About the Nissan Juke
O Asmar purchased this Nissan Juke used for $29,000 (including all on-road costs) in 2020. O Asmar would buy this car again because: “I would only consider buying one again if the manual actually came with the AWD. The AWD system in the Nismo Juke is actually quite fun when you throw it around on the twisty and mountainous roads. Unfortunately there isn’t another car like the Nismo Juke, it makes it very rare and unique to own one.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
The Nismo Juke has been reliable, everybody likes to bag the Nissan CVT and for good reasons but the CVT has been good so far, only issue is the droning and the whining that comes from the CVT which makes it an unpleasant driving experience.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
The Nismo Juke comes with a five-year new car warranty and needs to be serviced every 10,000km or every 12 months (whichever comes first).
There were only 240 of these were made available to Australia and it makes it very unique experience to own one.
Looks of the Juke is subjective and debatable. The Nismo bodykit and styling on the Juke adds that bit of respect back to the Juke.
Downside was that I have bought the car interstate, I still had to do blue slip on the car and have it registered in NSW, this added another $1000 on top.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
Nissan’s problem during the 2010s was that they were always 2 or 3 steps behind other mainstream manufacturers.
It comes with heated seats, satellite navigation, DAB+, blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitor, rain-sensing wipers, daylight running LED lights and rear fog lights.
It would have been nice had it come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
The Nismo styling comes with the red stripe along the sides, similar to the 370Z and GT-R, Nismo badging in the front grille, inside and on the rear, 18-inch Nismo wheels, Alcantara suede interior, but unfortunately, the Alcantara suede just wears off over time.
It’s unfortunate we do not get the Nismo Recaro seats that the UK Nismo Juke gets, however the Alcantara bucket seat is quite comfortable.
I still believe that I have got a good deal for the NISMO Juke as it when it was brand new, it was selling for $45k+ drive away.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
The performance has been great. It can be quite zippy in Sport Mode, gives it that Volkswagen Golf GTI feel, however it feels bogged down by the CVT, a dual-clutch transmission would have been ideal.
Economy wise, I have to use the more expensive 98 RON, I get around 300-350km on the full tank.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
It’s not up there with the other mainstream manufacturers, Nissan at the time was lagging way behind with their technology.
Nissan needs to improve the safety technology as their lane departure system just goes off at any given moment so I have that disabled.
The infotainment is clunky to use and laggy at the same time, despite not coming with smartphone mirroring, so I still have to use my phone mounted on the dashboard.
360-camera needs improvement as the cameras are grainy and not very clear
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
The NISMO Juke is comfortable to drive, but the low profile tyres don’t help when going over bumpy roads and feels harsh.
The Nismo Juke handles very well thanks to its AWD system. The AWD system in the Nismo Juke is actually quite fun when you throw it around on the twisty and mountainous roads.
I have driven the car over snow and ice, before I wasn’t exactly comfortable driving 2WD cars over ice and snow but with the Nismo Juke, I felt more comfortable and confident driving in those conditions.
Unfortunately that I am quite a tall person, the driver’s seat feels quite cramped, pushing the seat all the way does little to help to make more space for my long legs and the person sitting behind me will feel very squashed, however, there is a good amount of headroom and it doesn’t feel low.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
The NISMO Juke is not a hot SUV by any means, there was a lot of potential there. I feel that Nissan didn’t go that extra step with their models like they did with the Juke.
Most people won’t agree with the styling of the Juke but it will definitely get you the looks from other people.
The car is kept simple with some old school styling in the interior, less switches and not too sophisticated.