CUBE'D!

"fhrblig" (fhrblig)
10/03/2018 at 21:23 • Filed to: None

That’s right, I finally have a vehicle after 3 long months... and it’s a boxy boi.

It’s a 2012 Cube S, with the 6-speed manual. It’s got a fair amount of features like power windows and locks and keyless entry, an ok stereo with an AUX jack, though it doesn’t have cruise control. Rides and drives great so far.

It does have a couple minor issues I’ll need to address. First, the tires are twice butt. They look like they’re performance tires (WHY??) and they're on their last legs , so I think I’m going to spring for a set of som e Hankook all season tires that I found for relatively cheap at Discount Tire. Second, the rear speakers did not work because there are no rear speakers. It’s not like the previous owner took them, the dealer checked it out and there is just the foam that the factory put there when it was built. The sound is adequate for now. I’ll probably get some speakers later on.

It’s going to take me a bit to get used to driving a manual, and it’s the first 6-speed I’ve owned. But it’s a fun little car. It has the amount of power I’d wished the Fiat had. Sometime soon I’m going to take it for a nice long mountain drive and see how it does.

Thank God I have a car again!

DISCUSSION (42)

dogisbadob > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:27

Glad you have a car again. I hope you get many enjoyable miles out of it.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:29

Your cube has more features than my 2018 Forte

fhrblig > dogisbadob
10/03/2018 at 21:33

Thanks, I think I will! It’s pretty spry with the manual. Those tires are crap though.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:34

Nice! I’ve always likes those, although I wonder if that’s just because of the (unnecessary) hate thrown at them. Some people just cannot handle asymmetry.

Sometimes I wonder if I even have rear speakers in the back of the Mazda5. They're waaay in the back, by the third row, mounted down low so that the sound is blocked by seats, and it's even worse when the cargo cover is deployed. Probably the only good thing I will ever say about my old Ford Windscar was that it had decent sized speakers and they were in the middle of the vehicle where the front seat occupants could actually hear them. I did replace the front speakers in the Mazda5 with some really good Polks and I've been quite happy, happy to the point where I've put off the rear speaker and subwoofer upgrading I'd been contemplating.

fhrblig > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/03/2018 at 21:34

#luxury

fhrblig > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
10/03/2018 at 21:35

The sound is a little dry with just the front speakers, but it's still better than my Optima.

facw > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:36

Congratulations on your new dash pubes!?

Nibby > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:38

what happened to truck? congrats though

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:39

Yeah, I have to admit that I have the fader set quite a bit rearward in order to fill the car with sound. I've got some tweeters I was thinking of mounting above seat height, and might experiment with a digital delay of some sort to expand the sound field.

fhrblig > facw
10/03/2018 at 21:40

It’s so lush and soft!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:46

Welcome back to car ownershipness! That gauge cluster actually looks kindof nice!

How are the concentric ceiling ripple rings treating you?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:47

Congrats ! I had a hunch when I saw you had cubed your username yesterday.

aquila121 > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 21:49

Glad that you like it. I keep considering something like this, but keep telling myself that it’s likely a bit too tall and not quite as tossable as I’d prefer. Otherwise, I’m a fan of the unusual styling, light weight, and boxy practically.

If I had one, I’d slam it to the ground, ja ck up the track width with wide wheels/tires , and mutilate the fenders in favor of some flares. And as long as I’m daydreaming about ridiculousness, spray on some loud paint and graft a turbo on to the engine—let’s go halfway as crazy as the Juke R...

Dammit. Now I kinda want one.

facw > Nibby
10/03/2018 at 21:50

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

aquila121 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/03/2018 at 21:51

Man, I thought I heard Kia was stepping it up in recent years. Not on that model, I guess?

Nibby > facw
10/03/2018 at 21:52

i meant truck search :P

fhrblig > Nibby
10/03/2018 at 21:53

The truck had a bunch of mechanical problems so I took advantage of the 5-day bring-it-back guarantee.

This is probably the better choice anyway. It was about a grand cheaper and will get like 3 times the mpgs. Also $100 cheaper in insurance for six months.

fhrblig > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
10/03/2018 at 21:55

The cluster is nice and clear. I do wish the tilt steering went a bit higher, but it’s fine. That LCD part is in like 7 other Nissan models so it’s familiar.

That headliner is so cool. I love it.

fhrblig > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
10/03/2018 at 21:56

I snuck that in there after I signed the loan paperwork at my credit union. I wondered if anyone saw it.

fhrblig > aquila121
10/03/2018 at 21:59

It’ll never feel too tall to me, because every week I drive a thousand or so miles in a high-roof ProMaster. That’s a tall vehicle.

Khalbali > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 22:09

Aawesome very jelly! I always liked the cube and xb, and the element is growing on me too, sadly anything but a ratty xb will probably be out of my budget, my next car needs to be a sub 2k cash car.

aquila121 > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 22:10

Ah, now I see our difference in reference points: my fun car is a '97 Prelude. That cargo van would squash me. But I'm sure the Cube feels like a go-kart for you, especially since you got the fun transmission.

Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 22:15

Congrats, may the many miles ahead of you two be fruitful.

Are the tires you’re looking at the Hankook Ventus 2's? I got some about a month ago and I will say they are kind of noisy. I drive a 90's Civic and they have zero sound insulation, so your mileage may vary. Other than that they have been terrific tires for the price.

glemon > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 22:22

Nice find, I don’t see many of those cars out and about, do the rear seats fold out or pop out so you can put big boxes and stuff in it?

How do you like the six speed? I always thought it would be be really cool, and maybe it is in a 700 hp Porsche or Corvette, but in a regular car you usually end up with a tall highway gear you can’t really accelerate in and another even taller highway gear.

fhrblig > Khalbali
10/03/2018 at 22:26

This one was only $5900, which shocked me. I guess people are really not into manuals.

fhrblig > aquila121
10/03/2018 at 22:27

I should measure and see if the Cube can fit in the back of my van.

fhrblig > Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition
10/03/2018 at 22:29

Nah, it was some Optimo H727s. They’re around $86 per tire and the few reviews were mostly positive.

fhrblig > glemon
10/03/2018 at 22:37

It seems to pull ok in all gears as long as the revs aren’t too low. I’m satisfied so far. It is a little weird, the 6th gear. A couple times I grabbed at the space where the shifter would be if it were in 5th, because I forgot it was in 6th. Also I keep trying to grab at the middle of the dash, because the last manual car I drove was my Fiat 500 and the lever is in the dash.

fhrblig > glemon
10/03/2018 at 22:38

And the seats, it looks like they do not fold flat. Maybe they come out? I need to check it out when I have more time and it’s not dark out.

AestheticsInMotion > fhrblig
10/03/2018 at 22:40

YES. I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU. Love the cube. And manual too..?? Oh man.

This almost makes up for you not liking candy corn

fhrblig > AestheticsInMotion
10/03/2018 at 23:06

It’s in great shape too, except for a couple dents where the ham-fisted previous owner put their ski racks on too tight. If I can’t have a truck, then this is the next best thing.

glemon > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 00:27

I had Hankook Optimos on my Maxima for many years, did everything they were supposed to and nothing they weren't. Lasted a long time to.

M.T. Blake > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 01:48

Get the JDM rear door for it! So JDM-tyte-yo!

Wait... now I can’t see out the back so good.

Future Heap Owner > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 04:03

Yess! I was hoping you’d go with the cube. Make sure to give us the longer trip update after the first time you take it out to your Mom’s.

fhrblig > glemon
10/04/2018 at 06:48

Ok, good. They look like a decent tire.

Monkey B > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 08:44

nice...I’ve been considering one of these. What are prices like on them these days?

fhrblig > M.T. Blake
10/04/2018 at 09:40

Wouldn’t I have to change the pillar out too? That sounds like work.

fhrblig > Future Heap Owner
10/04/2018 at 09:42

Hopefully I’ll be able to switch the tires first. I can’t stress too much how terrible they are. It reminds me of the 200+ Versa at my last job that drive like it was on its last legs. I changed the tires and it drove like a new car.

CaptDale - is secretly British > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 13:09

Well..... at least it is manual

M.T. Blake > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 13:12

Lol. No idea. All I remember is that the JDM model has the window on the other side so when you look backwards you can see out the rear. I’m waiting to see someone do it, and watch them nearly strike everything in reverse :)

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > fhrblig
10/04/2018 at 13:28

Awesome! Congrats!!! So weird that it has no cruise control.

fhrblig > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
10/04/2018 at 14:14

It’s the base S model, which is probably the only trim you could get with a manual.