The Cube manages to balance just about every attribute that consumers want in a vehicle. It’s roomy, gets good mpg in city and highway driving, and has exceptional ingress/egress. From a stylistic standpoint, its quirkiness draws plenty of oohs and aahs from riders and from observers cranking their neck to see it. In its second year of production, the Nissan Cube puts a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, and steering wheel audio buttons on the standard fare list on all but the base model. As with all Nissan vehicles, the seats are super comfortable—even on long trips. And a long trip isn’t a pick-and-choose equation between passengers and cargo as the Cube has plenty of stow space behind the rear seats that’s easily accessed via a swing-open rear door.

Powering the Cube is a 1.8-liter 4 cylinder that produces 122 horsepower and 127 pounds-feet of torque. That engine—the lone offering on base, S and SL versions—mates to either a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or 6-speed manual transmission. Cube’s ride and handling matches the vehicle’s profile. The independent MacPherson strut front suspension with stabilizer bar and the torsion beam rear axle with integrated stabilizer bar are highly suited to daily driving tasks. Cube’s cabin projects a cozy atmosphere and that feeling is embellished by the $230 interior designer package featuring a shag carpet dashboard topper. Cube 1.8 SL with CVT gets estimated mpg of 27 city and 31 highway and carries a MSRP of $17,130.