Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at Edmunds, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.
Pros
Lively acceleration compared to other cars in the segment
Tight, sporty handling that makes it fun to drive
Sophisticated all-wheel-drive system for a car in this class
Extensive color customization options
Cons
Limited rear passenger headroom, legroom and cargo space
Unique styling translates into poor rear visibility
Doesn't ride as comfortably as some other subcompact crossovers
Cheap-feeling interior plastic trim
What’s new
Enhancements for 2017 Nissan Juke apply mainly to the SV trim as the previous Cold Weather package, which included heated front cloth seats and heated outside mirrors, is now standard. There are new 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels on the SV and SL grades and a special Black Pearl model with a white and black color scheme.
Vehicle overview
Your first reaction to seeing the 2017 Nissan Juke is exactly what the manufacturer intended. The Juke makes no apologies for its controversial styling, which is part of its appeal. Nissan even took it one step further with a program that allows buyers to mix and match colors like an unsupervised kid at a soda fountain. Regardless of your views on the Juke's styling, the bottom line is it's one of the most capable performers in the compact crossover segment, so it's big fun in the driver seat.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2017 Nissan Juke S 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.71 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.
A lot of what makes the Juke attractive lies beneath the surface, namely a spunky turbocharged engine that is powerful yet efficient. An available all-wheel-drive system with genuine rear-axle torque-vectoring means the Juke can vary power delivery between the front and rear axles as well as the left and right rear wheels for optimum traction. A taut suspension makes for great handling when the roads start to bend, and there are 7 inches of ground clearance to help facilitate some light off-road exploration. One of the main downsides of the Juke is interior space. Rear passenger legroom, headroom and cargo space is scarce.
Edmunds' Expert Rating
3.5 / 5
It may not be love at first sight, but a drive in the 2017 Nissan Juke will have you seeing the inner beauty of Nissan's feisty turbocharged creation. When it comes to performance, the Juke is a subcompact crossover standout.
Trim tested
Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions, although trim levels share many aspects. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo (1.6L 4-cyl. turbo; 6-speed manual). NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current 2017 Nissan Juke Nismo now comes with the same engine from the lower Juke trims, making 188 hp instead of 197 hp. The engine has received some tweaks, specifically in 2015, for better fuel economy and response. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Juke.
Scorecard
Overall
3.5 / 5
Driving
4.0
Comfort
3.5
Interior
3.0
Utility
2.5
Driving
4.0
The Juke Nismo never feels overly quick, yet its acceleration is more like a car's than a small SUV's. Handling is decent, but we expected better from the Nismo version. With an easy clutch and shifter, the manual transmission is easy to live with.
Acceleration
4.0
With acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, the Juke is quick for the class. There's a bit of lag from the 197-horsepower turbo four-cylinder, but the six-speed manual shifts easily. Standard models with the CVT are likely to be slower.
Braking
3.0
We experienced a wild amount of ABS commotion during our instrumented testing, but around town the Juke's brake pedal feels normal and reasonably powerful.
Steering
3.0
We noticed some difference in assist level between the Normal and Sport modes, but not much. Overall, the steering lacks feel and doesn't telegraph what the front tires are doing.
Handling
3.0
With its short wheelbase, the Juke Nismo is a fun car to toss around. There's plenty of suspension travel and ground clearance that make it especially good on curvy, bumpy back roads.
Drivability
4.0
With a light clutch, smooth throttle delivery and and an easy six-speed shifter, the Juke Nismo is simple to drive. It would be good for those just learning to operate a manual transmission vehicle.
Off-road
3.0
The Juke is a pretty decent off-roader, with better-than-average front and rear clearance. The Juke Nismo, with its lower front air dam, side skirts and summer tires, is less suited for such things.
Comfort
3.5
A slightly stiffer suspension and high-performance tires give the Juke Nismo a harsher ride than the regular model. The fantastically comfortable and supportive sport seats partially make up for the harshness, and the lack of road noise is impressive.
Seat comfort
5.0
We've come across few seats better than these Nismo sport buckets. They're not just laterally supportive, but they're also cushy with a soft, grippy covering. The door armrests could stand to have more padding.
Ride comfort
2.0
The standard Juke models can be a bit firm. With 10 percent stiffer springs and dampers, the Juke Nismo is even more jiggly and things can get a bit bouncy on rough surfaces.
Noise & vibration
3.5
There's some wind noise around the side mirrors but minimal road noise, despite the high-performance tires. The Juke's short gearing keeps the engine revs higher at cruising speeds, and the seat squeaks against the center console as it makes contact when slid forward.
Climate control
The climate controls are combined with the drive mode selector, so they're a little more confusing than necessary.
Interior
3.0
Like its exterior, the Juke's cabin is a bit overstyled. Combining the climate controls with the drive mode selector is somewhat unintuitive and requires extra steps. There's plenty of headroom up front, less in the rear, and the sloping roof means cargo space is limited.
Ease of use
2.0
The integrated climate and drive mode selector adds extra steps to adjusting either system. Wide Nismo seats make it a little harder to reach the seat belts, and the knob detents need to be more obvious. The leather and faux suede steering wheel feels great.
Getting in/getting out
3.0
With long front doors and plenty of headroom, it's easy to climb in and out of the front seats, though your foot may sometimes hit the Nismo rocker panels. The rear doors are quite a bit smaller, so the entry/exit space is tight.
Roominess
3.0
There's plenty of front headroom and a good amount of space for the driver's right knee, but restricted elbow room on the door side. The rear seat is tight, with cramped knee- and headroom accommodations. There's no rear center armrest, and the front armrest is optional.
Visibility
3.0
The narrow front roof and side roof pillars make for decent front and side visibility. The sloping roof, short rear side windows, thick rear roof pillars and small rear window translate into poor rear visibility. The 360-degree camera system is a must.
Quality
3.0
There are some low-buck plastic surfaces around the cabin, and the optional center armrest feels chintzy, though we'd probably still get it. The front seats, however, look and feel superb, as does the steering wheel.
Utility
2.5
Utility is where the Juke falls slightly behind the competition with a tiny cargo storage area and limited small item storage in the cabin.
Small-item storage
3.0
The optional armrest bin and door pockets are a good size, with a small front bin and glovebox. The center cupholders are about average and won't accommodate mugs.
Cargo space
2.5
The trunk is surprisingly tiny for a hatchback at 10.5 cubic feet, but the rear seats fold down and there's usable underfloor storage.
Which Juke does Edmunds recommend?
For 2017, we like the midlevel Nissan Juke SV with all-wheel drive. The price jumps up a few hundred dollars from 2016, but you now get heated front seats and heated outside mirrors standard. We'd add the Tech package mainly for the Around View Monitor with moving-object detection because of the Juke's poor rear visibility. We also like the factory-installed front armrest for that extra bit of storage space. We don't really see the need to spend money for the SL trim's leather upholstery, and the Nismo models' suspension is too firm for comfortable daily driving.
Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart
2017 Nissan Juke models
The 2017 Nissan Juke is available in five trim levels: base S, SV, SL and sport-oriented Nismo and Nismo RS. All models except the Nismo RS come with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (188 hp, 177 pound-feet) mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and are available with the standard front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Nismo and Nismo RS trims offer a six-speed manual transmission option for front-wheel-drive models only.
Standard equipment on the entry-level S model includes 17-inch alloy wheels, a rearview camera, air-conditioning, keyless ignition and entry, full power accessories, cruise control, a tilt-only steering wheel, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, 60/40-split folding rear seats, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system with a 5-inch color monitor, Siri Eyes Free iPhone integration, CD player, a USB-iPod interface and a hands-free texting assistant. A handful of accessories, but no packages, are available for the S.
The midrange SV adds a sunroof, rear privacy glass, automatic climate control, upgraded cloth upholstery, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, satellite radio and the Integrated Control (I-Con) system, which provides three drive mode settings (Eco, Normal, Sport) that alter throttle, steering and transmission (on CVT-equipped models) responsiveness.
The optional Tech package is only available on the SV trim and adds a navigation system with a 5.8-inch color touchscreen, NissanConnect smartphone app integration, a 360-degree camera system with moving-vehicle detection, and an upgraded Rockford Fosgate audio system with a subwoofer.
The SL trim comes standard with all of the above plus automatic headlights, foglights and leather upholstery.
Juke Nismo models include all the equipment from the SL along with a sportier suspension and tuning calibrations, 18-inch alloy wheels, high-performance tires, unique exterior and interior styling details, front sport seats, and a steering wheel wrapped in leather and synthetic suede.
The Nismo RS goes even further, with a more powerful engine, a limited-slip differential (FWD models only), bigger brakes, more aggressive suspension and steering tuning, Recaro front sport seats covered in leather and synthetic suede, and simulated carbon-fiber trim on the dash. It's worth noting that the Juke Nismo and Nismo RS models are not offered with heated seats, heated mirrors or a sunroof.
Various options are available depending on trim level, including alternate wheels, interior illumination details and a center armrest for more storage up front. And then there's the Juke Color Studio, which allows you to unleash a crayon box worth of colors with which to mix, match and accent various areas of your Juke's exterior and interior.
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Nissan Juke from 2008-2022.
$527/yr
vs. $435/yr for Average Subcompact SUV
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).
0.86x/yr
vs. 0.69x/yr for Average Subcompact SUV
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).
18.8%
vs. 10.7% for Average Subcompact SUV
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
Let me say I live in New Jersey and our winter's can be brutal or mild you never know. In the past I've had cars that were just terrible in snow and ice so much that I'd lose days at work because driving was just not an option. So I decided that I finally was going to buy either a Jeep Wrangler or something with AWD. After going to Jeep and they not being willing to come even close to my … price range, I decided to take a look at the Nissan Juke. I was sceptical because it looks like an insect and rather small inside but when I walked into the dealership there is was in the color I loved fully loaded so I drove it and bought it.
We've now had 2 good snow storms and last night I really tested my Juke in the snow. Drove on one of the worst mountainess roads in the middle of a snow storm and it being 16 degrees. As nervous as I was my Juke didn't skip a beat, not one time did it slide, loose grip or anything. I drove for 4 hours and nothing, drove perfectly in AWD. So I have to say I am completely pleased with my Juke and the AWD.
I LOVE MY JUKE!!! I realize this car won't be for everyone so let's get the obvious negatives out of the way first; Cargo space is limited (but there is a split folding for extra room). The back seat is not for adults especially on longer journeys (headroom as well as leg room will be tight). There is a blind spot that requires more attention when you are changing lanes. The ride is … a little stiff and road noise can be annoying at times. Now let's get to the good stuff! This car is sporty, really sporty. The 4 cylinder turbo charged engine will do 0-60 in 7 secs, this would rival some 2 door coupes. The CVT is responsive and I have no trouble accelerating when I want to, and there is an option to shift up or down via the center gear lever (if you want/need to have that control). The steering is right on point and super responsive, and you can "feel the road" in the steering wheel. I live in Colorado and the Juke is a blast in the snow! It has 7 inches of clearance so you won't have to worry about "plowing" through deep snow with your front end and the AWD works like a champ. The AWD does everything I could ask it to and you can switch it to FWD only if you want to save on gas mileage. Speaking of gas mileage, I average 34 MPG in this thing, and I live in the city. The bluetooth as well as the voice command system work well and calls through the speaker system come in clear. Bottomline: I have two young kids and came from a coupe. Having 4 doors as great and they will not outgrow the back seats for at least 6 or 7 years from now. I don't need a lot of cargo space (we have my wife's vehicle for that). For me this car is a perfect combination of what I want. It is fun, great on gas, amazing in the snow, and reliable (10yr/100,000 mile bumper to bumper and lifetime powertrain warranties). If you are looking for a vehicle to commute in that looks fantastic, you will not find ANYTHING else that is this good for the price you pay!
800 miles so far. The manual shift mode is great allows you to downshift without hitting the gas and run thru the simulated gears. I have run sport mode briefly, basically it kicks up the CVT 1,000 RPM's and you get a lot more torque, but the gas bill will skyrocket! I am getting somewhere around 30 mpg which is great. The seats are firm as is the ride, the tires are great. I'm single … and not concerned the back seat is cramped (so is the new Jeep Renegade's, I picked to Juke over that for performance reasons). All in all I am happy. Waiting on y new K&N air filter to further enhance performance. I run premium gas, it does a better job and I am not concerend about the extra expense at 30 mpg.
I drive 150 miles a day, and this great car makes it easy. Passing on the interstate is never an issue, just tap that gas peddle and she zooms. The Juke is not for tall or large in stature people though, it fits me perfect but I am 4'10 , my son had a hard time getting in...he's 6'2. She does amazing in the Colorado rain and snow, driving in the mountains is easier with fantastic … handling and maneuverability. Storage is limited, but I added my own, some of the knobs and trim are cheaply made, but with just me in it, I won't have a problem. I absolutely love this zippy fun AWD crossover, perfect for a commuter!
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2017 Nissan Juke, so we've included reviews for other years of the Juke since its last redesign.
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Scorecard
