Recall Alert: 143,223 Nissan and Infiniti Vehicles

Nissan has issued a recall for 143,223 vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicles include the 2009 Nissan Cube and Murano, the 2008 Nissan Rogue, the 2008-2010 Infiniti M35, and 2008-2010 Infiniti M45.

The recall is focused on certain vehicles from the 2008-2010 model years originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin.

These vehicles have a nut securing the sensor-transmitter of the tire pressure monitoring system that may corrode and possibly crack when exposed to road salt. The nut may fall out of the sensor-transmitter, which will cause the monitoring light to illuminate.

If the driver ignores the light and continues to drive the car in this condition, the tire could lose air pressure, resulting in a flat that could potentially cause an accident.

Nissan dealers will replace the TPMS nut with a “new, more robust nut” free of charge. Owners may contact Nissan at 800-647-7261, Infiniti at 800-662-6200 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Cars.com Compares Box-Cars

The Scion xB has recently seen the introduction of competition in a segment that didn’t even exist a few years ago. The 2010 Kia Soul and the 2009 Nissan Cube get stacked against the 2009 Scion, and Cars.com reviewers Bill Jackson, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder have the task of sorting out the winner. From blind spots to seating comfort, the guys go down the list to find the best econobox on the market.

Cars.comparison: The Box-Cars (Cars.com)

Nissan Cube Finds Middle-Age Fans

It turns out the Nissan Cube is kind of like the Twitter of cars.

Nissan’s cloying, occasionally cringe-inducing attempts to market its econobox, the Cube, to young buyers have instead landed fans in an older demographic. Maybe middle-age adults were drawn in by the marketing jargon: Don’t call the Cube a car, it’s a “mobile device,” and please don’t ask for accessories, just “set preferences.”

Maybe they just think it looks cool.

Either way, Nissan has found that the average Cube buyer is in his or her 40s; this is the case for all tall, boxy cars. Back in 2003, Honda marketed the Element as a “dorm room on wheels,” but it’s more likely Mom will be dropping you off in it.

Nissan calls this gap “expected,” and maybe it is. The average new car buyer is 56 years old, according to AutoPacific, a research firm for the auto industry. Young people frequently buy used vehicles the first time they make a car purchase. The same phenomenon also hit the Scion xB when it debuted as a youth-targeted wagon.

Nissan, Honda and Scion likely see their boxy cars as not just a young person’s car but as a way to get a foot in the door and establish brand loyalty by starting the car buyer on an affordable yet unique vehicle. The thinking is if they liked the Cube maybe someday they’ll come back for a look at the Altima.

Grown-ups Bask in Cubes’ Youthful Glow (USA Today)

2009|Nissan|Cube

Econobox Comparison Video

Although Scion was first on the scene with the xB, Kia and Nissan have introduced their own low-priced small, boxy cars, the Soul and the Cube, respectively. Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays has spent time in all three and rendered his verdict on each. If you’re in the market for an economy car, though, he suggests you might want to look elsewhere.

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Nissan Cube

Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays has spent a lot of time this summer in the econoboxes like the Scion xB and Kia Soul. Now he’s tackling the 2009 Nissan Cube, which gives him insight into which of these small, boxy cars is tops. While he does pick winners in this competition, he also asks a more important question: What’s to make a driver choose this style over more refined economy cars.

2009 Nissan Cube Review

2009 Nissan Cube Video

Standing beside the 2009 Nissan Cube, Cars.com reviewer Bill Jackson couldn’t help but notice how small the vehicle actually is. Small packages occasionally have a few surprises, though, and Jackson takes you through those surprises — both good and bad — in this video review of the Cube.

Nissan Cube Mileage Announced, On Sale Now

The Nissan Cube, which went on sale yesterday for a starting price of $13,990, will get an EPA-estimated 28/30 mpg city/highway with its continuously variable automatic transmission, Nissan spokesman Darryll Harrison said. With the base six-speed manual, mileage drops to 24/29 mpg. Firm mileage figures for the Cube had been hard to come by, with the only word from Nissan saying projected mileage would be “over 30 miles per gallon highway with the CVT” at the Cube’s unveiling last November.

It didn’t quite make that, and we doubt Nissan’s marketers will make a big deal out of 30 mpg on the highway, especially considering some small hatchbacks easily rack up mid-30s highway figures. The good news is that city figure, especially considering the Cube’s urban-runabout pretentions. Put it this way: If you drive mostly city miles, the Cube is the most fuel-efficient box on wheels. Now, if only Nissan could do something about that swing-out tailgate.

Mileage comparisons to the Scion xB and Kia Soul are below.

Weekend Athlete in Squaresville

A box is a handy thing to carry stuff in, and I’m all about carrying things in the car. The very square Nissan Cube and Kia Soul were recently on hand at the Chicago auto show, so it made sense for me to check them out after hearing so much about them from my coworkers.

Serving as a baseline for comparison is the Scion xB, because it was one of the first boxy little cars out there and it’s closer in size to the Soul and Cube than, say, the Honda Element.

The Cube toed the line first, and it stumbled out of the gate.

Nissan Cube Priced at $13,990

Nissan has priced its new boxy car, the Cube, at an affordable $13,990.

The Cube will be available in four trim levels when it goes on sale in May: base, S, SL and Krom. Every Cube comes with a 122-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder and a slew of safety features, including active head restraints, side-impact and side curtain airbags, electronic stability control and antilock brakes.

The base Cube comes with fairly routine amenities: power windows, locks and mirrors, keyless entry, air conditioning and 15-inch steel wheels. The base version is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. To get the continuously variable automatic, you have to upgrade to the S trim.

The S trim is priced at $14,690. For that price, you get body-colored mirrors, cruise control and upgraded interior upholstery. The CVT adds another $1,000.

The $16,790 SL trim comes standard with the CVT, 16-inch aluminum wheels, automatic headlamps, automatic climate control, iPod integration and an upgraded stereo system. The SL Preferred Package ($1,600) adds another layer of luxury: push-button start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, satellite radio and rear parking sensors.

The tricked-out Krom edition costs $19,360. That price premium brings bright chrome trim, unique 16-inch chrome wheels, checkered upholstery for the seats, ambient interior lighting and standard Bluetooth.

In addition, Cube customers are offered more than 40 accessories for customization.

The Cube enters a rather specific segment costing significantly less than the Scion xB ($15,750) but slightly more than the also-new Kia Soul, which starts out at $13,300 and can be equipped with a more powerful engine.

We initially awarded the Cube our top pick among the three but some, Suburban Dad included, think the Soul bests the Cube in most respects. It seems the battle of the boxes is on.

Kia Soul vs. Nissan Cube Video

The idea of a blocky subcompact was made popular by the Scion xB and Chrysler PT Cruiser. Now, the econobox category is growing larger with the addition of the new Kia Soul and Nissan Cube.

At the Chicago auto show, Suburban Dad Patrick Olsen got a chance to see the vehicles up close. Watch as he sizes up each vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses and makes a final verdict on which entry is best.