New cars: 2011 Nissan Juke

Los Angeles Times

The Juke is a quirky but endearing five-door vehicle designed “for individualists who don’t want to sacrifice fun just because they’re pinching pennies.” Besides an entry-level price tag, this so-called sport cross features such performance extras as driver-selectable performance modes and “advanced torque vectoring”—which ensures power gets shared as needed among all four wheels. While you shouldn’t take this scooter off-road, it’s a “Glee-fully peppy” alternative to most cars in its class.

Edmunds.com

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Some critics have said the Juke looks like a “bionic frog,” but a test drive “will have you seeing the inner beauty of this feisty little hatchback.” An “energetic” 1.6 -liter turbocharged engine cranks out 188 hp, making it “one of the quickest small cars around.” “Hard plastics abound” in the interior, but good storage space and the “well-shaped” seats are pluses.

Car and Driver

The Juke manages to prove that “weird is all right.” Smart technology pops up everywhere, from the “shrunken-down” engine to climate-control buttons that “magically switch to vehicle-dynamic controls.” Solid fuel economy (estimated at 24 mpg city/31 highway) suffers somewhat in Sport mode, but we found that mode “addictive.” This Nissan’s not perfect, but it’s fun, clever, and roomy. “If the Juke is a preview of the future, we’re okay with it.”