Test Drive Nissan Juke since 2010 SUV

Comparative Test: Mini Countryman against Nissan Juke. And the battle of minipright will begin!

Each time the Germans produce a car that does not fit into any of the existing market segments, they claim that the absolutely new class of cars invented. It happened to the Mini Countryman compact versatile sports car. Most likely. How much is this category? Toyota RAV4? Kia Soul? Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (ASX)? Under the conditions of the real market, Countryman will not be able to succeed as a new invention. He will have to fight for the right to be better than the opponent.

Mini has the original advantages of an improved engine from a familiar cooper S (to the currently used turbine and direct injection, the Valvetronic system, an additional regulatory degree of throttle opening), an electronic central differential of the optional full drive system and a complex multi-dimensional rear suspension.

But all this does not make MINI unique. The new Juke from Nissan has its own 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection, a multi-dimensional suspension, and it has a more interesting distribution of torque over the axes and wheels in the full drive system.

So, we put in the same Mini and Juke line. It happened during the official launch of Countryman in Europe, which means that we failed to personally check the official data on the speed of overclocking and other parameters. But we did everything in our power: we rolled through the German autobahn (where there is no speed limit), a good country road, a more winding mountain track and the urban streets. Our mini was equipped with a complete drive of all4 and a six-speed manual gearbox. Juke had a variator (with six virtual speeds), since it comes in combination with a full drive. The front-wheel drive juke has a simpler torsion rear suspension. At MINI, it always remains multi-dimensional, regardless of whether he has ALL4, or not.

A quick look at the list of features Mini helps without much difficulty to carry out the shortcomings of the option with a full drive. In accordance with the manufacturer's data, the four-wheel drive adds 59 kg of weight and 0.3 seconds when overclocking up to 100 km / h (total 7.9 seconds). And in fact, the car seems a bit bounted due to excess weight, you don't expect a slightly heavy on the rise from the COOPER S signboard. On the autobahn, the sharp acceleration of 130 km / h required the transition to one, or even two programs down. The torque from the turbine is not enough to overcome the windshield resistance of the high body and speed up the considerable weight. At high speed, the engine sounds slightly stretched. Perhaps this is due to the Countryman body vibration, and maybe the new version of the Valvetronic system that makes the MINI engine sound like this.

Nissan officially declares a little more modest JUKE results when overclocking up to 100 km / h 8.4 seconds (although for the most objective comparison, it would be necessary to compare it with Countryman on the machine; its acceleration is 8.3 seconds). Despite the difference in numbers, Juke was very rarely felt slower than mini. If you block the distribution of torque, the moves of the gear selector lever between the plus and minus are becoming very clear. The most terrible in this engine is its fine unpleasant sound. In comparison with MINI, significant failures in the presentation of the moment we did not notice. It is worth noting that at high speeds the engine noise does not turn into a problem, since simply sinks in the noise of the oncoming air flow.

If the full drive systems have negatively affect the dynamics and efficiency (and in the case of Nissan, also on the useful space of the luggage compartment), do they offer an advantage on a winding track in return? MINI engineers proudly claim that they managed to keep in Countryman peculiar to all machines under this brand flavoring card. But we did not seem so. Yes, undoubtedly, Countryman has a very light informative steering wheel, the first movement of which easily sends before the car in turn. But then everything goes wrong. Behind this immediate response to your movement, a disappointing body roll and a small delay in the back of the car, which seems to not sleep behind the front. Then the steering wheel becomes a little lazy and viscous. And if you come in turn at too high speed, you will get insufficient turning that the power is not possible. It is best not to hurry at the entrance and snatch at the exit from turn.

Do not get us turning us. For crossover Countryman very movable and cheerful. But for Mini uniquely flawed. Perhaps the optional sports suspension can slightly correct the situation for the better, as it lowers the landing. Do not forget that our car was on small 17-inch wheels. Larger diameter discs are also option.

Juke also demonstrates a light bond roll, but it is moving, and he managed to cope with insufficient turning. The torque distribution system explicitly makes its work, unobtrusively directing the back on a wider trajectory, providing the face your chosen direction. At first it seems that here is about to turn the body to turn into a skid, but here you only need to learn to believe him and do not remove the leg with the gas pedal. Despite the outstanding abilities, Juke is unlikely to succeed in competing the best hatchbacks, since it has a too lightweight steering wheel, and, as a result, you do not receive information about what is happening on the road.

Well, you will still be rewarded for a desperate battle with a body roll in Juke and Countryman. Both cars can be smoothly carrying you and on urban pins, and in irregularities on the highway.

The total length of Juke is 4,114 mm, it is 2.5 cm longer Countryman. But thanks to a slightly longer MINI wheelbase, and in particular, because of its maintenance rear, there is enough space in the Countryman salon. The spaciousness of the MINI salon can be compared with the elder brother Juke, Nissan Rogue. This is the meaning of Countryman is positioned as mini for people who need a spacious car, while Juke is designed to be the smallest, brazen and stylish in the numerous family of Nissan crossovers. Therefore, it is precarious to sacrifice the capacity of the salon for the sake of stylish.

It is worth noting that in this pair, Juke has definitely brighter appearance, with its several headlights and huge wheel arches, which support the curved glass arch, sloping the roof and a pull-up tail. You won't call it sophisticated, but the more time we spent with him, the more he liked. Countryman forms to love it is a little more difficult. It looks like a fastened parody of a two-door hatchback mini. But some similarity with the original mini still overlooks, and therefore we forgive him his unattractiveness.

Inside Countryman also reminds MINI, with rows of eccentric and so hotly beloved by all switches, a strange location of the instruments, because of which it seems that the speedometer is generally derived from the field of view. You seem to be allowed to constantly peer into an additional digital speedometer indicator. Driver's position in Mini, as always, excellent legs ahead, shoulders perpendicular to the thigh lines. In comparison with the hatchback, it became higher, although it does not reach SUV. In a word, it is quite high, so as not to be afraid of the trucks passing by the truck (if in the usual low-planted mini it happened to you).

And, of course, Countryman has a full-size rear seat, convenient for adult passengers, stretchingly different from the eccentric MINI CLUBMAN sofa. If children are located on it, then you can safely move it forward, thereby increasing the space of the trunk. The basic equipment includes four full-fledged seats separated by the guide, which built into various coasters and pockets needed to accommodate trifles (phones, mugs, players, etc.).

Another innovation is the optional Mini Connected system, consisting of an application for your iPhone, which can output Google's search engine and even your Twitter page on the navigation system monitor, as well as voice the news via voice synthesizer.

Nissan also has a lot of new products in the interior. If, when developing a central MINI panel, practicality was put in the head of the corner, the Juke panel is more like a motorcycle tank. Clear and difficult, but in principle it is pretty, because no one has no more. And harm from this, no required number of holders for glasses and ashtran is present. Passengers in the rear seat will be closed: little space above your head. And the all-wheel drive version also ridiculously small trunk. As a sample of the arrangement, it can be tried to perceive as a superminature version of the BMW X6.

What is part of the novelties in the Nissan salon? These include the HVAC buttons and the monitor leading the second secret life. Press the D-MODE switch, and the macrick of the air conditioner buttons, as by magic, changes, offering you to choose between the sports / ordinary / economical mode of operation of the steering, fuel card, transmission and air conditioning systems. In this mode, the HVAC monitor alternately displays information about the pressure, graphics of efficiency, route and timing distribution schedule in real time. The last chip is borrowed from GT-R, it delivers a lot of pleasure to passengers well, not exactly the driver, which at the time of the redistribution of traction should look anywhere, but not on a small display at the bottom of the central console.

Both of these cars bring something to their own: good dynamics, comfort on the road, new interiors. As a compact crossover for asphalt roads from Mini brilliant perspectives. He is most practical in this pair, plus, he has a little more chic. The problem is that it does not quite correspond to our dreams about him. It looks like mini, but unfortunately, it goes differently.

Juke is also going at all as it should, judging by Nissan hints that it is equipped with a complete drive system similar to the one that is installed in GT-R. But he is much more fascinating and arrive at Countryman and on dynamics and design. If you want a car that looks like no other on the road, then Juke is definitely your choice.

First place: Nissan Juke
It looks strange, rides zadorly. Juke is not a joke, but still leaves you with a smile on your face.

Second place: MINI COUNTRYMAN ALL4
Cute, but when it comes to turns, it does not behave in gentlemen. Looks like mini. But it goes worse.

A source: Motor Trend.