The all-new 2011 Nissan Juke is as fun to drive as any other small, sporty car in the market. With its raised ground clearance and rally-inspired design, the Juke feels like it can go anywhere, which sets it apart from the competition.
The Juke isn't for everybody. Actually, it's not for anyone with kids in rear-facing car seats, which just don't fit in the backseat. It's the kind of car you might want to get for your teen driver or maybe when your kids are out of large car seats (mine are in boosters and quite liked the Juke). A first-time driver — a teen or fresh-out-of-college adult — will probably appreciate its small stature and not care that the continuously variable automatic transmission is loud and whiny. Of course, the Juke was just so fun to drive that I almost didn't care about the loud CVT.
I wasn't prepared to like this five-passenger crossover as much as I did. With a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Juke gets to places in a hurry. There are three driving modes — Sport, Normal and Eco — that allow you to indulge in whichever driving style you'd like at a moment's notice. All-wheel drive, which is tough to find on smaller vehicles, is available on the Juke.
This crossover has a starting MSRP of $19,340. My test car, a top-of-the-line Juke SL with all-wheel drive, cost $25,860. It should be said that the standard features on this model were extensive, but that's still a bit more than pocket change.
EXTERIOR
The Juke's front styling is supposed to evoke thoughts of a crocodile sitting just below the surface of the water, with its eyes peeking out, according to Nissan. My neighbor's kindergarten-age son decided he liked the Juke because of its chubby cheeks, as he called them. Whatever you call them, the Juke has flared fenders that make it look hippy, especially in the rear.
During my test drive, I received so many comments on the Juke (solicited and otherwise). Some people loved it from the side, but not the front, while some loved the front but thought the back was weird-looking. Design-wise, I think the whole car really works.
It must be said that the Juke will struggle to be functional for families with small kids who want to be independent. The main reason is the rear door handles are positioned way up on the doorjamb by the C-pillars. Until your kids are taller, they will not be able to reach them. This is no big deal if you don't mind opening the door for your kids all the time, but there it is. Actually, there it isn't, according to some people. The rear doors blended so seamlessly with the crossover that most people thought it was a two-door car at first glance.
Despite the high door handles, it was easy to open and close the doors because they aren't too heavy or wide. The step-in height is kid-friendly, too. When it's open, the liftgate is really tall; I'm 5-foot-5 and didn't have any problems reaching the liftgate to close it, though.
The Juke has a 188-horsepower, turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. On the SV and SL trims with front-wheel drive, a manual transmission is standard. A CVT is standard on the base-level S trim and optional on the SV and SL trims. Front-wheel drive is standard on the Juke, and all-wheel drive is optional. The all-wheel-drive Juke gets an EPA-estimated 25/30 mpg city/highway. The front-wheel-drive Juke with a CVT gets 27/32 mpg; with a manual transmission, it gets 24/31 mpg. The Juke uses premium fuel.
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