Anyone thinking of a Cube? (Don't laugh)

jginnane

I would add that this third car has to be city parkable. With the Yukon, I've always been able to cheat a little because it has steel bumpers, but there aren't many cars on the road like that any more. You can actually see the back pretty well from inside -- I've been able to parallel park with less than a foot of extra room, front and back.

But many modern cars are designed like the Nissan Murano, where you've got no clue there even is anything in back. The blind spots on the Z don't bother me when I'm driving, but when I back into a parking space using mirrors, I tend to leave an extra 6-8 feet behind me. (Force of habit? Desire not to replace the rear bumper and exhaust in the first year of ownership? )

Here the Cube actually scores well enough, because it's neatly squared off and you've only got the hump from the rear window wiper motor to obstruct your view. The (upright) Honda Element would be better than the Fit. The Mazda 3s 5-dr hatchback, not so good, but I think on the trim level that has HIDs they also include a rear "proximity warning" thingie, which is something I'd have to test on a TD.

(I'm prepping myself to expect the Cube to be like a big white delivery truck -- think of an International step van -- so anything better wins the low expectations game.)