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2009 Nissan Cube S gets attention, disappoints

CNET Car Tech reviews the 2009 Nissan Cube S.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
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Wayne Cunningham


When the Nissan Cube appeared on our review schedule, we expected to be thrilled by the tech and bored by the performance. But the opposite happened--we found a car with plenty of get-up-and-go but devoid of cabin gadgets. The problem with our Cube was its trim level; the base and S trim models are blank slates, ready for aftermarket electronics. You have to go up to the SL trim to get anything like MP3 capability or Bluetooth.

Unfortunately, we review cars by trim level, so the only thing that mitigated the Cube S' disappointing entertainment and communication options were its sprightly acceleration and over-styled design. We've gotten fewer looks in cars costing more than 10 times the Cube's price.

Read our review of the 2009 Nissan Cube S.