MS3 has a new little friend

[Tyrdstorm]

Finally found a little SUV that my wife and I both like so that she can run over stuff in her car. Took awhile to find the exact one we wanted and had to fly up to DC to pick it up and drive it back to Atlanta, but it was a fun 10.5 hour drive to break it in.

It's not all that fast, but it is fun to drive. It has torque vectoring AWD powered by a 1.6 direct inject turbo engine (188hp/177tq) with a CVT automatic transmission. Like I said, it's no Speed3, but it is much quicker than her Scion tC that it replaced.

Not everyone is going to like the looks of it, but we both love it. Here are some quick pictures I snapped.

 

[R242]

I kinda dig that car, congrats! I know it's an SUV but if you could find a way to drop about 200lbs off it it would be REALLY peppy(cabpatch) Does it have a turbo heads up like the commercial shows?

 

[Tungsten6]

hmm it looks different!

id have to see it in person before i could judge it.

congrats on the new car though! and as long as you both like it, that's all that matters.

 

[Saskatchewan17]

I love them! Mainly because they're turbocharged. The looks are funky, kinda cool, kinda ugly, but loveable. Can you get one with a 5-6 speed?

 

[Tyrdstorm]

@R242 - Yes they have a little driver information panel which can display torque, boost, economy info, trip computer etc. It's actually pretty slick, the buttons which dynamically change are the coolest part.

@Saskatchewan17 - You can get a 6 speed manual, but only on the FWD models.

 

[R242]

My sister-in-law is looking for a replacement for her Element, she likes it from the commercial. I was talking her towards a Cx7, but the Nissan seems pretty slick too. For a Nissan p

 

[Z-Indy]

Those headlights are bizzaro, man! I think they're closer to the windshield than they are to the front of the car. Kinda freaks me out.

Congrats on the purchase. I'm sure it's a nice car. Nissan's are solid.

 

[BlackCherry06]

I've been trying to figure out if those are actually headlights, or just turn signals. If they're headlights, what are those lights in the bumper?

 

[Tyrdstorm]

The lights on top are just the turn signal stack. It looks kinda freaky at night because they glow amber like an evil crocodile.

 

[BillTheCat]

If I were looking for a small SUV, the Juke is where I'd go. Been busting a few cojones on the MINI Cooper boards because the Countryman (MINI's pending small SUV, already taking orders) is going to cost 5-10k more than a comparable Juke and offer a far smaller list of standard equipment. Nissan has packed the Juke with an impressive feature and performance list at its price point. If it develops any sort of aftermarket, it could be a fairly hot little hauler.

Congrats!

 

[oaklandopen]

Spawn of pontiac aztek!!!!!!

 

[Tyrdstorm]

Spawn of pontiac aztek!!!!!!

Ouch! I know not everyone is going to like the styling, but saying it looks like an Aztek is just plain mean.

 

[LazerBlueP5]

I read quite a lot of reviews about it and the consensus is it's quick but not blazingly so (as you noted)- however it's supposedly very VERY fun to drive. Very sparse on the cargo space though. The pricing makes it a rough sell- for the cost on one of these things new I'd rather buy a 1-year old MS3.

Congrats on the new buy, and thanks for sharing!

 

[JBR]

Cool addition to the family.