Nissan Cube
Our supermini is back to first glass condition with a new windscreen...
Our relationship with the Nissan Cube isn’t showing any cracks – but the boxy Japanese machine’s windscreen is! The car’s bluff front end is prone to picking up stone chips, so it was only a matter of time before the screen took a direct hit.
Sadly, the combination of freezing November temperatures and a particularly potholed journey into the office meant a small chip soon turned into a 30cm crack across the glass!
Getting a replacement screen wasn’t simple, as the Cube’s relative rarity in the UK – which has prompted the firm to consider axing it – caused a small delay. Autoglass in Watford, Herts, ordered the pane, but it took a week to arrive – normally the firm expects a three-day wait if it doesn’t have the glass in stock.
However, when the glass did arrive, we only had to wait two hours for the firm to fit it, which included 60 minutes for the glue to set. I was interested to see the experienced technicians use a mobile phone application to provide them with step-by-step instructions for fitting the screen – they clearly hadn’t seen a Cube at close quarters before!
With only a month until Christmas, I’ve already used the Nissan on a shopping trip, and this is one area where the Cube excels. Sliding the rear bench forward liberates a generous 400 litres of space, while the standard reversing camera takes the strain out of slotting the car into crowded shopping centre car parks.
Worryingly, though, the Cube has acquired a festive drinking habit. The illumination of the low oil level warning light on the dashboard prompted me to inspect the dipstick, which revealed that it was in need of a top-up! According to Nissan this is perfectly normal usage, but with more than 3,500 miles to go until the first service, I found it a little surprising.
The Cube has also demonstrated an increased thirst for unleaded, with economy dropping to 29.7mpg in the last few thousand miles. However, the Nissan has been used for a few motorway trips recently, so this could be the cause.
These minor niggles haven’t dented my affection for the boldly styled model, though. Over the past six months I’ve bonded with the characterful and quirky Cube. It’s due to go back to Nissan in the next few weeks, so I’ll just have to make sure we have a cracking time together before it leaves.
