2011 Nissan Juke Review
The Nissan Juke is part SUV, but its main competitors are affordable small cars. Choose the Volkswagen GTI if you want better performance, more cargo room and classy exterior styling. Choose the Cooper if you want a car with a unique exterior, but think the Juke looks over the top. With a $17,965 base price, it’s cheaper than the Nissan Juke, GTI and Cooper.
The Nissan Juke also competes against the Scion xB, Kia Soul and Nissan Cube, three box cars that have unique exteriors, adequate performance and decent fuel economy. While the Juke isn’t the most practical on the market, it does offer one very practical feature: all wheel drive.
The Nissan Juke is a new model for 2011.Under the skin, the 2011 Nissan Juke packs a few surprises. The Juke also boasts a sport-tuned suspension, quick steering and an available torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system that combine to provide entertaining handling.
The Juke's underlying structure is related to Nissan's other small cars, the Nissan Cube and Nissan Versa. Young drivers (or young at heart) should find a lot to like in the 2011 Nissan Juke.
The 2011 Nissan Juke is a four-door hatchback available in three trim levels: base S, well-equipped SV and leather-lined SL.
The SV adds a sunroof, rear privacy glass, keyless ignition/entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, upgraded upholstery, satellite radio, automatic climate control and the Integrated Control (I-Con) system. The SV can be had with those options as well as a Navigation package (navigation system plus the upgraded audio system). The SL likewise offers the Sport, Chrome and Interior Illumination packages.
Every 2011 Nissan Juke is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 engine that sends 188 hp and 177 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. In Edmunds testing, a front-wheel-drive Juke with the CVT went from zero to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, an impressively quick time for this class of car. The Juke's standard safety equipment includes antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, active front head restraints, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the Juke stopped from 60 mph in 123 feet, an average distance for a small car.
The all-new 2011 Nissan Juke is as fun to drive as any other small, sporty car in the market. The Juke isn't for everybody. Actually, it's not for anyone with kids in rear-facing car seats, which just don't fit in the backseat. All-wheel drive, which is tough to find on smaller vehicles, is available on the Juke.
My test car, a top-of-the-line Juke SL with all-wheel drive, cost $25,860. The Nissan Juke has a 188-horsepower, turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. On the SV and SL trims with front-wheel drive, a manual transmission is standard. Front-wheel drive is standard on the Juke, and all-wheel drive is optional. The all-wheel-drive Juke gets an EPA-estimated 25/30 mpg city/highway. The front-wheel-drive Juke with a CVT gets 27/32 mpg; with a manual transmission, it gets 24/31 mpg. The Nissan Juke uses premium fuel.