Anyone thinking of a Cube? (Don't laugh)

jginnane

Thanks to the federal government, I find that my 12-year old GMC Yukon SLT has magically transformed itself into a $4500 credit toward buying a higher-mileage vehicle. (Note: restrictions apply.)

Since we have an 09 TL for the wiffey already, I'm looking at a daily driver - slash - milk run car so I can save my Z for the sunny days. That leads me to cars like the Honda Insight EX and the Nissan Cube SL. (I've eliminated the Fit, all Toyotas, and all domestic cars.)

I'm trying to find something different enough in profile it won't conflict with the two near-luxury cars we've bought already. The Insight I've test-driven, and it handles somewhat like a Chevy Vega (without the tendency to need a new engine every 20K). The Cube is cute, perhaps too-cutesy, and one review called it "peppy but the power goes away above 35 mph". (ROFL!)

But the Cube could carry 4, could carry big bags of peat moss, and I wouldn't be afraid of parking it some places I'd never want to take the Z.

So before I find some teen forum raving about the shag carpeting -- anyone here looking at a Cube for similar use? (Overstock.com shows my best local price at $100 off invoice, and with the $4500 credit, there's no negotiating.)

cossie1600

Hi,

I actually was in the market for a second vehicle doing the same exact thing. I looked at a 2010 Insight, 2009 Cube and 2010 Prius and 2009 Prius. Let me just say the Cube is at the very bottom of the list compare to the other cars. First of all, let me just say I love the way the car looks. Yet the car drives like a total piece of garbage. While the 1.8L provides reasonable power, but it is very noisy and it has TONS of vibration. It has so much vibration that my legs started to shake after I came out of it. Also the handling of the vehicle is almost as bad as a 2nd gen Prius. The center of gravity is too high and the steering was way too light. I would absolutely stay away from that vehicle unless you really need the room. At 16K, you are better off buying a Civic LX. If you need space, go get a Fit. I ended up ordering a 2010 Prius as it was the best out of the 4. It is quieter, almost as quick and more efficient than the Cube by quite a bit. If you can swing an extra $7K and deal with the a$$holes at Toyota, I would go for that. The Insight is okay, but not really worth $20K in my opinion

shumby

you said not to but I lol'd anyway

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Originally Posted by SAM@GTM
Engine detonation is not normal and it should never never happen, and whoever told that need to do something else for living .
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510z

the insight has had terrible reviews. what about a kia forte?

edeeZee

Why not a Scion XB?

AK370Z

I saw it in person and it was okay. Nothing out of ordinary. It'll take you from point a to b safely.

On the side note, you can get the optional "Shag dash topper" to make it even more unique

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Modshack

Buy a real Man's Box! (actually, My Element is awesome and quite a bit more civilized...Kinda like a REAL car)....

I do kinda wish I had one of those shag dash toppers though...

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shumby

Wait for Infiniti's version to come out.

__________________
Originally Posted by SAM@GTM
Engine detonation is not normal and it should never never happen, and whoever told that need to do something else for living .
Sam

jginnane

Ah! No reviews said it was a nice-handling car, and I didn't expect much from the Versa engine. But if it can't comfortably maintain highway speeds... I'll file it with the KIA Sportage, then.

Actually don't need a third car under most any pretext, except... I'd like something to carry a canoe, and large, bulky (but not heavy) items. That rules out coupes and sedans.

Looking at a new Prius, someone at the dealership had hand-scribbled "market premium" and tacked an extra 10% ($2700) on the window sticker (!). The car seems OK ... but it'll be a cold day in hell that Galaxy Toyota in Eatontown NJ gets a nickel of my business. Ever.

I'm glad you've gone through a lot of the process I did... what I might do is revisit the Fit, maybe an Element, and see what Mazda's got in the cheaper bulk/peoplemover category. Mazda is probably the cheapest way to get HIDs on a lower-end car, and trading down from a Yukon I really feel a need for carrying space.

fly yellow

Have you looked at the new Kia Soul? Out of all the toaster mobiles out there I actually think the Soul looks the best.

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cossie1600

Kia Soul's review is terrible. If it is worse than the Cube, I can't imagine how bad that car drives since I thought the Cube was really bad.

If you need room, Element is about 19K and Mazda 5 is 17-18K with the current rebates. Of course, you might not get 4500 for them, depending on the MPG. Oh and by the way, the Mazda 5 can do circles around the Cube. I actually autox them quite a bit, they don't handle all that bad for a minivan.

It's crazy with the 3rd gen Prius, everyone is pretty much sold out on the Prius, you just have to put your deposit down and let them ra^e you. I bought mine at sticker, so that's about it. It is a better car than the four cars I drove, no ifs and buts about it. I do look forward to the 51/49mpg rating. The car is quieter than the last one, faster (a lot faster, relatively) and it is comfy. It doesn't handle as good as the Honda, but it also doesn't have a stiff suspension that will break your back.

Honda and Toyota are tough to deal with, you would think in this economy, they would pretty much lick your rear end to get you into a deal. Yet they are still full of themselves, so definitely hard to deal with. Mazda and Nissan are easier, but then just watch for shady people.

I went to Honda today to look at a car today. On the window sticker, they had the car listed at 147xx. Since today they have this huge promotion about $8K off market price, well they just jacked a 199xx number on the windshield and then they would try to sell you the car at that windshield price. The guy look lost when I asked him why the sticker says 147xx and he is trying to tell me to negotiate from 1999x. It's lame!

I hate buying from dealers inside city, I prefer the smaller dealership, much easier to get a deal!

jginnane

Yes! The problem is, it's a Kia. (One time I got a loaner Sportage while one of our cars was being worked on, and it was like a homemade Soapbox Derby car. It could not safely get above 50 mph.)

I'm using the feedback here as a guide ... the Mazda3 5-door requires the Touring trim level to get bixenons, and the overstock.com price is 21.4K. Not bad for HIDs and leather -- better looking than a Genesis coupe! (Snark)

It would also end my family's 50-year boycott of Fords. We nurse grudges over generations... Pontiac's boycott won't end until 2030. (GMC lost its chance to ever sell me another big-*** ute when they advertised on Rush Limbaugh.)

I've always been partial to Elements, but the deciding house vote calls it (and most shoebox/toaster mobiles) "hearse-like". (I assume she means the Black Maria from Charles Addams' comic strips.)

cossie1600

Ford sold Mazda a year or two ago, but they have an alliance

tolnep

why did you eliminate the fit?

thats my second car and for what it is its great. i have a 2008, not the current. its handles pretty good for its class (maybe the best). its ultra-reliable, it gets decent mileage.

i use it to haul stuff, grocery getter. i can get two bikes inside the back with the seats flat, i can get tall stuff in the back if i pull the seats up.

i would get that.. go up in dollars i would get a 2010 prius.. a hatch, has space to load stuff..

supposedly a real dullard to drive, but it performs where it counts, it gets good gas mileage..

i always have 2 or three cars.. requirements for the groups is: fun performance, around town economy, decent drivability in bad weather, snow, dirt roads...

fit fills out around town, economy and hauling stuff.. and does ok in bad weather snow (though awd like a subaru is better there)...

cube is too weird with no compensating qualities like handling or great mpgs...

jginnane

I might be cheating myself. Because every car review I've read in this econo sector gets to the last paragraph, and it always says something like, "...but not as sporty/economical/roomy as the Fit." Everybody loves them.

Well, a neighbor who I often disagree with has a first gen Fit. (I was talking about the Jazz for a year before it got here. Then when he grabbed one before me, I said nuh-uh. But that's not really a reason, and yes I've been looking at it for years now.)

BUT it still misses HIDs and leather, unless I do custom (probably would).

Much as I like the specs of the Mazda3 5-door hatchback, I get the sense this is more of a starter/single car, and the cargo area is only 17 cu ft. I'd almost sooner wait for them to reintroduce a Civic wagon.

I really hate to be bouncing around like a yoyo on this, but it's like Goldilocks in the three bear's house. Cube is weird, yes -- and if I could handle it, I've certainly driven the worst from Detroit, then it would be offbeat enough to maybe work. It's not the car you want to take to Chesapeake Bay for a crabfest (unless you're bringing home a couple gross live blue crabs.)

But the Fit promises to avoid all that "learning experience" crap I wasted a large part of the first 50 years suffering through.

Tomorrow I'm going to reboot and start thinking this through again. The Prius is nice -- it's a grownup car, instead of the Insight, but that almost makes me want to encourage Honda all the more.

Decisions, decisions!