Description

Scion's quasi-iconic xB has finally encountered some lookalikes in the 2010 Kia Soul and 2009 Nissan Cube. Both cars hit the market last spring. Experts have spent considerable time in all three, and their results make it ready to call some results. The Cube is the best choice for the group's advertised environment: Metropolis. Nissan says the Cube's styling was inspired by a bulldog. It resembles an "incognito canine," the automaker says, likening the dark headlights and black grille to Fido's eyes and schnoz. The oversized side mirrors are his ears. The Cube's small size has something going for it. It's 5 inches shorter from bumper to bumper than the Soul and 10 inches shorter than the xB, making it the easiest to shoehorn into a parallel-parking spot. And with the group's shortest wheelbase, it also has the smallest turning circle: a city-friendly 33.4 feet ? 1 foot tighter than the next-best Soul. Nissan says it wanted to make the Cube's cabin feel like a "casual lounge." The seats have fuzzy cloth upholstery and gobs of cushioning. The cupholders, door speakers and headliner have concentric wave moldings that Nissan says were inspired by water droplets. The sum of it all makes the Cube seem higher-rent inside than either the xB or the Soul. The front seats have wide backrests, and even tall adults will have no issues with headroom. The gearshift mounts near the floor, opening up enough space for your knees to spill out ? something neither the xB nor the Soul allows. The rear seats recline and adjust forward and backward ? both the xB's and Soul's are fixed ? and with them all the way back, adults should have ample legroom. There's also a folding center armrest with integrated cupholders; that's a feature neither competitor offers.