Autoexpress Compares the Nissan Juke to the Countryman
A few weeks back Motor Trend published a very early comparison between the Nissan Juke and the Countryman S having had the two for a short time on some German backroads. It struck us as odd in that the Motor Trend’s British freelance reporter definitively preferred the Juke’s on road performance and specifically its handling. Having driven three different varieties of the Countryman (both on the track and off) for a combined total of around 600 miles I’ve been impressed with the general performance of the car in relation to the R55 and R56 MINIs. Sure the turn in isn’t as eager and there’s more body roll due to the height and the modest increase in weight. But compared to the small crossovers and hatches I have driven (the Golf and Tiguan for instance) the Countryman felt like a resounding success.
So today’s review of the Juke from British weekly seemed both more on target based on my initial reviews. Here’s an excerpt:
>Don’t expect (the Juke to have) MINI levels of fun though. The chassis is nowhere near as talented and the steering is totally numb. This is a shame, as when fitted with Nissan‚΄ôs new 187bhp 1.6-litre turbochargd petrol engine, the Juke delivers hot hatch performance.
And in talk speaking about the Countryman vs the Juke they went on to say…
>The cool retro looks and sparkling chassis means the MINI appeals equally to both style and fun seekers. But while it has the Juke beaten in terms of heritage and driving enjoyment, its pricier, not as well equipped and far less comfortable or practical.
Again it’s all more inline with what we expect both from our drives and the positioning of each vehicle.
Read more:
<p>Granted, I’m only seeing one view of the Juke, but talk about UGLY…..and the Countryman looks just, well mean. My only wish is that the Countryman would be less costly and would have the option of a 2.0 liter diesel. Put 175 diesel hp and over 300 ft. lbs. of torque, now that could be interesting. And, BMW has the tools, and equipment to do just that. Granted, the Countryman isn’t even here yet, but I think it needs more motor. Still an old hotrodder at heart.</p>
<p>The Countryman is no looker, but the Juke is just terrible.</p>
<p>The Juke is the car that will make the world forget the Pontiac Aztek.</p>
<p>When MINI was mentioned (and it hardly was), the comparisons seemed to be with the S hatchback, not the Countryman.</p>
<p>The big difference is the price! The juke is MUCH better value, and also has distinct style appeal (more good photos here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Get-Juked-UK/112458242136956?v=photos&ref=ts" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Get-Juked-UK/112458242136956?v=photos&ref=ts</a> ). The mini isn’t breaking any design boundaries – it looks pretty ordinary. As for the handling I have heard good thing about the Juke – its a fun drive. I would go for the Juke without doubt.</p>
<p>rkw appears to be correct. I saw no reference to the Countryman in the article. MINI was mentioned a few times and at the end the Cooper S was listed as the competitor.
This does not invalidate the reviewer’s driving impressions of the Juke. It just means that there is no direct comparison to the Countryman.</p>
<p>I have to agree with the article, the Juke’s design is either loved or hated. There just isn’t a lot of middle ground. I have been told many times by designer friends that this is a better place to be than in the middle where the buying public are indifferent on the design. MINI has exploited this for many years with their cars. Its easy to find people that love the design and hate the design of the MINIs to date. So far I have heard similar things about the Countryman (actually if anything slightly more to the indifferent side).</p>
<p>I am sure we are going to see a lot of comparisons between the Audi A1, Nissan Juke, and the MINI Countryman over the years ahead. I am going to bet that the A1 will likely always take the interior design, the Countryman the handling, and the Juke likely best value for the dollar.</p>
<p>I knew this comparison was inevitable. Very cool. Let the challenges begin!</p>
<p>It’s not being compared to a Countryman. Based on the video it looks good.
The presenter send it right, “Nowadays the mini is as common as fish and chips”</p>
<p>Um, I find the looks of the Juke to be turn-off and the Countryman is a stud- especially the S version. I am looking forward to get to drive one soon. A more powerful motor in the Countryman would be well received by me, as I always want the fastest ride in segment. I find it hard to believe that a Japanese made vehicle would beat a German vehicle, only in the price do they typically out-score the Germans- that’s because they use lesser quality materials and trust me- you don’t want to be in a wreck on a Japanese made vehicle- especially not at high speeds- they simply aren’t made as well.</p>
<p>sounds like the typical auto rag reviewer who is more concerned with cupholders, radio controls and how soft the ride can be.</p>
<p>When it comes to style….That juke is EVERYTHING that is wrong about current auto styling trends.</p>
<p>Oh, and lets talk value in 3-5 years…</p>
<p>The Juke looks like a squirrel with cheeks full of nuts!</p>
<p>I will bet on more Jukes being sold that Countryman just on price point alone. Also Nissan has a huge amount of experience with SUVS. There are parts of both designs I like and dislike. I think that both look appropriate to their brands. I think MINI isn’t a direct competitor for them as much as Audi is. I can say personally if I were to buy a vehicle of this type it would be used for hiking, in which case I would buy the cheaper one as it will get beaten up. If I were looking for something for the street I would likely go after the X1 over the Countryman.</p>
<p>haha, interesting.
Not sure how well the Juke will do for Nissan. It’s a pretty bold design for them.
Haven’t seen many Cubes running around NYC either and their customer base seems pretty conservative in the looks dept.
But who knows anymore.</p>
<p>Actually Aurel the Qashqai has similar styling queues and has been selling well for them for several years.</p>
<p>hmm, that Qashqai looks pretty traditional to me, more so than even the Murano.
the US buyer is a weird bunch. where is the Qashqai sold?</p>
<p>JonPD you raise a very good point… though I believe it is larger, depending on how the X1 is priced relative to the R60, I think many euro car fans – even some MINI fans – will find it the more compelling vehicle.</p>
<p>As for the Juke, it’s a weirdo from the front due to the “compound eye” effect, the narrow cat’s eye headlight and oversized fogs competing rather than complementing each other; this may be less of an issue in person rather than 2D photos. Other angles (like the rear aped from Volvo) and the profile view (lithe and sporting like Nissan’s other “bionic cheetah” crossovers) are quite attractive. The motorcycle-tank-inspired centre console, on the other hand, is as gimmicky as they come. The Juke styling is not terrible but it seems to continue the Japanese tradition of over-wrought cartoonish vehicle design that dates quickly… waiting to see the Juke and R60 in person before I reach my personal verdict but I do suspect the R60 will age much better.</p>
<p>I’m just wondering who was the marketing genius at Nissan that came up with Juke as a name. If anything on that car is perceived as less than perfect… juke lends itself to becoming joke quite easily. Personally I’m not saying that or judging the car as I didn’t even know about it until a few days ago… but I did find the name choice to be surprising.</p>
<p>Aurel the Qashqai is sold around the world.</p>
<p>I agree that the R60 should age better but then again most all SUVs/CUVS are usually pretty disposable items. What should be interesting is the Audi S1 vs MINI R60 All4. I have to agree on the naming also Gary, its odd.</p>
<p><a href="http://jalopnik.com/5616887/audi-s1-aluminum-und-spunk" rel="nofollow ugc">http://jalopnik.com/5616887/audi-s1-aluminum-und-spunk</a></p>
<p>The great thing about the Juke is that the design manages to be completely freaky and completely devoid of character at the same time. They must have spent thousands of hours perfecting every detail to capture that rare combination. I agree though – if you’re looking for a disposable car that will age poorly, lose its resale value quickly, and won’t hurt your feelings much at all when somebody backs into it with an Escalade down at the post office — it’s probably an excellent choice.</p>
<p>The jukes “fog lights” are the headlights. While the cat eyes are the turn signals and day light running lights.</p>
<p>Let’s put them in an Autocross course and watch!!</p>
<p>now at a qucik glance it gave me an old school Citroen kind of vibe … the Juke that is.</p>
<p>it still bothers me about the Countryman that it has no quirky cool feature exterior or look, save for the inside center rail.</p>
<p>I think you might be supervised at the outcome of an autocross between the two. The AWD system is probably better in the Juke than the MINI. Granted the CVT would be no match. Comparing these to cars defiantly is not apples to apples.</p>
<p>Ugly or not the Juke is going to sell better. There is more to a car than just how it looks.</p>
<p>Is it just me, or is the Juke showing definite signs of Renault influence at work?</p>
<p>Either way, Nissan has a very inconsistent history with SUVs/CUVs. The Xterra, Murano, Pathfinder, Qashqai and Rogue have all been pretty successful (the Xterra less so after it’s 2005 redesign bloated it up and basically made it short Pathfinder). But the Armada has been a flat-out failure. The Cube has been disappointing. And, while not a crossover, Nissan’s quirkily-styled Quest pretty much flopped against the competition.</p>
<p>Outside of the GT-R and drop-dead gorgeous 370Z, I feel like Nissan’s designs have just felt…off for the past three-four years. Weird elements that don’t play off one another and distract from the whole. The Juke seems to be continuing that tradition.</p>
<p>Personally, if I were shopping around the Juke’s utility and price range, I’d probably head over the Kia Soul, instead. It’s weird looking, too, but in a cohesive way.</p>
<p>Call me one who thinks that the Juke looks good. It is different than the MINI esthetic and in my opinion, that doesn’t mean it is bad. In fact, I think that many MINI people had the same reaction to the Countryman design as well but that noise has quieted.</p>
<p>I’m looking for a car that will replace our aging PT Cruiser and in my mind it is between the Countryman and the Juke (my wife may have a different opinion). The Juke’s ability to carry lumber for home improvement projects looks like a winner compared to the Countryman.</p>
<p>I’m usually quite positive about Nissan (owned a 3rd gen Maxima SE for 4 years). But, the only thing that comes to mind about this car is that the name is misspelled. From its looks, it should have been Nissan Joke…</p>