2010 Nissan Cube

Critics say the Cube strives to be just as offbeat on the inside but with mixed results. Some like the concentric ripples (like a pebble dropped in a pond) molded into the headliner and speaker grilles, but nobody sees the point of the "dash topper," a disk of shag carpeting that Velcros atop the instrument panel and costs extra. Seats are couch-comfy, but more than one source judges the cabin materials subpar and the colors boring.

The Cube has a cushy ride like a luxury car, but testers say it's noisy and not sporty at all, unlike the rival 2010 Kia Soul (Base MSRP: $13,300 to $17,195), which Popular Mechanics says is a "canyon carver" by comparison. Overall, the Cube falls short of rival boxy wagons -- the Soul and 2010 Scion xB (Base MSRP: $15,850 to $18,320) -- in reviews. All three boast excellent passenger room and crash scores, but experts say the Soul performs better than the Cube, costs the least and offers the longest warranty of the group.

The front-wheel-drive Nissan Cube is powered by a 122-horsepower, 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine. Testers say the Cube's optional continuously variable transmission wrings out a decent amount of power. It's supposed to deliver an estimated 27 mpg city/31 mpg highway; three different real-world tests reach about 28 mpg overall. The standard six-speed manual transmission is estimated at 25 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Luggage space is tiny compared with the Kia Soul and Scion xB, at only 11.4 cubic feet behind the backseat. Maximum cargo space is comparable to those rivals, at 58.1 cubic feet. However, although the Cube's 60/40 split reclining rear seat folds, it doesn't  stow flat into the floor.

The base Cube 1.8 (Base MSRP: $13,990) comes nicely equipped for the price, experts say, with air conditioning, keyless entry, full power accessories, a CD stereo and auxiliary audio jack. The Cube 1.8 S (Base MSRP: $15,030) adds cruise control, Bluetooth and an iPod interface, among other things. The Cube 1.8 SL (Base MSRP: $17,130) adds automatic climate control, automatic headlights, fog lights, bigger 16-inch alloy wheels and the option to buy a package bundling a rearview camera, keyless ignition, satellite radio and upgraded stereo with USB audio port. The Cube 1.8 Krom (Base MSRP: $20,120) makes that package standard and dresses things up with sportier exterior and interior trim elements.

The 2010 Nissan Cube carries a three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Most tests -- including those at Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics and TheTruthAboutCars.com -- pit the Nissan Cube against the Scion xB and Kia Soul (usually using the 2009 Cube and xB, which haven't changed much for 2010). ConsumerReports.org and ConsumerGuide.com rate the Cube alongside most of its competitors, and Edmunds.com editors also thoroughly test the Cube and recommend specific cars they like better. The Wall Street Journal's test includes real-world fuel-economy data, and About.com's focuses on the Cube's family-friendliness. Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have crash tested the Cube.