Home » The Nissan Juke Was The Antidote To The Boring Crossover And We All Ignored It

The Nissan Juke Was The Antidote To The Boring Crossover And We All Ignored It

Redeem Juke 2
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There’s a meme that’s been circulating the Internet for as long as I can remember. It shows a bunch of SUVs and crossovers all edited to be flat white, edited to appear the same size, and edited to have blank wheels. The meme, which we’ve written about, is usually followed with some commentary about how every crossover looks the same and boring. The antidote has existed for a while, but we collectively ignored it. The Nissan Juke was a total weirdo and the automotive industry needs more vehicles like it.

While that meme has been exaggerated to the point of being arguably inaccurate, it’s hard to deny that at least some automakers aren’t having the kind of fun they used to have less than 20 years ago. Manual transmissions are fighting for their lives, convertibles are an endangered species, and we probably shouldn’t talk about sedans and small work vans. Look no further than what Volkswagen has become. This was a company that was once willing to sell you a hot hatch with a narrow-angle VR6 or a sleeper off-road SUV. Now it wants to sell you a chunky Atlas with a 2-liter four that isn’t worth writing home about.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

The subject of the Nissan Juke has entered my brain again thanks to Regular Car Reviews.

“Mr. Regular” Brian was harsh to the Juke and in ways it did earn it, but I’m left feeling that eventually, we’ll come to miss cars like these. Sure, the Juke was ugly to most and it didn’t really do anything Generic Crossover #3 couldn’t do, but unlike so many crossovers today it’s something you’ll remember, which I’m afraid I can’t say about how well its replacement, the Kicks, is holding up in my memory banks.

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Our Jason Torchinsky has been spending an inordinate amount of time defending the vehicles contained in Craig Cheetham’s book, The World’s Worst Cars. Thankfully, the Nissan Juke is not in that book, but the obvious reason is that the book was published in 2005 while the first Jukes rolled off of the line in 2010. But we’d like to think that had that book been written today, Cheetham would have had some choice words for Nissan’s funky crossover. Regardless, plenty of people still hate the Juke even though sales officially ended in America 7 years ago. I’m going to do my best to redeem it!

Individuality Times 1.5 Million

Nissan Juke 2010 Images 9

The Nissan Juke was one of those experiments where an automaker decided to take a bet on being ridiculous. Sure, Nissan could just keep building the same thing and continue ringing the cash register. But, occasionally, automakers like the idea of a car that a buyers will think is as unique as they are. Our resident car designer, Adrian, explains the origins of the Juke:

Previewed by the Qazana concept that debuted at the 2009 Geneva motor show, it was the second Nissan designed and engineered entirely in the UK after the Qashqai (closely related to the Rogue/Rogue Sport available in the US). The Qashqai had been a final throw of the dice for Nissan Motor UK (NMUK) after years of pissing yen down the plug hole. CEO in a suitcase Carlos Ghosn had instituted a brutal cost cutting regime across the whole of Nissan globally and told NMUK to get its shit together or else. Gambling that customers would pay a little extra for a chunkier, roomier and higher riding Golf-sized car the rather inoffensive looking Qashqai practically invented the crossover. Not for nothing was it nicknamed the Cash Cow by the UK motoring media.

Relaxing in a swimming pool full of money, NMUK wanted to do the same thing again for the next class down – Euro B (US subcompact). Nissan Design Europe (along with MG the only OEM design studio in London) came up with the design tautology of combining a beach buggy with a four wheeled motorbike. The Qazana previewed a stubby, wheel-at-each-corner stance coupled with a coupe sloping roof and large wheel arch haunches, and a bug eyed split lighting arrangement that placed the DRLs and indicators on the hood, with the main headlights lower down either side of the grill.

Nissan Juke 2009 Photos 2

Adrian goes on to note that Matthew Weaver, then Senior Exterior Designer of Nissan Design Europe, said:

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Throughout the JUKE design process, using different sources of inspiration was key. I was on the train one day and remembered seeing a young man in a flat cap with a diamond skull on it, a bright t-shirt, a pinstripe jacket and trainers. It was an eclectic mix, but I thought: if people don’t have to conform, why should cars? Different is good, it stands out. That is exactly what we wanted to achieve with JUKE.

So, the big deal with the Juke was that it was different on purpose. Like a WhistlinDiesel video, the Juke is designed to elicit a response from you, regardless it’s that of disgust or awe. If you look close enough at a Juke you’ll see taillights that look like they were adapted from the 370Z, the sort of big wheels pushed as far out as they could be like a motorcycle, a sports car roofline, some vintage rally car-inspired headlights, and a crossover trying to bulge out of it all at the same time.

Pictures Nissan Juke 2009 1

According to Nissan from Car Body Design, all of that is intentional. Nissan even says there’s some Cube in the Juke, but after squinting until it hurt I still don’t see it.

As Car Magazine UK wrote in 2009, the Juke also served a practical purpose. This tall, funky crossover was supposed to carry the small car torch from the Nissan Micra. Its manufacturing at Nissan Motor UK was also slated to keep 1,100 jobs around, too.

2017 Nissan Juke Red Interior Ac

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The Nissan Juke’s out-of-the-box design continued inside, where designers implemented a mix of sports car touches and tied them together with a center console that looked a bit like the fuel tank of a sport bike. Even the controls and the Integrated Control System graphical display on the center stack were just a bit weird.

2017 Nissan Juke Technology I Co

Then there’s just the completely random stuff, like how the door armrests are supposed to resemble a SCUBA diver’s flippers. If you had any doubts about the Juke’s attempt to reference active lifestyles, the graphical display even had a G-force chart like a video game.

The same cannot be said for the rest of the vehicle underneath. The Juke rides on the Renault Nissan Alliance B platform, which underpins an impressive number of vehicles from the Nissan Cube and the Renault Clio to the Nissan Versa Note and the NV200 van. That meant MacPherson struts up front, a torsion beam in the rear for FWD models, and a multi-link rear setup for AWD Jukes.

2017 Nissan Juke Nismo Pearl Whi

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Out of the gate, the Juke got a 1.6-liter turbo four good for 188 HP and 177 lb-ft of torque. Buyers had a choice of backing that engine with a CVT or a six-speed manual. Later, Nissan added the Nismo to the Juke lineup, which added a body kit, sport suspension, wheels, and race-inspired seats. Then there was the Nismo RS, which pumped the power up to 215 HP and 210 lb-ft of torque.

At its fastest, the Nismo RS hits 60 mph in the mid-6 second range, which is about a second faster than the base engine tune depending on who is behind the wheel. Those aren’t bad numbers for a crossover!

Liked By Reviewers, Hated By Everyone Else

2017 Nissan Juke Gun Metallic Wi

Edmunds was clear and concise with its review, effectively stating that you trade some practicality for style:

Much like a teenager sporting piercings and multicolored, spiked hair, the 2015 Nissan Juke seemingly shouts “Look at me!” Though its styling may be controversial, there’s no denying that this compact crossover looks like nothing else in the small car segment. Plus, with its new Color Studio program for 2015, you can give it the automotive equivalent of multicolored, spiked hair — be it yellow mirrors and door handles on a red Juke, or blue wheels on a purple one. Indeed, it’s this unique degree of customization and personality that differentiates the Juke from other small crossovers and hatchbacks.

Under the skin, you’ll find a little runabout with a fun-to-drive personality to match its visual flamboyance. Most cars in this price range can be rather humdrum, but not the Juke. Boasting standard turbocharged power and a sport-tuned suspension, this Nissan provides a responsive and engaging drive. Furthermore, all-wheel drive is available, a rarity among small hatchbacks and a boon to those who live in inclement areas of the country. On the downside, though, rear passenger and cargo space are cramped compared with what’s provided by somewhat larger, more conventionally styled crossovers.

If interior space is a priority, you might consider a more sensible hatchback or crossover, such as a 2015 Mazda 3 or 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The 2015 Kia Soul has some personality to it, and it’s also more practical than the Juke. You can’t get it with all-wheel drive, however. If having AWD is important, it may be worth checking the wave of subcompact SUVs hitting dealers in 2015, including the 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2016 Honda HR-V, 2016 Fiat 500X and 2016 Mazda CX-3. But overall we recommend the Juke if you’re looking for a small hatchback or crossover with sporting credentials.

2017 Nissan Juke Sl Interior Bla

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Autocar put out a detailed review that knocked the Juke for numb steering, lack of space, and poor interior quality, but suggests that Nissan still stuck the landing:

So, do all the disparate design influences gel into a complete car? They do, to a surprising degree. Driving the Nissan Juke is always fun, partly to gauge reaction from the rest of the world, mostly because it really does drive as its looks suggest it should. To make a tall car handle with such verve without totally annihilating the ride is an impressive achievement, so you don’t have to suffer much for your high vantage point and your SUV-meets-coupé-meets-motorcycle vibes.

This isn’t a particularly practical car, but that’s not what the Juke is about. Rear accommodation is passable, but the ride worsens for rear passengers and the tightening window line makes it bleak in the back. The boot isn’t especially large, either. However, the sense of fun is heightened by a stylish interior that’s very different to anything else out there. It’s well appointed, too, which adds to the sense of value the Juke gives you.

Is the Juke for us? We found ourselves liking the car a lot. Interior plastics and numb steering count against it, but on the other hand it is good value for money and will be cheap to run. Best of all, it’s good to see a volume car maker daring to be different and making it work.

Nissan Juke 2010 Images 3

It appears most reviews agreed that the Juke sacrificed space and some comfort for its looks, but was generally a fun drive. Also, whether you liked the looks or not, the Juke was a distinctive vehicle. At least initially, this wasn’t some boring car that you would lose in a car park.

As Driven to Write noted, Nissan hoped the Juke was a return of its famous Pike Factory cars, the Figaro, Pao, and S-Cargo. These were delightfully odd cars that remain beloved by fans of our very own Jason Torchinsky even decades after they were built. Well, it sure seemed as though Nissan hit a Grand Slam because Juke production lasted about a decade, during which time Nissan moved over 1.5 million units. Yes, the irony of a car marketed around uniqueness selling so many units isn’t lost on me.

Images Nissan Juke 2010 13

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Yet, people still really hate these cars. Even some commenters on Adrian’s review of the new Juke got actively angry just because the Juke exists. Mr. Regular up there seems to dislike the Juke because he thinks it’s the ugly and impractical crossover for the dad who wants to feel cool and young again. The commenters of RCR’s videos seem to suggest you can’t be a car person and like a Juke. A number of our readers seem to suggest that the Juke is for non-car people. Both types of commenters make me wonder what happens if a car person happens to like the Juke.

Still, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t Nissan’s mission to make a class-leading crossover. It’s a styling and marketing exercise first, crossover second. In a way, it’s intentionally daft like the Smart Crossblade, but somehow, Nissan convinced over a million people to step up to the plate to buy one.

Pictures Nissan Juke 2010 7

If you wanted the best crossover for carrying groceries, a Honda CR-V was readily available at the dealership right down the street. The Juke was for the kind of buyer who wanted some of the benefits of a crossover but still wanted something they’d turn around and look at while walking away. The Juke was for the kind of person who today might complain about how boring cars have gotten. Sure, the Juke is not really attractive, but it isn’t boring.

Nissan reportedly expected a Juke buyer to move up from their sporty crossover and into a 370Z, not a bigger crossover. The automaker was so proud of how polarizing the original Juke was that it considered making the next one even more polarizing.

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Nissan Juke 2011 Pictures 1

Perhaps the best example of how the Juke wasn’t supposed to be taken super seriously is just how silly it got. The absolutely absurd Nissan Juke-R started off as an off-the-books project by Nissan employees and RML Group where some clearly mad engineers crammed the Nissan GT-R’s 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 into the Juke, turning it into a monster with the taps turned up to 485 HP. Oh, and then Nissan built a 600 HP sequel because there’s no such thing as a Juke that’s too ridiculous. Nissan then sold three examples to wealthy customers, so it wasn’t even just an engineering showcase.

[Editor’s Note: I drove one of these once! It was bonkers, just bonkers. And all the ECUs still thought they were a GT-R so it was always confused. – JT]

I suppose part of the Juke’s reputation is Nissan’s own reputation. Nissan CVTs don’t have a great track record and the automaker pinched so many pennies that multiple reviews talked about cheap interiors. Nissan also set the expectation that the Juke would be a bit of a sports car, and it’s debatable how close Nissan came to hitting the mark.

Keep Cars Weird

2017 Nissan Juke Nismo Pearl Whi (1)

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Unfortunately, while the Juke did sell over 1.5 million units over its first generation, America really dragged the crossover down. As Automotive News reported in 2018, the Juke was one of Nissan’s best-selling cars in Europe in 2017 with 95,000 units sold. However, sales in the United States stalled out with just 10,157 units sold over the same timeframe, a number that was down 48 percent from 2016. The Juke’s controversial looks and space compromises were cited as causes, something that apparently didn’t bother European buyers that much.

Yet as Driven to Write notes, the Juke was such a runaway success on the global market that other automakers tried to make their own interpretations. Remember the original Hyundai Kona, the Toyota C-HR, and the Volkswagen T-Roc? Sorry America, we didn’t get that last one. The publication points out that the compact crossover segment is sizzling right now and at least to some extent, today’s cars have the Juke to thank for that.

So, Nissan pulled the plug on the U.S. market Juke after 2017, meaning we didn’t even get the car for its full run. We didn’t get the second-generation, either. Instead, we got the Kicks, a perfectly cromulent crossover, but with none of the pop of the Juke.

I think as a whole, oddities like the Juke are something we need more of today. Again, I won’t call the Juke pretty, but I don’t think it deserves the hate. But, like the Pontiac Aztek, Smart Fortwo, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen New Beetle, and Chrysler PT Cruiser, it seems to get people all hot and bothered. I suppose I’ll never understand getting physically angry that a vehicle exists, but the soup cans, eggs, keys, paintball splats, and bullet taken by my 2012 Smart Fortwo suggest there is a such thing as “too weird.”

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Automakers should take chances, have a little fun, and stand out in the crowd from time to time. Just look at the Tesla Cybertruck. Everyone has an opinion on the Cybertruck and it’s just never leaving the news cycle. Of course, I’m not saying automakers should copy Elon’s playbook, but sometimes it’s okay to think outside of the box instead of just building another box.

For all of what made the original Juke perhaps too weird, I’m happy it existed. Perhaps 20 years from now I’ll tell a teenager about the time when Nissan tried to combine car and motorcycle design into some bizarre thing that looked like a frog. They’ll ignore me as they remain focused on whatever holographic displays will be around then, but at least I’ll tell that story with a smile.

(Images: Nissan)

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Along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker
Along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker
1 month ago

I was never going to buy a Juke, but what really turned me off to it at the time was the advertising. In particular there was one where some middle manager who very much looked like the fail son who was installed above me at my soon-to-be-former employer running around in a panic because “the intern forgot the donuts” or some other bullshit thing. The guy I briefly worked for was sans clue and had a very punchable face, and way his doppelganger in the ad said “the intern” was so dehumanizing.

Marketing fail, Nissan.

Grey alien in a beige sedan
Grey alien in a beige sedan
1 month ago

What killed the Juke? Unreliable and rubber bandy CVT coupled with a horrible wheezy engine and a very un-Japanese like build quality.

Its replacement the Kicks is a speedrun throughout the meh kingdom further following up in the lineage of mediocrity.

Even the Nismo Juke-R missed the mark because they didn’t make enough of them – this should have been the base model for Glob’s sake.

Taargus Taargus
Taargus Taargus
1 month ago

I’ve always liked the Juke. It’s the only attainable, interesting car that Nissan has given us in modern times. Yeah the CVT sucked and bricked a number of these, but you could get one with a stick (and they actually existed). I drove one quite a bit when my uncle owned one. For them at least, it was reliable, quirky, fun, and plenty useful. The backseat was cramped and the cargo area small, but this wasn’t meant to be a large family car. The only real negative is that it absolutely guzzled gas. Super thirsty thing.

I think offering T-tops or some other sort of removable roof panel would have brought this thing to the next level of “crossover, but actually kind of fun”. As for the looks, yeah I get why many people find it ugly. But I think most people are just being whiny buttheads about how offensive they think it looks. And those same reactions are why automakers don’t even bother to try anymore, and why damn near everything looks the same. I’d much rather have the Juke back than the recently released 2nd gen Kicks, which has approximately zero personality.

J R
J R
1 month ago

I had one for 5 years. Sold my Saab 9-3 and wanted something equally different, hatchback, turbo. Looks are subjective, but I always thought it looked purposeful in all black. Loved it for the most part. It handled well, the turbo was fun, and the AWD was unstoppable in snow with good tires. The only bad I can mention- the turbo started to whine around 70k. The initial recall to replace plastic timing guides. The CVT needs maintenance as mentioned; I changed my fluid around 45k as I started making noise. The dealer didn’t want to do it, but I insisted and lo and behold, it ran quiet afterwards.

Musicman27
Musicman27
1 month ago

It was hated because of those freakin headlights if you ask me.

Last edited 1 month ago by Musicman27
Captain Muppet
Captain Muppet
1 month ago

I can see 2 Jukes out of my home office window. I don’t want one myself, but I like that some of my neighbours have weird cars.

My mother-in-law has a Nismo RS, and she loves it. I drive it a lot, and it’s way more fun than it needs to be.

Bassracerx
Bassracerx
1 month ago

the juke was too much of a car for a specific kind of person. it was affordable but the lack of space and poor mpg meant you were buying it for the ride height or you were buying it for the styling alone.

it catered to the enthusiast but lack of awd with the manual was kind of weird… who wants to drive an enthusiast crossover if its only 2wd??

good car in a vacuum but compared to all of the other options there were just better cars for the money.

BobWellington
BobWellington
1 month ago

The only problem I have with them is that they’re so ugly I want to scoop my eyes out with a rusty spoon.

StupidAmericanPig
StupidAmericanPig
1 month ago

I dislike the Juke. The Juke with the GT-R engine and hardware to handle that power is amazing. Boring white crossovers are boring. I don’t like those either. I didn’t really like the WK2 Grand Cherokee but I liked the SRT version so that’s what I got. I want the standard version turned up a few notches.

Goblin
Goblin
1 month ago

The essential sin of the Juke-R was that each one of them requred two GTRs to be cut and spliced, the legend goes.

DURREL BROWN
DURREL BROWN
1 month ago

I had a 2013 until I got wrecked last year and the car flipped. I loved that car, had good power(sport mode was always fun) more room than one would think from the outside, I liked the styling (wife hated it) it served us well even after our daughter was born.

That said it wasn’t until the daughter that I wished for just a bit more cargo space as we could no longer just put the seat down to extend space. It still worked but it could get a little cramped at times.

The redesign that Europe got after it was discontinued here made me jealous. The Kick that replaced it was a watered down version that some weird halfway point between unique styling and a bleh crossover.

Yngve
Yngve
1 month ago

I had a 2011 for about four years. In paper, it was the perfect vehicle for me – unique styling, small turbo engine, and all wheel drive (with active rear torque distribution).

The reality however was that it was thirsty AF (I averaged 17 mpg during a 200 mile trip into a moderate headwind; my 2015 Ram with a hemi usually does 18 mpg over the same stretch), and the CVT has a shelf life of <100,000 miles even with regular dealer service.

I was glad to have owned it, and just as glad to be rid of it.

DURREL BROWN
DURREL BROWN
1 month ago
Reply to  Yngve

How did you only manage that much? I had a 2013 up until last year when I got hit and the car flipped. I never saw anything less than 25, and I pretty much had to drive like an idiot in town to achieve that.

Yngve
Yngve
1 month ago
Reply to  DURREL BROWN

I chalk it up to living in the mountains. My daily commute included a trip down/up a 3000′ mountain pass. With AWD on, I never saw better than a 20 MPG average.

The trip that I referenced above is on interstate highway with an 80 MPH speed limit, fairly consistent winds out of the south, and crests 3 passes over 6000′.

That little turbo produced decent power, but the weight of the car and poor aerodynamics meant that you were well into the boost any time the road pointed up or you were driving with pace.

StillNotATony
StillNotATony
1 month ago

I unironically LOVE the Juke. I almost bought a stick version used, but couldn’t find one at the time in anything but black or silver.

Alas….

Horizontally Opposed
Horizontally Opposed
1 month ago

People hated it because it’s weird looking, really impractical and really boring to drive in the base trims. I spent a week with a rental and the kids dreaded the rear seats – you couldn’t see anything out if you’re stuffed there. Small and odd shaped trunk etc. It’s definitely the offspring of an Aztek with a 1974 Super Beetle, without any of the parents’ charm or practicality. I can’t help thinking the Aztek was the dad and the Beetle was the mom.

Last edited 1 month ago by Horizontally Opposed
Jonathan Hendry
Jonathan Hendry
1 month ago

The Juke always reminded me a bit of the buggy vehicle from Battle of the Planets.

https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/charstarbuggy.jpg

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
1 month ago

The JUKE makes me want to PUKE.
This vehicle sucks and is ugly as hell. I’d rather have an AZTEK

Is Travis
Is Travis
1 month ago

My Mom had one of these after an Audi TT that was a nightmare on upkeep, and she loved it. I thought it was perfectly fine, actually fun to drive, great in the snow, OKish on gas, and was interesting. I give a lot of credit to interesting. It was also dead reliable, and made me learn how to not hate a CVT. Sure, it had some turbo lag, but once that thing started to boogie you were breaking the law in no time flat.
The thing was just too cramped inside for adults in the back, ala the current coupe SUV craze.
Great article, and they were oddly hated fun little cars for the decade. I will always have a soft spot, wish I had a chance to drive a manual one.

Last edited 1 month ago by Is Travis
Jonathan Hendry
Jonathan Hendry
1 month ago
Reply to  Is Travis

The thing was just too cramped inside for adults in the back”

Yeah, I haven’t put the back seats up since, like, 2013. Which, in my case, suits me fine 99.9% of the time. It’s also a great excuse for not being the car that drives a bunch of people somewhere.

Griz
Griz
1 month ago

Drove the JukeR in Newport Beach working a month-long Nissan media event about 10 years ago. At the time it was the most expensive and most insane thing I’d ever driven.

Also met Torch at that event! We drove around the track in one of the Kei cars (of course) they brought in for the event. I can report he is exactly how you’d expect him to be in person 🙂 Very nice guy.

Fuzzyweis
Fuzzyweis
1 month ago

The Juke’s base level styling makes it a springboard for even more ridiculous things, I remember when the movie The Day After Tomorrow came out and at one point in the movie they say let’s take the “Snow Cat”, and I’m like oh this is gonna be some cool juiced up snowmobile thing, no…no it was just an obligatory product placement half ton pickup, and the movie came out years before the Juke. But after the Juke came out, they made the Juke Nismo Snow with Arctic Tracks, and I’m like THAT, THAT is what my brain would have matched to ‘Snow Cat’!

Cars like this and the Isuzu Vehicross and Suzuki X-90 and the Cybertruck all add to the variety of life, and more chances should be taken, especially in the cheaper end of the spectrum.

Also prior to this car makes were doing the retro thing, the New Beetle, PT Cruiser, HHR, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, and boxes like the Scion xB, Cube, Element. I think Nissan saw the crossover movement happening and thought this would be the next thing, everybody having radical crossovers instead of just looking all the same, kind of sad that didn’t happen.

Lotsofchops
Lotsofchops
1 month ago

Even if you find it ugly (I disagree but I can understand), you should’ve been happy they existed. Enthusiasts say they get tired of the homogenity of car design, then scorn things that are different. And every time an automaker tries something bold and it fails, it makes it that much harder to convince management to gamble on something bold.

*NOTE: none of this applies to the Cybertruck but that’s more about the company making it than the design in isolation

Shooting Brake
Shooting Brake
2 months ago

I love the Juke unapologetically. It’s a fun and different car, the opposite of all the crossovers that enthusiasts say they hate, and yet they complain endlessly about it. If you don’t like the styling fine, but why are we offended by someone else’s cars looks, how thin skinned do you have be for that? If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. I think it looks like something the alien Covenant from Halo would build. It’s not pretty sure but it’s fun. Also, it was right good fun to drive, the standard engine was a peppy little turbo instead of some boring 1.whatever that makes who cares horsepower like almost all the subcompact crossover today (and when it launched). I’ll admit the CVT is unforgivable unreliable and the trunk is too small, but you could get it with a stick even in base form on launch! I test drove a Nismo RS manual back when new and had a blast in it. Couldn’t afford a new car at the time though. Sadly it is banned from SCCA autocross along with the Mini Countryman which is why I never wound up with one (even though the Fiesta ST and 500 Abarth are similarly tippy but allowed). More fun to drive and uniquely styled crossovers please! Since we have to have crossovers anyway, haha.

Jatco Xtronic CVT
Jatco Xtronic CVT
2 months ago

I suppose I got my wish!:
https://www.theautopian.com/were-the-autopian-lets-talk/comment-page-4/#comment-463215

Although, there is worringly little mention of the advanced transmission that made this car truly the best in its segment. I’m sure the readers deserve to know that this car was available with the Jatco Xtronic CVT, which is probably one of its main selling points. A transmission with set speeds? Why, when you can have infinite ratios, buttery smooth power delivery, and better fuel economy?

WaCkO
WaCkO
2 months ago

I would have bought one back in 2010 if they would have made an awd manual. It was so on my radar at the time. I ended up buying a awd 6 speed manual Suzuki SX4 .
I do remember a younger Oppo who had a manual juke red just like the pic of the article’s thumbnail

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
2 months ago

All that effort could have been put into a cool little econo-sport hatchback – like the Veloster.
But no – Had to make it a jacked up SUV-ish thing with a terrible transmission and useless interior.
There is nothing redeeming about the Juke.

Last edited 2 months ago by Urban Runabout
Jonathan Hendry
Jonathan Hendry
1 month ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

It may be jacked up a little but without attempting any pretensions of ever hitting a trail. It knows what it is. It’ll clear a bit of snow and ice that you didn’t feel like shoveling, not boulders.

Alexander Moore
Alexander Moore
1 month ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

All that effort could have been put into a cool little econo-sport hatchback – like the Veloster. But no – Had to make it a jacked up SUV-ish thing with a terrible transmission and useless interior.

No wonder the Juke sold approximately 750% better than the Veloster. (~1.5 mil global sales to ~200k)

LuzifersLicht
LuzifersLicht
2 months ago

I… kinda like the silver one with the yellow highlights.
Also is it me or have we not heard from Adrian in a bit? Hope he’s just busy and not sitting on the naughty step for calling some designer or other a fartswoggling nutguzzler or something like that

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 month ago
Reply to  LuzifersLicht

I’ve been away in Germany all week. There’s a reel I shot on the Autopian Instagram whilst here and there should be more coming.

LuzifersLicht
LuzifersLicht
1 month ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

Nice to hear, hope you had a good week. I haven’t been keeping up with the Autopian recently because my eyes had been already unhappy about getting way to much screen time at work. And apparently I started catching up right after your last article, so I was wondering where you had gone.

Amberturnsignalsarebetter
Amberturnsignalsarebetter
1 month ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

Let’s hope you didn’t call anyone in Germany a fartswogglingnutguzzler.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 month ago

Of course not. They’re a bunch of wurstwrangling mullettwearers.

LuzifersLicht
LuzifersLicht
1 month ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

As a German I can confirm that wurstwrangling is a common occurrence. I have never had a mullett in my life though.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 month ago
Reply to  LuzifersLicht

No one puts me on the naughty step. I decide who goes on the naughty step.

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