Putting your money where your mouth isn’t
Nissans are great value, aren’t they? Maybe not this one.
Let’s do some maths. My top-spec Juke is £24,000 or, looking at leasing deals from Zen Auto, about £250 a month for a three-year, 10,000-mile deal at the time of writing. My question is, does the Juke present a compelling case for itself, given the big choice of other cars for similar money?
The Juke has some decent qualities going for it, not least its striking and actually-quitehandsome looks that have evolved from its Quasimodo-aping forebear. It has plenty of tech, like the headrest be-speakered Bose stereo system I keep banging on about, semi-autonomous driving assist tech and an interior filled with alcantara and sporty details. The 1.0-litre triple is boosty and characterful (if not particularly swift) and its luggage space is now among the best in its class.
But £24,000 is a hefty amount of dosh, and the competitiveness of the car leasing market means you can find some surprising alternatives. A Peugeot 2008 Allure Premium with the 99bhp petrol hovers around the same list price, a small SUV with a fantastic cockpit (and those futuristic 3D instruments), equally handsome looks and better ride quality than the Nissan. That list price will also get you a laugh-a-minute five-door Ford Fiesta ST-2.
On the finance front, your options are even wilder. Similar deals could net you a BMW 2-series Gran Coupe in 218i Sport form, a new-generation Audi A3 35 TFSI Sport, a Mazda 3 with its innovative variable-compression Skyactiv-X engine or a VW Golf Mk8 in all-you-could-need Style spec with the 128bhp 1.5-litre TSI Evo engine.
Bigger crossovers are available too. Remember Phil McNamara and Colin Overland’s recentlydeparted Citroën C5 Aircross and Seat Tarraco? Similar specs can be had for about £40 per month less than my Juke, at least in the Citroën’s case.
I am genuinely enjoying running this little red and black crossover, and can understand the appeal in living with one. But there are, logically, more practical, more sophisticated, more desirable or more fun cars.
£24,000 is a hefty amount of dosh, and you can find some surprising alternatives on the leasing market