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Chick Vacations was invited to try out the new Nissan Juke in Chicago and we loved it.  The Juke has such great style and maneuverability.  ...

The New Nissan Juke

By 6:30 PM

Chick Vacations was invited to try out the new Nissan Juke in Chicago and we loved it.  The Juke has such great style and maneuverability.  In a world where most cars look almost identical to each other the Juke really stands out.

Nissan has been having test drives of the Juke throughout the country before they release it for purchase in early October.  When I arrived to test drive the Juke we were told that they had a plan for us to see how the Juke really worked so we were going on a scavenger hunt through Chicago's streets and expressways.  After a tour of the car and explanation of all the great details in the car we were allowed to choose a car to drive.


The Juke we drove was fully loaded with sun roof and an Integrated Control (I-CON) system drive mode selector.  I had never seen this before so I was going to try it out of course.  The I-CON offers three different throttle transmission steering response settings.  You could drive the car in "Normal" mode which is for your everyday driving, "Sport" mode which gives you a lot of get up and go with turbo, or Eco mode for your best driving efficiency.  These drive modes are located in the center console where your climate controls are and interchanges with them.

Our first stop was Sears now Wlillis Tower where we drove the expressway and had to park in a very windy parking garage.  Driving there was interesting because I tested out all three driving modes and I of course fell in love with the Sport mode because of how connected I felt to the vehicle and the road.  The Sport mode was just plain fun and handled the best to me.

The next stop was a used record store in the Lakeview neighborhood where we really got to test out the "Sport" mode on Lakeshore Drive.  LOVED IT!!! After getting off Lakeshore Drive we put it into "ECO" mode so we could see how it would navigate the tight people crowed streets of Lakeview.  The ECO mode is perfect for the city especially if you are green conscience or want to be.  It has a display with 5 stars that the stars fill in to show how eco you were being with all 5 stars filled in has being the most economical.  Once to our destination we had to park in a very tight parking garage that was an obstacle itself but the Juke made it.

/>Leaving the tiny parking garage we headed up to the Rogers Park area where we had to go and take a picture with a Harley which was part of the inspiration for this car with the sporty fun vibe.  We drove it the whole way in "Normal" mode which was good but I still love the "Sport" mode.  I think that the "Sport" mode actually wrecked me for the other modes because I liked the power so much.  Part of the fun of this car is choosing which modes you want to drive in.  The three modes really make it perfect for any kind of driver. 

Our last envelope on our scavenger hunt concluded with finding a cupcake truck in the loop and having a tasty treat.  I tried the "ECO" mode again but I went back to the "Sport" mode and had a blast making all the turns to get there.  The turns you can take in this car are unbelievable.  It just moves like it is a piece of you.  Another great aspect of this car is that it gets between 25mpgs in the City depending on the model and 32 on the Highway which is excellent.

Other aspects of the car that were great was the stereo system and the rear cargo area.  I also loved the interior and the seats were very comfortable if you had to drive for awhile.  I also loved that you felt like you were driving a SUV because you were sitting like you would be in a chair and not with your legs laid out like typical sedans.  The one thing I wished this car had was more leg room in the backseat.  I sat in a Nissan Cube at an auto-show and had the drivers side seat pushed all the way back it had awesome leg space but not so in the Juke.  I think having 4 people in the car 5'5' or above would be hard and not so comfortable especially on a "Chick Vacation".  I would recommend the Juke as an everyday vehicle and a duo girls night out around the city vehicle.

Thank you to Nissan for the great experience and for the CD's at the Record store, the cupcake, and the great lunch afterwards.  You really know how to put on a great driving experience and I hope I can do it again with another vehicle.  Hint, Hint... "I would love to drive the Cube sometime."

The Juke sells from $18, 000 to $24,000 great price great car

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