2013 Nissan Juke NISMO Review

ChrisRac

Still not Italian
TCG Premium
Jan 31, 2008
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4,801
Gilbert, AZ
Real Name
I Think That’s Obvious
I think the Juke is right up there with the Pontiac Aztec as one of the ugliest cars ever made. But this... I just may have to think twice about that.

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The cab of the Juke NISMO was surprising to say the least. It had an overall sporty feel, with touches of elegance and for the price, it might be harder to find a more attractive interior. Nissan included NISMO sport bucket front seats with some heavy-duty bolsters for extra support around those sharp corners. Alcantara covers the steering wheel, while leather and Alcantara covers the gear selector to posh up the cab. The interior was insanely spacious for how small the vehicle looks on the outside. The seats are great for around town but as for long road trips I would suggest an alternative or a pillow.

The Navigation screen was touch operated or button operated, which was nice for those unwilling to cope with touchscreens. The screen itself wasn't too big, but not too small at 5 inches. Buttons on the console were a little confusing at first, but once mastered quite unique and usable as they each changed function with the press of a button. The gauge cluster was eye-pleasing with the tachometer in red and a speedometer in blue. On the gauge cluster engine readouts could be found, which included how must boost the engine was holding. We found this to be more for show rather than an exact measure. The sound system was very good for the vehicles price range -a Rockford Fosgate sound system.

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The power from a stand still was actually quite tremendous considering we had two adults and two teenagers in the vehicle. The Juke NISMO easily got up in a hurry and went quick enough to keep the driver from shifting before the rev limiter - this crossover will scream through gears pretty easily. Highway power was definitely there, but at the end of the day it’s still a 4-cylinder, albeit a turbocharged 4-cylinder. Handling is where the car truly showed its NISMO heritage, gripping the road with minimal body roll through tight and twisty roads and asking for more. When it came time to stop, braking power was adequate and nothing stellar.

Overall the Juke was comfortable for the first hour of our road trip, but after that you find yourself twisting and turning in the seats to get comfortable. Its a capable crossover, able to take on the roads thrown at it in quick and flat fashion (even with multiple passengers. There are not many crossovers on the market that will get you as much bang-for-the-buck as the 2013 Nissan Juke NISMO will.

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Yaj Yak

Gladys
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May 24, 2007
122,226
87,884
Niche score of 2,363
With just 9 extra horsepower, a marginally stiffer suspension and the same transmission choices as the regular Juke, the Nismo version of Nissan's odd little crossover is only a mild makeover. Why the huge chasm between the Juke-R and its more accessible counterpart, the Juke Nismo?


As in all Jukes, the 1.6-liter turbo direct-injected four-cylinder comes on around 3,000 rpm but happily winds out to the soft rev limiter at 6,700. An ECU remap gives the Juke Nismo its extra 9 hp for a total of 197 and an additional 7 pound-feet of torque for a total of 184 lb-ft.
Does that extra boost make a difference? From a seat-of-the-pants perspective, no, but the Nismo proved to be the quickest Juke we've tested. A 0-60-mph run in 6.9 seconds (6.6 seconds with a 1-foot rollout like at a drag strip) and the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 90.8 mph is nothing to sneer at.


meh


this dude loves the seats tho

For instance, the Juke Nismo doesn't have huge horsepower, but it does have a very serious pair of sport seats. On a scale of 1-10, they're an 11. Maybe 11.5. Not only do these gems offer more lateral support than just about any OEM seat on the market, they're also fantastically comfortable, with a soft and grippy covering. Small steps here.

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