Is Different Really Better?
No, it’s not a frog, it’s not even amphibious in the least; it’s a car. From Nissan. And it’s new. And it’s called a Compact Sport Crossover. And its name is JUKE.
Are you intrigued or do you feel a bit nauseous?
Trust me, I understand the feeling.
This past weekend I got behind the wheel of one of the strangest looking cars on the road today: the Nissan JUKE. It’s small, it’s weird and it’s pretty cool to drive.
Yes, oh faithful reader, I said it’s pretty cool to drive, and it is.
It might look like something out of a Star Wars movie, but if you can look past the quad-light front and into the hood, you’d spot a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. Yup, a turbo.
Of course a turbo doesn’t immediately make a car amazing, but it does make a car more fun to drive. Undoubtedly, there’s some serious torque-steer thanks to the FWD, but that doesn’t mean you won’t want to push the JUKE just a bit whenever you can.
Add to that spunky little engine a MINI-esque interior that’s got almost as much attitude as the exterior look and this little number is sure to attract young and eccentric buyers across the nation.
Kudos to Nissan for releasing a car as unique and “out there” as the JUKE.
When Chevrolet first introduced the public to the Volt it shocked and awed. It looked incredible, futuristic and fantastic. As the years passed and the concept slowly became mundane, we were finally introduced to the production Volt that now looks strangely like a Malibu. That’s safe. That’s mundane. That’s not taking a chance.
Nissan has taken a serious chance with the JUKE. This little number is going to turn heads and it’s going to cause adverse reactions and comments as often as it evokes smiles and nods of approval. If nothing else it’s going to garner attention, which is more than some new models on the road today can even hope for.
Car manufacturers need to take a risk. The JUKE should be an example of where the car industry needs to go. It’s not the most perfect car on the road today — far from it — but it’s different. It’s not just another box on wheels. It has appeal, it has a personality and it sparks opinions and conversations. Does your Honda Civic do that?
Drive on,
– M.
drivingmsmiranda
Driving MsMiranda's Blog 
great blog today! i like it- you must get a lot of looks in that car! 🙂
Merci merci my dear! 🙂 It did get a lot of looks. I returned it yesterday morning, but the weekend was interesting with that in the driveway! We had a lot of neighbours stopping to get a better look at it too.
I’ve upgraded to a bright, orange MINI Cooper S for this week though. 😉
Drive on,
– M.
Nice article Miranda! My boyfriend isn’t a fan of the car’s shape, but it’s not like I expected him to be excited… Orange is his favourite color, I may have more luck with the Mini! Have a nice afternoon 🙂
Yay Eliane!
Love your blog, by the way. 🙂
Aw, I’m sorry he doesn’t dig the shape … it’s definitely not for everyone. But keep that MINI dream alive!
Drive on,
– M.
one can argue that it can go both ways
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