This Cube ain't No Square

"Master of my domain, queen of the castle, lord of the manor"-I just saw the classic Seinfeld "The Competition" episode on TV, which reminds me of my undergrad days at UCLA. Not the competition part, well, at least I'd like to think not. Back then I drove an '86 Nissan Sentra coupe that my dad gave me...I drove that everywhere, man. The Sentra had a 1.6 liter 4 banger which was a little underpowered for the car, which sat 5 and had a decent trunk. The 2009 Nissan Cube I drove last weekend also seats five and has an OK-sized luggage compartment, but the Cube definitely has something the Sentra didn't - character. It is powered by a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine matched to a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which gets it a MPG rating of 28 City and 30 Highway, and is actually very decent at powering the Cube off the line.

The tester Nissan Cube had the preferred package with the Remote Intelligent Key (no need to take the key out of pocket), push button ignition, leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, XM satellite radio, a detachable shag carpet on the dashboard, a 20-color interior accent lighting and illuminated kick plates. Illuminated kick plates! That's pretty awesome and unexpected for a small car like this. Interior materials were also unexpected in a small car, with small design touches throughout, like the water ripple ceiling, crazy-stitched seat covers, the "jacuzzi-like" design of the wrap-around dashboard and a countless number of cup holders. OK, OK, enough about all that, now onto the important stuff - the styling and design.

Exteriorus ===============

It's impossible to miss the Cube in a parking lot. First of all, for a small compact car, it is big. The roofline is higher than almost every single car out there, it's almost as tall as a Toyota Sienna. The Cube is also pretty wide for a small station wagon. It does have a short wheel base making it very easy to maneuver around town. The most striking feature on the exterior, is the asymmetric design. It's probably the only production car designed for the masses that has that. The windows on the right side of the car starts at the B pillar and wraps around the C pillar all the way to the back of the car. The left side of the car has a window on the rear door, but no window behind it like on the right side. It is very striking and you either love it or hate it. I also love the rear of the car, which juts out at the bottom with tail lights horizontally arranged at the bottom. The rest of the car is cute and is an evolution from the second-generation Cube which was only sold in Japan. The headlights are decent, though I like the ones on the last generation better. Overall the boxy design fits the name really well.

Interiorus==================

Who doesn't love the jacuzzi? Nissan designers claimed inspiration from a hot tub for the Cube's interior design. A curved contoured dashboard that wraps around from the driver door to the passenger door, coupled with the water ripple ceiling make the Cube look like a modern art piece on the inside. The juxtaposition of curves on the inside with the squarish styling on the outside makes the Cube very special indeed. There is so much SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE! The Cube is actually a pretty perfect car for a pimp. There is so much head room a pimp can easily fit inside with a ten-gallon hat. The huge windows also provide great visibility all around to keep an eye on your working girls. There is plenty of room for your cane as well. You can just chill inside the cavernous interior and pump up the 6 upgraded speakers and the sub woofer while counting your money.

The Last Word==================

Asymmetry rules! The Cube is definitely a standout in today's me-too car design world. Love it or hate it, the Cube makes a strong statement and you will not go unnoticed driving it around town. You gotta give it to the Japanese!

The 2009 Maxima is funky

I had a chance to test drive the 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV with all the bells and whistles a couple of weeks ago. It came with the Sport Package and the Premium Package which means it had nav, voice recognition, back-up camera, even the steering wheel's heated! But I digress, this blog is not about the performance or the features, it's all about the styling and design. So here we go.

First, the front end. I like how the Maxima is not so blah anymore. The pronounced rectangular grill is very distinct and I like how it's out in front of the headlights. I'm not sure about the high hood lines though. That brings us to the headlamps. I'm sorry but the swooshes are just weird. They look weird on the 370Z and they look weird on the Maxima. They just don't make sense. There's no rhyme or reason.

Now the tail end. I think this is the first Maxima that has a decent rear end. First of all I like how there are creases that break up a fairly large back end. Nissan designers actually modeled this in 3D this time. The corners are very nicely chistled and the wheel arches are nice and wide. I like the humps over the wheel arches. The high beltline carries nicely into the tail light units, which are harmless. But where are the corresponding swooshes to match those on the headlights?

This brings us to the profile, the weakest link on this Maxima. The greenhouse silhouette is fine but doesn't stand out at all. It's pretty much like every other sedan you see on the road now. Now to the wheels. The front axle is set simply too far back. It is almost aligned with the windshield. You know who else has proportions like these? All the GM sedans from the 1990s. Yeah, try the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. The wheels are not pushed out into the corners at all and the overhang is too long. For a self-proclaimed 4 Door Sports Car, the stance is too GM like. That's what you get for a front wheel drive car.

Conclusion >>> The new Maxima is a conundrum. Distinctive and cool from certain angles, but off. It is no G35, that's for sure.

2009 Nissan 370z is less than beautiful

I first encountered the 2009 Nissan Z or the 370z at the 2008 LA Auto Show a few weeks ago in November. It was rolled out on stage at Nissan’s press conference after the new 2009 Nissan Cube, a first for North America. The new Z is a shout back to the original 1969 240z, while the last 350z was a return to the 1987 300 ZX styling.

First, the good. The overall look and feel of the new 370z is more organic and dynamic, and the shorter wheelbase makes the car look sportier. I like the fact that the roofline droops down after the A pillar, giving it the new GT-R look as well as the original 240 Z look. Dig that. Might make you bump your head more getting in and out of the car but hey, it’s a low price to pay to look good. Also like the new GT-R-like grill opening on the front, it’s much more dramatic than the 350z’s.

Now, the bad. I don’t like the beltline of the new car. I know it droops down from the A pillar and curves back up after the B pillar to match that of the original 240z, but it’s just not done right. It doesn’t have the grace of the 240z and looks contrived. Looks like the designer sneezed while drawing the line and abruptly and awkwardly finished the line behind the door. And again, Nissan, please lose that horrendous vertical door handle. This one is no better.

Finally, the ugly. I just can’t get used to the weird headlights like the ones you see on the new Maxima, it’s just weird. Worse than the Maxima, the new Z’s tail lights also have the strange swoosh shape that for some reason just rubs me the wrong way. Kind of like wearing matching colors - a green hat and green shorts, which my wife informs me is a major fashion faux-pas.

In conclusion, I feel that the Nissan designers could have done much , much better with the new Z. C’mon, this is such a great car to work with. It has such a rich history with very distinctive designs, I think the designers just should’ve done better. Maybe they had, but the execs or Carlos overrode them. Sigh…The car does get the awesome 3.7 liter V6 from the Infiniti G37, however, but this blog is all about being 100% superficial and not about the underlying awesomeness of the mechanics or lack there of. Chang out.