Review: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC

Mitsubishi has a problem with its current lineup. Unless you're looking for a Lancer, your options are limited to the Galant mid-size sedan and the Endeavor and Outlander crossovers. Right now, the Galant is contemplating seppuku and the Endeavor hasn't been fully redesigned since it first went on sale back in 2003. The Outlander, however, has something positive to offer. It seats up to seven passengers (in a pinch), has been named an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick, and tops out at 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

Mitsubishi knows having just two competitive vehicles to choose from isn't enough to compete in an industry eager to fill every niche, and the company appears focused on evolving the two lone bright spots in its lineup. The Lancer has spawned many variants, the latest being the Lancer Sportback, a fun-to-drive wagon that doesn't step on the toes of the top-trim Lancer Evolution. The Outlander, meanwhile, recently gave its name to the smaller 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, a five-passenger crossover looking to make its mark in a currently crowded segment.

If the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport had a favorite song, it would be Sister Sledge's "We Are Family." There's no mistaking this CUV for anything other than a product from the diamond-star family. The gaping mouth and muscular haunches leave no doubt that the Outlander Sport got the "good genes" after a night of passion between a Lancer Evo and the larger Outlander. And despite sharing the name "Outlander" with its larger three-row brother, the Outlander Sport is its own vehicle, a compact crossover different in size, shape and demeanor.

Up front, for instance, a jet-fighter nose kicks off an aggressive forward-leaning stance. Sharply cut headlights dig into the face of the Outlander Sport while the roof line pulls tightly rearward along the 169.1-inch long body. That length is almost 15 inches shorter than the larger Outlander, despite the two crossovers sharing the exact same wheelbase and almost the same width. Like a Beverly Hills housewife with a face-lift, this look has to be done correctly or things can quickly turn into a cat-faced disaster. Fortunately, Mitsubishi's corporate face survived the transplant with nary a scar to show for it. A set of 10-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels wearing Goodyear Eagle 225 55R/18 rubber shoes also sit neatly below the ever-so-slightly bulging fenders. These larger wheels come standard on our SE tester, while 16-inchers are standard running gear for the lower-trim ES.

Inside, the Outlander Sport prefers muted tones, with dark plastic and black cloth the only interior color choices available. Fortunately, the controls are laid out in a simple manner, and we appreciate the climate controls relying on three traditional dials instead of being relegated only to touch-screen control. That screen is left to handle audio and navigation, which it does rather well being responsive to the touch with crips graphics. Pop into Reverse and you'll also get a nice view of what's going on behind the Outlander Sport thanks to the back-up camera that's bundled with the $2,000 nav system.

Unfortunately, laying down two grand for navigation also forces you to opt for the $1,800 Premium package that adds a panoramic glass roof, LED interior mood lighting, a Rockford-Fosgate sound system, Sirius satellite radio and an in-dash six-disc CD changer. All told, you're on the hook for almost $4,000 worth of options if you want the Outlander Sport to tell you where to go.

Sound from the optional Rockford-Fosgate audio system is pushed out to your ears courtesy of nine-speakers, a 10-inch subwoofer in the rear cargo area and 710 watts. Surprisingly balanced, this particular sound system has lost the overbearing bass that used to be a hallmark of Rockford-Fosgate systems.

If you plan on listening to your iPod, Mitsubishi also includes a connector that lets you control the device from the touch-screen or steering wheel-mounted controls. Annoyingly, however, the stereo takes about a minute to recognize the mp3 player each time you turn off the car, and once it does, playback starts from the first song on the unit. It's like teaching your dog to sit, and every time you turn around the pooch forgets where his butt goes. In a word: frustrating.

What's not frustrating is the level of supportive comfort provided by the front seats. Headroom is also a non-issue and visibility is great regardless of where you're looking. The cabin is relatively simple, aside from the touch-screen, but it works in the Outlander Sport's favor.

If you go for a base two-wheel-drive ES model, the Outlander Sport starts at just $19,275. Our all-wheel-drive SE model starts at $22,995 (plus $780 in destination charges), and thanks to a few of those aforementioned fixings reaches $28,570. The Outlander Sport AWD SE's base price, however, is below that of the Honda CR-V EX-L ($26,645), Hyundai Tucson Limited ($26,345) and Kia Sportage EX ($24,795). Equipped like this Outlander Sport, the Kia and the Hyundai are just a few dollar bills away from $30,000 and the Honda climbs past by a Benjamin. So paying over $28,000 for this compact crossover becomes a little more palatable when compared to more expensive competition, and it's made even more so once you raise the hood.

Pull the lever and prop up the sheet metal and you'll see a familiar 4B11 face smiling back at you. Used throughout the Mitsubishi lineup, this 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine produces 148 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 145 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. That may not sound like much oomph to propel the all-wheel-drive Outlander Sport, but at just 3,263 pounds, it feels quicker than it should be.

The Outlander Sport isn't fast by any means, but the four-cylinder engine gets the job done while returning 24 miles per gallon around town and 29 mpg on the highway. Two-wheel-drive models do even better at 25 city/31 highway. By contrast, the 2011 Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are 240, 103 and 92 pounds heavier, respectively. Each vehicle also produces more horsepower (32 hp for the Honda and 28 hp for the Kia/Hyundai) and torque (16 lb-ft for the Honda and 23 lb-ft for the Kia/Hyundai) yet return slightly worse fuel economy (21/27 for the Honda and 21/28 for the Kia/Hyundai).

It's not just the weight that helps the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport in the fuel-economy equation. Connected to that 2.0-liter engine is a Continuously Variable Transmission, or CVT, which can be manually "shifted" via a pair of steering wheel-mounted paddles. CVTs are notoriously buzzy contraptions, and the one employed in the Outlander Sport is no exception. Truth be told, the engine and transmission combination would be rather dull without those flippers for manually controlling the fun.

The Outlander Sport does have a few tricks up its sleeve besides being able to fake a gear shift. It handles surprisingly well for what's essentially a high-riding, tall-roof wagon. The brakes are quite responsive once you push past the first inch of light pedal travel, but over bumps, the tight Lancer-like suspension reveals some flaws in the Noise Vibration and Harshness department. There was some chatter inside the cabin of our test vehicle and, when rolled down a bit, the windows produced a slight rattle. We could chalk up the window rattle to press-car jitters, but the cabin chatter is probably there to stay.

Those problems aren't enough, however, to make us forget the sporty handling, accommodating interior and competitive pricing of the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC. Will it become Mitsubishi's third bright spot behind the Lancer and Outlander? The company is crowing that 1,290 units of the Outlander Sport were sold last month. That's peanuts compared to the Honda CR-V, which sold over 19,000 units, but does represent nearly a fifth of the entire brand's sales. That's remarkable for a model only a few months old, and tells us that Mitsubishi is giving buyers exactly what they want.

First Drive: 2012 McLaren MP4-12C

Let's see now. You've got your Ferrari 458 Italia, your Porsche 911 GT2 RS and 911 Turbo S and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 570-4. After all, if we're setting the scene properly on the most important supersports car inauguration in quite some time – the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C – we should, in this first privileged go, at least be keeping our minds on sub-12-cylinder mid- and rear-engine road beasts. For now, that is. So if anyone brings up the 2012 Nissan GT-R or Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, that'll be us snapping your back side with a wet towel at the health club. You've been warned.

Before we've dropped into the Recaro support-o-rama seats of the MP4-12C, one of the Queen's lairds of the realm announces, "Be prepared to drive the best handling sports car in history." What do you say to Sir Ron Dennis, boss of the newly formed McLaren Automotive Company (a.k.a. the MAC daddy), when he puts pressure on like that? It's like Bill Gates looking at us and asking enthusiastically, "So, don't you just love that Windows 7?" What happens if you don't?

But as luck would have it, the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C is quite possibly the best handling supersports road and weekend track car in history. Yes, this will certainly take some 'splainin', but bear with us. We're just pleased that no royal beheadings will now be called for, as Sir Ron is not renowned for his merciful treatment of dissenters.

Continue reading...


Gallery: 2012 McLaren MP4-12C: First Drive

* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C
* 2012 McLaren MP4-12C


Photos courtesy McLaren Automotive


One thing that does need explaining is the rather unconventional gallery of photos we've lined up. First, the three cars we were handed over to drive in southern Portugal were not finished cars and they were not even considered pre-production units. North American deliveries begin at the start of September 2011 following the UK/Western Europe launch in mid-May.

These three MP4-12Cs were specifically set up to be dynamics verification mules. Regardless, we didn't care, since they seemed pretty finished to us and we felt like geeked lottery winners. Trouble is, McLaren didn't want too many close details of the cabin, exterior or engine. Between this and the limited time we had to grab on to each of these three alphanumeric Brit bullet cars, we trust you'll forgive and forget this bad form. We'll make it up to you with heartfelt conformity from here out.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C front 3/4 view

The track to which we were airlifted is the fairly new 2.9-mile, 17-curve autodromo at Portimão. If we were looking for a challenging layout with a myriad of ups, downs and several blind crests, by gum, we've found it in Portugal. On this day, too, we had every type of weather from sunny dryness to unseasonably cold windy drizzle. This was as complete a test as we can remember having in a car this extreme.

So, the scene is set. But first, what do we all think of the looks of the car? Our answer could take up this entire first-encounter review. The man responsible for overseeing the McLaren MP4-12C to completion is renowned multi-national Frank Stephenson of Mini Cooper and BMW X5 fame, among others. As with any of these big moments, Stephenson and his team have heard every single "From that angle it looks like a..." comment you can come up with, so we spared them. Honestly, in our eyes, the MP4-12C looks comfortingly most influenced by the legendary McLaren F1 built from 1993 through 1998. We imagine a few mouthbreathers criticizing the design as a "total rip-off of the Ferrari 458 Italia and Lotus Evora." We take comfort in the fact that these individuals are wrong.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C front 3/4 driving view2012 McLaren MP4-12C rear 3/4 driving view

These bold lines can be polarizing, we know. Such aggression – for us the gaping twin side air intakes to the engine radiators stand out – are bound to cause both heated and cooler reactions. But, c'mon, it's mostly hot. The only other spot where we paused, folded our arms, and acted like we were pondering something we knew a lot about, was the rear fascia. Its flushness of all elements seems a bit out of rhythm with the rest of the car. Not even a slightly protruding exhaust blunderbuss. Still, it's pretty hot...

Since the default comparo with this first 21st-century McLaren with 592 horsepower aboard will, right from the start and maybe for its whole life cycle, be the 570-hp 458 Italia, we need to see how their physical dimensions differ. In length, width, height and track widths, the McLaren is anywhere from 1.1 inches (overall width) to half an inch (overall height) smaller than the Ferrari. However, the McLaren is eight tenths of an inch larger in its wheelbase. Cargo-wise, the 458 Italia is a veritable Winnebago when compared with the MP4-12C: 8.1 cubic feet compared to the Brit's 5.1, just a bit smaller than the Lotus Evora at 5.7 cubed feet.

For those of us driving Earth-bound cars, the McLaren is roughly the same length as a Dodge Nitro, impertinent though that fun fact may sound.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C front 3/4 view2012 McLaren MP4-12C wheel2012 McLaren MP4-12C rear detail

The challenge for the McLaren immediately becomes how to make the cabin not feel pinch-y and not feel short of headroom. Notice first the very skinny lower center console and tunnel with only cleanly consolidated chassis and powertrain controls, along with transmission buttons for the dual-clutch Seamless Shift Gearbox. Half of what is normally found in the middle has been split off and placed on the swooping and wide-enough outer armrests. Not only does this make human comfort normal, but it also shifts that ballast of flesh toward the center of the car, which can only benefit driving dynamics. Very clever.

The center of gravity and yaw point of the MP4-12C are both lower down than either Ferrari or Porsche can achieve currently, so something good is bound to come of this out on the autodromo. One immediate help is that there turns out to be plenty of headroom and also plenty of outward visibility in most important directions.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C interiorc

We need to check out the command center at our right hand. There are two chief clusters: "H" means Handling and it sets the suspension, steering and ESC between normal, sport and track; "P" means powertrain and has the same modes for throttle-engine mapping, gearshifts, as well as management of the intake plenum tone inside the cabin. To play around with these settings – including the "Aero" button at the center of the H cluster for fixing the air-brake rear wing at 15 degrees and the "Manual" button of the P cluster for the transmission – you always need to first poke the "Active" button right at the center of all things.

One more sign that we're dealing with a work-in-progress is that the onboard diagnostics/calibrations/sat-nav screen is frozen on a line drawing of the Portimão circuit. When our next drive happens in May, we'll be able to tell you whether it thrills or stinks.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C center console

And then we start the all-British brand's new engine, a 3.8-liter bi-turbo that sits in a sturdy aluminum cradle at our back. Being a bi-turbo, the McLaren doesn't scream or holler at us like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Track dry and emotions gushing, we set everything in Track mode in short order, also lighting up both the Aero and Manual buttons. After a learning-permit lap, we set loose aiming for apexes and the occasional rumble strips.

What happens next is a lot like seeing the light.

There is so much about the McLaren MP4-12C that's working with the driver to make certain that he or she has a thoroughly amazing experience, its perfectly designed steering wheel moving fast, cutting left and right, braking hard and learning the throttle strategies on curve exits.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C engine

The chief bit of amazingness here is the McLaren ProActive Chassis Control. The MPCC system's adaptive dampers with hydraulic roll control perform sensational duty under the highest lateral g-forces and with no help from any anti-roll braces front or rear. In the same sense, there is no nose-dive under the most torturous braking, nor any lift while exploring launch control.

As revelatory to the seat of our pants as the dynamic tech of MPCC is the sensation of the chassis under us talking swiftly between the four corners. There's a constant feeling of grappling – very rapidly, mind you – for the asphalt, because the more the Pirelli P Zeros (19-inch front, 20-inch rear) stay on land, the faster we will certainly be going for a whole lap. It takes time to get used to, but after a while we were just using it for all it was worth. In a few curves, we actually had images of an Ariel Atom V8 flash through our head. It's that good and liberating once you're at one with it.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C driving on track2012 McLaren MP4-12C driving on track2012 McLaren MP4-12C driving on track2012 McLaren MP4-12C driving on track

A secondary player to MPCC is the rear-axle Brake Steer, a direct carryover from McLaren's deep Formula One experience. This electrically-activated torque-vectoring-like system lightly brakes the inside rear wheel on curve exits if it senses wasteful wheelspin wanting to happen. The result is that the car stays perfectly on line and faithful to the driver's steering trajectory. We were starting to impress ourselves, whereas in a 458 Italia (while massively impressive) there is always a sense that this next curve could be overcooked and rather expensive. The differences are ever so slight, but at least at first blush, the McLaren wins it outright. A normally humble chief test driver Chris Goodwin on a hot lap says to us after scorching through the very technical first sequence of curves and elevation changes at Portimão, "There's no other car that could do that section that quickly." And this, under no pressure from Lord Dennis.

Amidst all of this barreling along and exhilaration, the A-Number-1 ingredient is lightness. Talking the lightest trim of the car while it is drained of all fluids and just sitting there as a finished work, the MP4-12C weighs 2,868 pounds. The best the 458 Italia can currently do is 3,042 pounds. This particular difference is palpable since both cars share a fore/aft weight distribution of 42.5/57.5 percent. Our last Mac-Ferrari comparison: the fastest MP4-12C trim gets to 60 mph from a stop in just 3.0 seconds flat, while the 458 Italia makes it there in 3.2. Let out to 125 mph (200 km/h), the Ferrari needs near 10 seconds, while the two 21.8-psi turbos of the McLaren and with 443 pound-feet of torque cranking between 3,000 and 7,000 revs, make it there in a stunning 8.9 seconds. That's quicker than a Ferrari Enzo ever did it, leaving only the Bugatti Veyron as the Mac's only straight-line competition.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C powersliding

The SSG seven-speed is a pleasurable learning experience as well. With the hand-shifts happening through a clever (and very racy) rocker arm fixed to the steering column, up and down the gears we go. Once we got cozy with the Pre-Cog feature, we were practically creating excuses to use it a lot. It's just like an auto-focus stop on your digital camera. On upshifts especially, we were pre-cogging at around 7,000 revs, which sets up the next gear, and then taking the shift at 7,500 revs. Instantaneous is as instantaneous does, Bubba. Get the hang of it and it's not just entertaining, but you're, once again, shaving time off laps.

We want more noise from the twin exhausts, so we'd opt for the sport pipes that raise the racket. It's the price one pays for the muffling effect and lower overall rev patterns of a bi-turbo. In sport or track modes, at least, an acoustic tube runs from the intake plenum to the rear wall and that makes for great orchestrations while slicing and dicing along.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C paddle shifter2012 McLaren MP4-12C tachometer

At the heart of the chassis is an all carbon-fiber MonoCell for the entire cockpit. This piece weighs just 165 pounds and provides rigidity in all directions that current Ferrari and Porsche models cannot approach. Besides the bolt-on front and rear aluminum structures, the body is made up of a combination of aluminum and resin composites – both being cheaper to fix than any ooo-la-la carbon fiber panels. The beetle-wing cantilevered composite doors open with a caress via sensors. Yes, we said caress.

She stops, too. Standard brakes are aluminum-lead compound platters (14.6- and 13.8-inch front and rear) that had us a little worried at the outset. They worked fine, however, mainly because of the overall lightness, but also because of the quite effective Air Brake that juts up from the rear spoiler (and which, while up like that, effectively blocks all rear-view visibility). After performing its duties, it juts back down to place. We felt no fading during our mad dashes, but the cars with the optional Brembo carbon ceramics were a plus all around. Not in any weight-saving capacity, but in just plain being able to hammer the brakes at the last possible moment all day and get on with world domination.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C carbon fiber MonoCell2012 McLaren MP4-12C brakes

The list of lightening options includes: "superlight" wheels, the carbon-fiber sport seats (not yet available at launch), Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber splitter and diffuser and lighter sport muffler. The price on these remains TBD at the time of this writing. There are 18 total of color choices, five of these being of the optional Elite range.

It was about damn time that McLaren got into serious series car production. Only they and Ferrari have been part of every single F1 season since 1966, and now the battle royal can come to the streets, endurance races and weekend clubsport barbecues. And the MP4-12C is cheap at just $231,400 keys-in-hand before taxes and options. Bargain basement, oh, yeah.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C rear 3/4 view

Total customer-destined production this year from Woking will be just 1,000 cars, one-third of those coming to the United States' nine giddy dealers. By 2015, so they say, full capacity of 4,000 per year will be reachable, that total being split between three separate models.

Does the MP4-12C beat all comers at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, though? No times were told, but all the Woking kids grinned a lot, saying even they were blown away at the margin of advantage. World-beater then? One thing's for certain: King Dennis will not be embarassed.

Review: 2011 Nissan Juke

Nissan seems to be on a war path to fill every last ounce of white space in the automotive spectrum. The company has unleashed a barrage of vehicles that range from playful to downright confusing. At first blush, the 2011 Nissan Juke would seem to fit into the latter category. With styling that's two shakes away from robo-reptilian, the small crossover packs plenty of power, a tall ride height and a small footprint into one sub-$20,000 package. If you can avoid pigeonholing the Juke, you'll find that the engineers at Nissan secretly managed to bring their own interpretation of the hot hatch to market without raising the ire of the company's accountants.

We wouldn't blame you for thinking we're one stud short of a lug pattern on this one, but point your peepers to a few specs and you'll see what we mean. The Juke weighs in at less than 3,000 pounds in front-wheel-drive guise and packs a turbocharged, direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that's good for 188 horsepower. For reference, the company's own Sentra SE-R hits the scales with an extra 88 pounds on its waist and 11 fewer ponies at its command. Opt for the manual gearbox in the Juke, and things get even lighter. Intrigued? We were too.


Perhaps the biggest compliment that we can pay the design of the 2011 Juke is to say there's nothing to compare it to in the automotive food chain. Sure, there are borrowed elements from the 370Z in the taillamps and there's more than a little Kia Soul in the roof line, but by and large, the Juke is its own machine. That's no small praise considering manufacturers have been cranking out vehicle designs for well over 100 years.

Up front, the Juke serves up something of a puzzle with its lighting array. Those stylized lenses up top don't tackle main illumination duty like you'd think. Instead, they prefer to take care of both marker and turning-indicator work, leaving headlight detail to the pie plate-sized lenses set low in the front fascia. If that's not confusing enough for you, higher trim levels also get fog lights placed even closer to the ground.



From the side, the Juke boasts seriously bulging fenders front and rear as well as a short wheelbase of just 99.6 inches. In fact, from stem to stern, the crossover measures a mere 162.4 inches, or shorter than even the admittedly small Versa hatchback. Fortunately, the Juke comes from the factory wearing stylish 17-inch alloy wheels even in base configuration. Those sizeable rollers give the Juke a little extra attitude and serve to help avoid the pitfall of looking like an econobox... er, trapezoid. Throw in a set of rear door handles hidden in the C-pillar and the Juke comes off as a three-door hatchback from a distance.

The rear of the Juke shows more of a traditional CUV or crossover look with a rounded hatch, sculpted taillamps and a small roof spoiler. Despite its abbreviated package, it uses a fairly tall rear deck for loading groceries and the like, and we expect the painted bumper cover to suffer more than a little abuse at the hands of careless owners.



Jump indoors and the Juke delivers an interior with a greater attention to detail than we're typically accustomed to from Nissan. The driver is treated to a sport steering wheel with contours in all the right places and quality texturing that feels a galaxy or two ahead of the tiller in the Rogue. Large, easy to use buttons make short work of cruise control, audio settings and handling calls from the Bluetooth system. Door panels are decorated with painted plastic bits color-matched to the unique "motorcycle tank" center console, and large, rounded chrome handles add a little bit of brightwork to an otherwise dark cockpit. Our tester came in S trim, which means that it sacrifices the trick I-CON center stack of the SV model for more pedestrian dials and buttons. Base guise does net buyers an iPod interface, though navigating the menu structure via the controls on the dash and steering wheel is nothing short of confounding.

Otherwise, the Juke serves up a surprising amount of room given its tiny stature. There's enough space to comfortably ferry four adults around town without having to accordion anyone's knees, and there's a deceptively large area behind the rear seats for stacking up luggage or groceries. We have it on good authority that several propane tanks and multiple bags of groceries can fit back there at the same time, though a lack of tie downs or hooks makes for plenty of racket once the going gets twisty.

The eggs never made it home.


One of the best things about the trim structure with the Juke is that no matter what configuration you choose, you're guaranteed to find one very capable four-cylinder engine under hood. Our bare-bones tester made use of the same direct-injection, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder as the rest of the lineup. That means we had the good fortune of getting to play with a full 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. While we were itching to get a full week's worth of time with the six-speed manual transmission, our tester came lugging the Nissan CVT gearbox in front-wheel-drive configuration.

But that's not as bad as you'd think. Nissan has cleverly graced the Juke with the same "shiftable" CVT programming as found in the likes of the Maxima. Nudge the gear lever up and the transmission will happily provide you with a quick jump in ratios that's good for darting along your favorite mountain road. Speaking of darting, front-wheel drive will net drivers a torsion-beam suspension out back, though like many inexpensive small cars these days, the rear bar doesn't seem to hold the Juke back when it comes time to tango.



Keep the tach pointed above 2,000 rpm and the Juke will gladly dispatch any amount of tarmac with little argument. The hatchback kicks out very little understeer if you manage to keep out of the throttle. Really mash the skinny pedal, though, and the sizable pack of horses will do their best to torque-steer you away from your intended path of flight. The result is a small car that begs you to keep hammering, despite its tall ride height. The brakes are properly firm and though the electric power steering is a characteristically light, it's not enough to dampen the giggle factor.

It's worth noting that our particular tester was a pre-production unit with plenty of hard-won miles on the clock at the hands of sinister auto journos. That said, we did notice a fairly rough idle, especially when the engine wasn't up to operating temperature. At highway speeds, the cabin suffers from road and engine noise, though not enough to worry us. This is a vehicle with an MSRP lighter than its curb weight, after all.

The EPA says you should be able to net 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway from a CVT-equipped, front-driver like our tester, though after a full week of darting around the countryside, we saw a measly 22 mpg combined. Just remember, kids: Small turbo engines drink fuel just like their larger, normally aspirated counterparts when you have your foot burried in the carpet. In this case, Nissan's little alien sucks down premium juice, so it would pay to go a little lighter on the fun pedal should you decide to park a 2011 Juke in your driveway.



And how much will Nissan ask for the pleasure of Juke ownership? Prices start with the S Trim at $18,960, and buyers can expect power doors, locks, iPod connectivity, a six-speaker sound system and Bluetooth hands-free calling for that stack of cash. That sticker price snugs the Juke smack dab between the Nissan Rogue at $20,810 and the Nissan Sentra at $15,520. With decent (if a bit theoretical) fuel economy and a fun factor that's well above either of those options, the Juke represents the perfect middle child in Nissan's lineup. While it may not be as functional as the Rogue, we'll take that sacrifice for the bump in power and the handling hijinks.

The Juke is as close to a modern hot hatch from Nissan as we're likely to get anytime soon, and were it ours, we'd immediately begin looking into ways to get the vehicle a little closer to the ground. If ever there were a car that begged for the aftermarket to right its wrongs, the Juke is it. The styling may not be for everyone, but after a week with the five-door, we grew warm to its funky face. Hey, if people can welcome pug dogs into their homes, they should have no problem opening up the garage door for the 2011 Juke.