Realtime AWD on the Element, it's a rather limited setup as it only works for (I think, but I forget exactly) speeds under 45 mph. Plus it only activates when the front wheels slip, which for me is a split second too late compared to my Subaru haha.


----------



## Raymo853 (Jan 13, 2004)

homey said:


> Whatever urban people put in the back of their cars?


Wow you are ignorant of anything but what you have seen and it seems like you have not seen much.


----------



## Dan Gerous (Feb 18, 2004)

I was looking into the Cube myself but I heard the rear seats fold in a way that don't give too much space, especially for bikes. It would probably require a bike rack unless you take both wheels off. Having a Subaru Outback right now, I either put the bike complete in the back or on the roof if I have two passengers or more.

The thing about the Cube vs Element is that the Element costs a whole lot more. The Cube is cheap, cheaper than a Scion too I think. And the Cube is actually on it's third generation in Japan, it's a first year model in North America but shouldn't be seen as a first year model with all the expected glitches IMO. I'm still considering one for my next car...


----------



## capn 35 (Oct 19, 2007)

The platform is the same as the Versa, which I have leased several of (I work for Nissan). I could put my medium framed HiFi in the Versa with both wheels on as long as I pushed the passenger seat forward a little. The Cube has a little more room than the Versa, especially vertically, so it should fit a mtn bike with ease. The rear seats fold forward flat, but because of the lower cargo area, there is a drop in the rear behind the seats.

capn


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*... or...*



XJaredX said:


> The picture comparison is kinda odd because the Element dwarfs the Cube sizewize.
> 
> While we're on the subject, concerning the Realtime AWD on the Element, it's a rather limited setup as it only works for (I think, but I forget exactly) speeds under 45 mph. Plus it only activates when the front wheels slip, which for me is a split second too late compared to my Subaru haha.


... Audi A4 Avant 1.8 tqm. At least with Torsen Quattro. The A3/TT Quattro is an electronic clutch based system.





... and to me, the ugliest car on the road...and I know I'm going to get flamed for this... Subie WRX. Easily. That hood scoop... what does it do? It sucks. Yes, it does.


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

tomsmoto said:


> i like german cars... bmw's specifically. if i was buying a car i wouldnt be looking at nissan or toyota, but ive been employed by both companies, done training for both, and seen how both take care of their issues. nissan waits until the last possible second to own up to mistakes and releases the most half assed fixes to get you out of their hair. the hoops toyota jumps through to remedy problems is pretty crazy.
> 
> but i know, you just cant say "x is better" without being called biased.


That reminds me of a joke... what's the difference between a porcupine and and BMW owners? The porcupine has the pricks on the outside! HA, I love that joke. Btw, you can always replace "bmw" for any yuppy car manufacturer and it's still funny:thumbsup:


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

Raymo853 said:


> Wow you are ignorant of anything but what you have seen and it seems like you have not seen much.


strong words my friend, are you sure you ride a MOUNTAIN bike and not a road bike... usually the roadies call me ignorant, not the mountain bikers and you must be from the city.


----------



## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

pimpbot said:


> ... and to me, the ugliest car on the road...and I know I'm going to get flamed for this... Subie WRX. Easily. That hood scoop... what does it do? It sucks. Yes, it does.


Well, it's designed to suck. haha. But Subarus are way more reliable than Audis from the first 7 or so years of the new millenia. As far as the AWD system, Audi's quattro setup is probably the only setup besides Subaru's setups that I remotely respect. I just think the Subaru setup is a lot more elegant, thought-out, and reliable. With that said I'd totally rock an Audi. Me likey S4 Avants, and A3's. Except I've seen enough examples of friend's Audis to steer clear of them, especially my girlfriend's mom's '03 A4 quattro cabrio with the 6 cyl... man do things constantly go wrong on that thing


----------



## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

audi a4 1.8t's have very well know, complete engine failures. their "fix" is juts giving you a new engine and hoping it doesnt happen again. the pickup is too small and clogs easily. they extended the engine warranty 8 years/unlimted miles, but still.. i like audis a lot too, its just a handful of car to manage when (not if) they start spiraling downhill. 

thats just the engine though, the rest of the cars fail frequently.


----------



## Shonky (Apr 13, 2008)

This thread got badly derailed for a while there!

I have a Nissan Cube. Although there is a lot of headroom inside, the car is very short so it's hard to get a bike in without taking at least one wheel off. In fact I think you'd need to take both wheels off if you wanted to use the passenger seat because you need to push it forward to fit a bike it. That said I'm talking about a Demo 7 so maybe that is a particularly long bike.

I never intended to put a bike inside anyway - I wanted the car *because* it is small - I plan to get a hitch mounted rack for it. No one makes a receiver hitch for the 2009 Cube yet (AFAIK) so I'm going to get one made. Then I will get a rack like the Thule T2 or a North-Shore-Racks 2 bike rack. Roof racks will work on the Cube but I can't use them as I have underground parking.

I think it's pretty obvious that a Honda Element is a more pragmatic choice if biking friendliness is a key factor. But the Element is basically an SUV and, much as I appreciate how useful the Element is and it really is a great vehicle, I wanted something smaller, cheaper and better on gas. The Cube styling is something you either love or hate. It's personal preference - there's absolutely no point arguing about it.

If you're still considering a Cube I'll post an update when I get the rack on in a couple of weeks. Likewise if anyone has fitted a rack already I'd be interested to hear your experiences.


----------



## karpiel666 (Jan 7, 2005)

The cube is a good car for its intended use. Ugly though.

Every time I see one it looks so out of place, like it's from the future or in a techno music video or something.


----------



## Shonky (Apr 13, 2008)

karpiel666 said:


> The cube is a good car for its intended use. Ugly though.
> 
> Every time I see one it looks so out of place, like it's from the future or in a techno music video or something.


Thanks for coming out.

Back on topic, I just found out that Curt now make a hitch for the Cube.
www.curtmfg.com
So, in theory, you can now get a hitch mounted bike rack


----------



## karpiel666 (Jan 7, 2005)

Shonky said:


> Thanks for coming out.


I did it just for you.


----------



## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

shwinn8 said:


> Nissan Cube
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No kidding....:eekster:


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

homey said:


> One of the things that didn't transfer over was the cool looking bench seats for the driver and passenger, DANG. I really think the bench seat tied the interior room together, but it won't work with the American transmission on the floor, DANG. Also, they had a battery/electric motor that drove the rear wheels which made it AWD and that isn't on the American one either, double DANG!! Maybe in the future but for now it's not an option... yet.


 here's a pic of the cool seats we won't see in the states


----------



## Shonky (Apr 13, 2008)

Nice. The Japanese interior definitely wins.


----------



## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

*Bikes don't fit too well inside the Cube (pics included)*



Shonky said:


> This thread got badly derailed for a while there!
> 
> I have a Nissan Cube. Although there is a lot of headroom inside, the car is very short so it's hard to get a bike in without taking at least one wheel off. In fact I think you'd need to take both wheels off if you wanted to use the passenger seat because you need to push it forward to fit a bike it. That said I'm talking about a Demo 7 so maybe that is a particularly long bike.


It took me three tries to fit an 18" Rocky Mountain Altitude inside the Cube. A hitch or roof rack is definitely required if bike transport is part of the equation.

This particular Cube is a loaner from Nissan, which is why I'm not using any external racks to carry the bike.

All things considered, the Cube is a pretty darn good vehicle for what it is -- if you like the styling.


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

tomsmoto said:


> easily the most hideous car on the road!


Agreed. It takes styling to a new low.

J.


----------



## laxman2001 (Jun 1, 2009)

I actually like it.


----------



## JAGI410 (Apr 19, 2008)

bustamove said:


> It took me three tries to fit an 18" Rocky Mountain Altitude inside the Cube. A hitch or roof rack is definitely required if bike transport is part of the equation.
> 
> This particular Cube is a loaner from Nissan, which is why I'm not using any external racks to carry the bike.
> 
> All things considered, the Cube is a pretty darn good vehicle for what it is -- if you like the styling.


Did you try sliding the rear seat all the way forward then seeing if a bike would fit? I know it slides, just not sure how much.


----------



## debusama (Dec 9, 2008)

*Just get an Element.*









The cube is kind of a knock-off. Here is what my element can do, but I don't think a cube can.

1.	The Element has 4 Wheel drive to get you to the remote trailheads, cubes don't.
2.	The back seats flatten and fold against the walls, leaving a huge open space big enough to stand two or three bikes up side by side with the front wheels cranked sideways. You don't need to worry about the weather, banging the bike on an overpass or garage door, theft or any of the other issues caused by bike racks. Cubes are too small for that. (see above: one bike, front wheel removed) 
3.	The elements seats are nylon, like a rain jacket, and the floors are made of rubberized plastic. No mater how muddy the car gets, a bucket of water and sponge can clean it up. Although not recommended I've even used a hose to spray off the floor. The cube has carpet and upholstery to get stained up.
4.	You can fold down all of the seats flush with each other, turning the entire interior into a bed easily big enough to sleep two people, and two German shepherds (this comes from experience).

If you like the quirky boxy cars, pay a little more for the real thing, or get a used element. There's no better car for people who like to play in the dirt.


----------



## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

JAG410 said:


> Did you try sliding the rear seat all the way forward then seeing if a bike would fit? I know it slides, just not sure how much.


Yes, the bench seat was moved forward before I attempted to fit the bike inside the Cube.

Bench seat slides forward about 4 - 6 inches. Maybe a little more since the space for the rear cargo well almost doubles.


----------



## Raymo853 (Jan 13, 2004)

tomsmoto said:


> toyota makes better vehicles


Totally outdated information. Toyota now makes its engineers subservient to the short sighted accountants just like GM did in the 80's and 90's.


----------



## d33pt (May 28, 2009)

my wife has a cube and i had no idea the rear seats slide forward. i know they recline, which is kinda cool. that thing is TINY. it's even shorter than the versa she used to have. I also refuse to drive it. people give me funny looks in it.


----------



## d33pt (May 28, 2009)

also, another thing is that trunk bike racks don't work too well on this car. I used a saris bones on it. because of the way the rear gate is designed, it's a barn type door with the hinges on the side. so the top hooks on the rack are pulling the door away where it's the weakest. this actually bends the door out a bit (about 3/8"), and the wind noise gets pretty bad. probably won't be a good idea in the long run, maybe causing hinge or seal failure. 

on a normal hatchback with the hinge on top, the rack would be pushing the door closed, instead of pulling it open. hope this makes sense.

I would only use this with a hitch rack, which is not available yet.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

d33pt said:


> also, another thing is that trunk bike racks don't work too well on this car.


Well, seeing as it has no trunk, is that really a suprise?


----------



## Dan Gerous (Feb 18, 2004)

Trunk bike racks don't work too well period IMO.


----------



## d33pt (May 28, 2009)

Jayem said:


> Well, seeing as it has no trunk, is that really a suprise?


the saris worked fine on the versa..doesn't have a "trunk" either.


----------



## Tuff Gong (May 8, 2009)

Hmmmm, I could see Nissan and the aftermarket tail light companies will be having a good time selling replacement lens'


----------



## Tuff Gong (May 8, 2009)

debusama said:


> The cube is kind of a knock-off. Here is what my element can do, but I don't think a cube can.


Well, like someone else mentioned, the Element is more a crossover/SUV while the Cube is a small boxy econo car.

BTW, the Cube was around in Japan before the Element was even created.


----------



## bmph8ter (Oct 29, 2007)

debusama said:


> There's no better car for people who like to play in the dirt.


Unless you want to be able to open the back doors without opening the fronts first.  The element is cool if you like it (I've got lots of friends that have them), but for us the first gen xB beat it. Better gas mileage (I routinely get over 30 in my xB), cheaper (can get some hella cool toys/racks with the $5,000+ we saved), and I just like the way it "feels" better. The seats fold flat like they do in the element, and if you need something a bit softer, a full size air matress is a perfect fit. Slept comfy in with with the wife and dogs several times.

Don't know much about the cube yet. I keep meaning to hop by the local dealership to check them out. I'm not in the market, but I think I may have a boxy car fetish. :eekster:


----------



## Shonky (Apr 13, 2008)

The Cube takes a platform rack just fine. 1.25" Curt hitch and a Thule T2. It's stable, even with a couple of DH bikes on there. The rack folds up tidily against the back of the car when not in use and the lights are perfectly between the two bike tracks (The Thule Doubletrack by comparison lines up exactly with the lights rendering it dangerous in my opion). Rack comes off easily in a couple of minutes when you're not using it.

Apologies for crappy photo quality:


----------



## kinglud1 (Jul 15, 2009)

huummm,, think ill stick with jeep.


----------



## Shonky (Apr 13, 2008)

kinglud1 said:


> huummm,, think ill stick with jeep.


Thanks for sharing, Mr Random.


----------



## Tuff Gong (May 8, 2009)

kinglud1 said:


> huummm,, think ill stick with jeep.


What's a 3.7L 4000+ lb 4x4 Jeep have to do with a 1.8L 2800lb econo-box thread?


----------



## FLMike (Sep 28, 2008)

Tuff Gong said:


> What's a 3.7L 4000+ lb 4x4 Jeep have to do with a 1.8L 2800lb econo-box thread?


He just wanted a chance to show pictures of his dirt parade.


----------



## kinglud1 (Jul 15, 2009)

FLMike said:


> He just wanted a chance to show pictures of his dirt parade.


 ....:thumbsup:

i just never really liked scions that much..


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

bustamove said:


> It took me three tries to fit an 18" Rocky Mountain Altitude inside the Cube. A hitch or roof rack is definitely required if bike transport is part of the equation.
> 
> This particular Cube is a loaner from Nissan, which is why I'm not using any external racks to carry the bike.
> 
> All things considered, the Cube is a pretty darn good vehicle for what it is -- if you like the styling.


Dang, my Honda Fit handles bikes better than that thing.


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*THat was actually due to...*



tomsmoto said:


> audi a4 1.8t's have very well know, complete engine failures. their "fix" is juts giving you a new engine and hoping it doesnt happen again. the pickup is too small and clogs easily. they extended the engine warranty 8 years/unlimted miles, but still.. i like audis a lot too, its just a handful of car to manage when (not if) they start spiraling downhill.
> 
> thats just the engine though, the rest of the cars fail frequently.


... owners putting conventional oil in a turbo engine, and the engine oil sludging out. Also, the sump was too small. Even some dealers used dino oil. Its a well known issue. Once Audi and VW (same issue in the Passat) mandated synthetic oil and the diesel larger capacity oil filter, the failures stopped. Its all over the vw message boards. I have a bud who owns a VW/Audi/BMW repair shop, and he tells me once his clients went with the diesel filter and synthetic oil, the failures stopped altogether. He hasn't seen a failed 1.8t engine in years.

Its the same exact engine in the Jetta and Golf and those cars do not have the issue. The difference is that the sump is bigger in those cars, cause the engine is mounted sideways, and not front to back.

Anyway, 135k miles on my A4, and no issues... well... the clutch is acting funny.... 

The real trick with Audi is that you have to find a mechanic that knows their way around them. An inexperienced mechanic will say ... oh, turbo failure.. new turbo... fixed! ... only to have the turbo fail again in 20k miles because he didn't change out the oil lines or clean the sump.

I'd still rather drive an Audi. I love the way you can point it, apply loads of throttle, and it goes exactly where you want.... and still gets almost 30 mpg doing it.


----------



## d33pt (May 28, 2009)

kinglud1 said:


> huummm,, think ill stick with jeep.


haha, people actually take their jeep liberty offroading? do anything besides fireroads?


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Honda Fit kicks ass*



NateHawk said:


> Dang, my Honda Fit handles bikes better than that thing.


I have a bud who is heavily into pinball. He bought a pinball machine, and actually loaded the f'ing thing in a Fit and drove it 100 miles home... with a passenger!


----------



## kinglud1 (Jul 15, 2009)

d33pt said:


> haha, people actually take their jeep liberty offroading? do anything besides fireroads?


nothin core,, just kinda hang out,, maybe go to the mall,, you know


----------



## nagatahawk (Jun 20, 2007)

ok ok with the Jeeps. back to the Cube. I do like the look, but I think it is too small and too low for me. I can put my bike, wheels on into the back so I'm spoiled. However it's really not a bother to remove the front wheel. The major thing that I don't like about the Cubes are the CVT trannys. I don't like the idea of having a belt driven transmission, nor do i like the way they drive. I guees they have to cut corners. I'm considering a SUV 4 x 4 next time so I can at lease navigate bumpy fire roads. The street of LA are so potted out, I may have to go Exterra.

BMWs? I had a 328 i nice car. dealers suck. All the ones I visited did. The last one was with a Dealer ship in the SB I need a headlight bullb, I was informed that my car was way out of warranty, (4 days) so it told them to replace it. How much would a bulb cost, i thought to myself, plus they didn't give me an estimate. They charged me $110 to do a 2 minute bulb replacement. After going to the BBB and almost a year later I got a full refund. My lease was up and I was on the fence about leasing a new BMW or Mini. After that incident, I don't think I'll be buying another BMW or Mini.


----------



## homey (May 24, 2004)

homey said:


> I'm looking at one of these but I'd like to know how well they hold bikes. All there ads market it too much as an urban cruiser and I guess they don't want people to put anything other then... Whatever urban people put in the back of their cars?
> 
> Anyway. Anybody actual own one of these things? I'd like to know what's good and not so good about the cube.


I ended up going with a new Volkswagen Rabbit and put a Yakima roof rack on top. The Cube is still a cool car but it just wasn't very fun to drive, at least not a fun as a Rabbit. The Cube is very versatile vehicle but I'm not sure where the excitement went... it looks like it would be fun, but it fails to really scoot like a real car.

Thank you for posting most of the replies, but tomsmoto can die a slow painful death for all his efforts on this thread.


----------



## traffic002 (Dec 16, 2008)

pimpbot said:


> ... owners putting conventional oil in a turbo engine, and the engine oil sludging out. Also, the sump was too small. Even some dealers used dino oil. Its a well known issue. Once Audi and VW (same issue in the Passat) mandated synthetic oil and the diesel larger capacity oil filter, the failures stopped. Its all over the vw message boards. I have a bud who owns a VW/Audi/BMW repair shop, and he tells me once his clients went with the diesel filter and synthetic oil, the failures stopped altogether. He hasn't seen a failed 1.8t engine in years.
> 
> Its the same exact engine in the Jetta and Golf and those cars do not have the issue. The difference is that the sump is bigger in those cars, cause the engine is mounted sideways, and not front to back.
> 
> ...


So I have a b6 1.8tqm Avant (6sp). I agree that it has the best AWD system. Yes, better than Subaru. It's torsen based system is the fastest reacting. It also falls apart when there is no load on one wheel. But Audi figured out how to add sensors and link with ABS to artificially load up a wheel within 1/3 revolution of the wheel so you DO NOT detect any slippage.

I need to replace the diverter valve. But I guess that's what I get for raising the boost.

The plus and minus of the suspension is that the multilink set up will actually gain negative camber as it runs through the travel range creating a perfect contact patch for the tires in the corner. The bad is this puts lots of load on multiple bushings for premature (imho) wear and slopping handling after a short period of time. I also feel the dampers are valved a little on the soft side. Ah yes. Weak clutch!!!

So with that. I will order up a DV from a TT and install it. Replace the bushings with a full bushing kit (they come pre-pressed in so is a remove and replace deal) and swap out OEM dampers with KONI yellows. Should be good as new.

However, this is our date night car and ski car. My bike transport is a 1991 Toyota MR2. (it's also my track car for lapping days. )


----------



## nagatahawk (Jun 20, 2007)

*Mr2*

Traffic! 
I had a stock "92 red one. That car is very fast just stock, I won many a battles! heh!
I had it repainted in 2002, also had the black strip and the black lower valences painted red.
interior: re upholstered. Seats black with inserts red, same for the door panels, upgrated the radio with blaupunk, amp and small sub woofer behind the seat. went to adjustable shocks 1" lower springs with Kumho rubber. sold it in 2005 after 12 great years.

I found the best way to drive this car is aggresive.


----------



## sxotty (Nov 4, 2005)

All this toyota, nissan crap is a bit silly now.

Reliability for all major manufacturers is almost the same now. There are a few anomalies like the mini which have a disproportionate number of problems, but as far as drivetrains go pretty much anything you get will last longer than most people want to keep cars if you do routine maintenance.


----------



## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*Shelby GT 365*

I, for one, could never own a cube and I've owned two 68 VW transporters. The Element would be okay but the gas mileage for most models is less than what I'd want.

I saw one of these at our local dealerships:









Ford Transit Connect. 7th Generation, Fleet Van class. 22-25MPG, 4spd Auto. Comes in all panel or glass as above.

It's a scaled down Sprinter type vehicle that's very common in Europe. This one's similar to a Focus and is made in Turkey. Hopefully it'll come out in AWD for the US. I haven't owned a Ford since a 74 Maverick but this might change that. I'm tired of doing shuttle runs in my Del Sol.


----------



## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

when I first saw the Cube..I just had to laugh. that thing is the ugliest POS I have ever seen. If the Cube or all the other stupid cars/ micro vans like it, ie Scion and Kia is what the future of the automobile is all about, I'll never get rid of my big American SUV.

BTW, the Ford Transit shown in this post is'nt half bad.


----------

