2017 Nissan Juke Review

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 Juk...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The climate controls are combined with the drive mode selector, so they're a little more confusing than necessary.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 is where the Juke falls slightly behind the competition with a tiny cargo storage area and limited small item storage in the cabin.

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.

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.

To learn more about the Nissan Juke of this generation, read our updates from a full year of living with a 2011 Nissan Juke SL AWD. We cover everything from seat comfort to real-world fuel economy. Please note that the 2017 Nissan Juke differs from our long-term 2011 Nissan Juke in that the engine h...