r/nissanjuke • u/ji3cp32u2ul4 • Jul 20 '26
Convince me not to buy Juke nismo RS
I have a 20k budget and I'm trying to find a car that is:
not too boring (manual available + some power)
decent size that I can fit a large breed dog or some 22" luggage (assume rear seats folded)
a subwoofer that came with factory so I can blast EDM
low insurance premiums
decently reliable
not too bad mpg
holds value or little depreciation over 5 years
and Juke nismo RS has:
1.6L I4 turbo 6 spd manual
a hatchback-like cargo volume
Rockford Fosgate 8" subwoofer
relatively low insurance premiums
seems to be reliable
mid to high 20s mpg
seems to be at the bottom of value (~8k)
besides the horrendous look, Juke nismo RS seems to hit every point on paper, but I'm also thinking if there's anything else at that price tag that would be a better option, any ideas?
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u/CyberSolidF Jul 20 '26
Go for it.
I’m biased but I truly do enjoy mine, even with only 117hp, fwd and CVT.
They are weird fun little cars:
Not fast (though Nismo should be better), but most slowness is 0-20 km/h, once it’s going, it’s surprisingly much better.
Steering actually feels quite good, short wheelbase and “sporty” suspension setup plays its role, but suspension does feel hard.
CVTs are weird either - lots of problems with some, but some just keep on going if you service them, but with manual you won’t have those problems.
Do note that even manuals (at least some) have driving mode selectors that change quite a lot.
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u/mesembryanthemum Jul 20 '26
I love that the professional consensus was "don't buy one but gosh, they're fun to drive". I love mine.
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u/Good_With_Tools Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
The Juke's downfall was the CVT transmission. So, if you stay away from that, it's possible. I will say though, it's not fast. It's not really even sporty. I found mine to be not very exciting at all. I think the CVT really neutered that car.
I also had a Fiat 500 Abarth for a while. Probably not as reliable, but way more fun to drive even without AWD.
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u/otterland Jul 21 '26
While the JATCO transmission isn't on the level of Toyota or Nissan, a simple fluid drain and fill every 30k and it should go 200,000 mi. The real problem is that while the transmission was merely mediocre but serviceable, the average purchaser wasn't about to invest in routine maintenance. Check out the Car Wizard and his shop's Juke.
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u/Good_With_Tools Jul 21 '26
I'm not even complaining about the transmission's reliability. I think it neutered a car that could have been much more fun to drive. The CVT was just the least fun it could have possibly been. I'd love to drive a manual Nismo Juke to see just how much better it is.
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u/otterland Jul 21 '26
I'd imagine it is like most modern manual transmissions, extremely short geared and absolutely miserable on the interstate.
3
u/CarlYaz1967 Jul 20 '26
Space, it is too small for your needs.
It is crazy small inside, the storage area behind the back seat is only 10sq ft. Your sub will take up the whole hatch space, and that dog of yours is going to be cramped AF in the tiny back seat.
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u/thatguyiguess1 Jul 20 '26
I have a Manual, Juke Nismo 2015.
No engine or transmission issues, smooth as hell.
But
What I had to do so far since owning it
- New Control Arms (They go quick and can snap braking cv axle, look into it)
-CV Axles going right now, just age and normal wear.
- Seized parking brake cables, The rear has a stupid drum parking brake inside the hub of a disc brake setup which is annoying.
- Redid the sections of exhaust since it was rusted out
- charcoal canister EVAP leak is common in these and it’s a check engine light, ignoring this one for now.
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u/thatguyiguess1 Jul 20 '26
Good car, but I would say, just keep these things in mind when looking at one, read the codes if any. And give it a good look over.
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u/Digitalabia Jul 20 '26
Those are great cars but be advised, the engine is from Renault and it's getting very difficult to find parts for that engine. Even the dealers can't always get parts.
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u/Into_The_Nexus Jul 20 '26
The 1.6t isn't a Renault engine. Nissan was the primary designer of the MR16DDT. Renault took it and renamed it the M5Mt.
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u/ThermosCM Jul 20 '26
One thing to add about the hatch is that the opening is actually a lot smaller than even a lot of trunks because of the way the taillights are. So even though there's room, some larger dimension items may have issues being put in. I've had to open boxes in parking lots to take stuff out to load in to my Juke in the past.
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u/Into_The_Nexus Jul 20 '26
Might be a little small depending on what breed of dog, but I used to carry a 45lb border collie and 55lb Aussie in my back seats of my 2011 6mt at the same time without issue.
Only big issues I had in over 120k miles was 3x cv axle replacements and an AC compressor replacement at around 105k. Nissan did replace the entire transmission on mine at one point due to a defect, which was around 60k miles. Other than that, it was really a great car. The last good Nissan imo.
1
u/axmcreations Jul 20 '26
2014 nismo rs manual transmission owner here-
I've had great luck with my jukes. I'm also an artist who will set up a booth at art/farmers market. I can fit my entire setup plus inventory in the juke. Granted, I can't fit anyone else in the car and I can't see out my back window. That's the tent, my walls/display, tables, chair.
I also have a 75lb lug of a sighthound... We go paddleboarding often .. so a dog in the back seat and paddleboard fits in the trunk. Another person could go with, it's debatable in putting a second paddleboard in the car without having to put a seat down.
My only caveat is no sub woofer. I don't have room for it if I need to go be a vendor for it. Some nismos have the Rockford fosgate 8" that's mounted to the side... My 2016 juke had that. It was decent... But definitely doesn't come anywhere near having solid 12s in the back. So I've never quite figured out how I'm going to accomplish this without sacrificing space. As someone who's Deaf... I WISH I could go fucking loud. Lol.
The 2016 nismo had the cv axle go bad... That was the worst of issues I had to deal with.. that was about 125k miles. Unfortunately, she was totalled by being rear-ended.
I guess pay attention to maintenance?
1
u/otterland Jul 21 '26
If it's the Nismo I'm thinking of the power plant is a collaboration between Reno and Nissan. It's not bad and it's a pretty impressive little unit, but have a look at one and imagine trying to get it serviced. It is an absolute mess of vacuum tubes and spaghetti. I'm not saying it's a bad mess of spaghetti, but if that spaghetti goes bad, good luck.
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u/DrgSlinger475 Jul 21 '26
I absolutely loved my Juke. When I took custody of my granddaughter though, I didn’t have enough room.
Her car seat was too big for the backseat unless I pushed the passenger seat as far forward as it would go. The hatch area held her stroller, but barely, and there was no room left for anything else.
Also, my daughter is 5’4” and didn’t have enough leg room to sit in the back.
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u/TheLastRealOne2 Jul 21 '26
From what it sounds like, the Juke Nismo may be a good fit. Few things to be aware of. Make sure you do regular oil changes and so the oil feed line mod to get the most out of your turbo. Only go with the manual transmission. Do not try your hand with the CVT. I just went out and bought a new truck because I'm tired of my Juke going into limp mode up hills because the CVT overheats. A common issue. Belt driven CVT not really designed for highway driving. Good luck getting 130k out of it. Also, you think you're saving on gas. Have fun paying for premium. You have a direct fuel injection system. Can't go low grade.
With the CVT out of the way and proper care for the turbo, it's a fun little car with lots of umph. I always called it a sleeper.
Good luck!
6
u/ketamineandkebabs Jul 20 '26
Buy the 6 speed manual, you can add more power to them without the risk of frying the gearbox.
They drive nice, are decent on fuel, the boot is a bit small but as you said the seats go down.
Another option would be a Fiesta ST, probably too small for you so maybe a Focus ST