Comparo: 2011 Nissan Cube versus 2011 Scion xB

Compacts Squared

Which of these hip-to-be-square compact boxes-on-wheels nails the "cool" factor? By John LeBlanc There are all kinds of ways kids can revolt against their parents. Some even legal. Like buying a Nissan Cube or Scion xB, two new cars that embody few of the qualities their respectively-targeted buyers’ parents would dig. Granted, both the Cube and xB are virtual mechanical clones of their donour cars, the Nissan Versa and the Toyota Corolla/Matrix. Yet both offer distinctive looks inside and out to attract the so-called “youth” buyer. And while Nissan and Scion dealers will take money from buyers who are closer to being asked for their seniors’ discount cars than getting carded in an after hours dance bar, this pair of niche Japanese cult cars were designed for first-time urban new car buyers who are looking to drive something different. So one of these small boxes-on-wheels nails the hard-to-define “cool” factor. And, er, one doesn't:

SECOND PLACE: 2011 Scion xB

Toyota’s born-to-be-hip Scion brand is new too Canada for 2011. It’s hard to call the xB  “new”, though. This second-generation xB has been on sale south of the border since late 2007. Compared to the first-generation xB, this one is for grownups. It’s longer, wider, more powerful, and roomier than the last version. It betters the Cube in interior space—save for the extra headroom the Nissan offers. And the Toy-, er, Scion is quieter at speed. While the first xB seemed to be designed with a T-square and a ruler, the current model has had its right angles chamfered off. Inside, Scion designers have tried to distinguish the xB from a Matrix with a big flat dash design. There’s a standard auxiliary music jack and a port for running iPods through the base 160-watt Pioneer stereo. But like a Yaris, the Scion suffers from having its driver’s instrumentation not in front of the driver—doh! Starting at $18,270, the front-wheel-drive five-passenger xB comes with a generous list of no-extra-charge equipment, including, traction and stability control, ABS, a tire pressure monitoring system, air conditioning, and power door locks and power mirrors. Its standard mill is also larger than the Nissan’s. The Scion four-door hatchback’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder won’t set your hair on fire. But it betters the Nissan with 158 hp and 162 pound-feet of torque. And despite weighing more, the Scion ends up being about 1.5 seconds quicker from zero to 100 km/h at around 8.0 seconds. A five-speed manual is standard, while a four-speed autobox is $1,020. As hard as the Scion tries not to be like a fuddy-duddy Toyota, the driving experience is eerily familiar to a Matrix or a Corolla. The xB’s soft suspension setup delivers a comfortable ride, but at the expense of lots of body roll while cornering. Inherited from its Toyota parts bin, the xB’s steering is remote and lacks verve. For an urban car, it certainly lacks the tossability the smaller, lighter and more nimble Nissan offers. If you’re the type of buyer who makes their decisions based on specifications sheets alone, pick the xB over the Cube. Compared to the Nissan, the Scion is larger, more expensive, and—oops!—more mainstream. And that’s the Xb’s downfall. It’s really not that different from a Matrix—a great car for your mom when she needs to get her potting soil at the garden centre. BUY THIS CAR IF… you need lots of room in your funky urban box; want a relatively powerful engine; happy with non-offensive styling. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR IF … you need to make a non-conformist design statement; are looking for a nimble urban assault vehicle; you mind answering the question, “When do you have to get your Mom’s car back home?”

FIRST PLACE: 2011 Nissan Cube

Arriving in Canada for 2009, the third generation Cube is the first to be exported from Japan. Two years on, it’s asymmetrical styling and square proportions still make it stand out on Canadian roads. Based on the same Nissan-Renault global platform that underpins the new-for-2011 Nissan Juke compact crossover and the forthcoming all-new 2012 Versa sedan, the front-wheel-drive, five-passenger Cube scores points early against the xB with a lower starting price and better fuel economy. The base model Cube 1.8 S matches the xB in standard features, and adds automatic climate control. But the Nissan costs less, starting at $17,598. Whatever transmissions you pick, all Cubes are powered by the current Versa’s 1.8-ltre four-cylinder engine.  Needless to say, with only 122 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque, the Nissan is easily outmuscled by the more powerful Scion. But at least the Cube’s lower curb weight (1,270 kg versus the Scion’s 1,373) and one more gear in its manual gearbox (six instead of only five in the XB) allows the Cube to score better at the fuel pumps for cost-conscious first-time buyers: 8.1L/100 km in the city, and 6.6L on the highway. (Note the Cube’s $1,300 optional continuously variable automatic transmission sips even less gas, rated at 7.5L city and 6.3L highway, compared to the 9.5L and 7.2L, respectively, the Scion scores with its four-speed autobox.) Like the Scion, the Nissan is no sports compact from the driver’s seat. Yet with a class-leading 10.1 metre turning circle, tall seating position, near vertical pillars, plenty of glass and minimal overhangs, the Cube is a doddle to drive in tight city spaces. Urban parking and obstacle avoidance maneuvers (bicycle couriers and texting pedestrians, etc.) are much easier to accomplish in the Cube than the bigger and slower-to-react xB. Where the Cube pummels the xB is on the design side. Not only does its French bread van-inspired exterior scream “non-conformist”—from the circle-themed centre console design to the driver’s side cup holder to the wave patterned ceiling—the Nissan’s interior design looks more upscale and cohesive than the rather dated-looking Scion. While there’s slightly more room aft of the rear seats in the Cube than the xB (323 litres versus 310), its rear bench seat also reclines and slides back and forth. And like the opening to a bachelor pad beer fridge, the Cube’s back doors are hinged on the left side, rather than from the more conventionally top-hinged Scion. We know the Cube isn’t for everyone. That’s why Nissan offers its Versa. But like getting your hair dyed purple, it does a better job raising a middle finger to the rest of the world than the more mature Scion. BUY THIS CAR IF… you don’t want to pay a lot at the pumps; make your life easy in downtown parking; a car that your parents won’t understand. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR IF … you need a quiet ride; don’t want to be noticed.

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