Resistance is Futile

I rented a car to attend a training session on using a graphical statistical software package being held in a nearby state. Ooh, let's hear it for sexy business trips! I was driving down with one other person and we both started laughing when they brought out our "mid-size sedan like a Chevy Malibu" and it was a Nissan Cube. First off, is this really a sedan? I think I was giddy with embarassment over it, especially when I noticed heads turning in nearby cars to stare at our crazy ride (complete with Alabama plates).We laughed over some of the ridiculous features, like the "ripples in a pond" roof.The Disney-trademark-infringement cup holders.I wondered over some of the oddments inside, trying to figure out what intended use they had. For instance, the shelf in the passenger side dash is a great place to plunk your knitting when you run into a store. That's the Nutkin socks done on 2 circs, if you were wondering.
It also was a handy spot to stand the driving directions. I suppose a GPS or iPhone would fit there equally well.A funny thing about this picture is that we tossed the directions when we got there, and didn't have any for the return trip. That area has many overlapping roads and is very confusing. After buying a map and being lost a bit, I was browsing my photos and discovered the photo of the directions that we could have been following!

The Cube also had the perfect place to hold an extra biscuit and jelly leftover from Bojangles. I'm so glad for such specific features in a car! Really, heated seats are one thing, but a biscuit and jelly holder? How can you ask for more!
By the end of the trip I was fairly impressed with the Cube's handling. It has the sharpest turning radius of any car I've ever driven. It feels more roomy up front (the "cockpit" according to the owner's manual) than a lot of SUVs. Everyone else notices you, so you're probably pretty safe on the highway. BUT it's just so goofy. Every time we walked out of a store and found it in the parking lot we had to make fun of it. Yet once we were inside, we were glad to have it. In the end, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes this type of car - it really is a good car. If you live with someone sarcastic, it might be hard to own an asymmetric cube-shaped car, no matter how great it is inside.