When you first saw the Cube; was it love at first sight?

Let me start off by saying I had no intention of buying a new car a few weeks ago. I started working from home two years ago and gave my Camry to my son to use at college. In my mind, I knew my next car would be a Toyota Prius mainly due to the gas mileage and technology. However, the price, the shape (narrow width), and the fact that I was able to get around by borrowing my wife’s car or riding my bike held me back from buying one.

A couple weeks ago I was helping my sister-in-law shop for a car using the Cash-For-Clunkers program. Her brother was giving her the clunker and had steered her towards the Nissan Versa. He asked me to stop by the local Nissan dealership on Sunday evening (after they were closed) to look at the Versa.

I was peeking in the window of a few Versas and made the observation that all cars look pretty much the same inside. The dash was always this big slopping mass of black plastic with the same basic instrument panel layout. My brother-in-law asked me to turn around and look at a Cube that was parked next to the Versa. I turned and took one look at the green color and boxy shape and said it looked goofy and the color reminded me of baby's diarrhea (sorry Moss Green owners). Up until then, I had not seen the Cube on the road nor had I seen a commercial; that was truly my first impression. I then turned my attention back to the Versa.

The next day we went back to the dealer to test drive the Versa. When we drove into the lot I noticed there was a black Cube in the corner show spot by the street. I took one look at it and had a totally different reaction than the day before. I noticed the wide stance, boxy/curvy shape, the cool looking front end and wrap around rear window. When I looked in the window, I noticed the wave shaped dash; finally a car that looked different inside. I then went into the showroom and sat inside a chrome-silver model. My first impression was how easy it was to get into the car, the head room, the general roominess, and the comfortable seats. At that point I was hooked. Seeing the side opening cargo door, folding rear seats, wave top liner, and discovering they are manufactured in Japan drove me over the top and I made a very-rare for me impulse buy. Don’t misunderstand; I did a massive research effort during the next few days before I actually bought one; but I usually take weeks or months when I make large purchases.

This past Saturday I took my caribbean-blue Cube on a lunch date. I did ask my wife if she wanted to come, but she turned us down. So I got on the Pennsylvania Turnpike; drove 50 miles, stopped at a Red Robin restaurant and sat outside on the patio eating a gourmet burger while admiring my Cube in the parking lot. Life doesn’t get much better than that.