{"id":19013,"date":"2016-07-06T14:49:12","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T18:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=19013"},"modified":"2016-08-05T14:53:50","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T18:53:50","slug":"payne-qaptain-quirk-clubman-vs-veloster-vs-juke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2016\/07\/payne-qaptain-quirk-clubman-vs-veloster-vs-juke","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Qaptain Quirk? Clubman vs.Veloster vs. Juke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Detroit<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Combine<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"The<\/p>\n<\/div>

You want different? We got different.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of variety for car shoppers with deep pockets: supercar hybrids, Tesla gullwings, BMW i8s. But what for those on a budget? The compact car aisle offers entry-level buyers a wealth of affordable appliances bristling with technology. But in a volume segment designed to onerous safety and fuel-economy regulations, the row-upon-row of soap bar-shaped lookalikes can be numbingly familiar: Toyota Corollas, Chevy Cruzes, Honda HR-Vs, Ford Focuses. Competent yes, but with all the personality of oatmeal.<\/p>\n

For those who like Chunky Monkey Chocolate Chip Fudge Ripple, peanut butter on their bananas, and plaid shirts and checkered pants, welcome to the Quirky Qar Qlub.<\/p>\n

These cures for the common car must meet my four criteria: (1) They look like nothing else. (2) Sport at least one odd birthmark. (3) Are priced under $30,000. (4): Beg to be driven. My three favorites: the 2016 Mini Cooper Clubman, Hyundai Veloster and Nissan Juke.<\/p>\n

Mini Cooper Clubman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mini? Maxi is more like it.<\/p>\n

Clubman \u2014 a proper five-door compared to the awkward three-door version introduced in 2007 \u2014 is supersized for the small-crossover segment. And it\u2019s a suitably quirky entry in a segment that prizes quirk. Even as more mainstream, small SUV designs like the Chevy Trax and Honda HR-V have invaded the market, quirk-mobiles like the Juke, Kia Soul and Jeep Renegade make for a spicy mix of characters right out of a \u201cStar Wars\u201d bar scene.<\/p>\n

Exterior proportions work, though everything is so … obese. Honey, I blew up the Mini! Headlights are as big as your head and door-mounted mirrors look like they weigh 100 pounds. I didn\u2019t measure it, but I bet Clubman\u2019s mouth could swallow the original 1960 Mini in one bite.<\/p>\n

Familiar Mini DNA continues inside with signature \u201chook\u201d switchgear everywhere, dinner plate-sized center infotainment console, and round door handles. Though a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW, Mini\u2019s plaid coin cubby still reminds of its British heritage even as it (argh!) adopts its German parent\u2019s rotary-console control knob.<\/p>\n

Quirky birthmark? Check out Clubman\u2019s unique rear \u201cDutch doors.\u201d It\u2019s like the Mini was rear-ended by an Oxford cabinet-maker. Push the hatch key and each door swings open like it was haunted. Give \u2019em room. The hinges are so tightly spring-loaded they almost whacked my wife off her feet as she rounded the back. With second-row seats collapsed, this maximum Mini boasts best-in-quirk cargo room.<\/p>\n

But the quirkiest quotient is its handling. True to Mini club-racing tradition, the low-profile Clubman can cut some rug. Wanna get dirty in the Outback? Buy a Renegade. Want to dance on twisty roads? Clubman\u2019s the ticket.<\/p>\n

Only the engine disappoints. Married to an excellent six-speed manual, my base 1.6-liter turbo 3-cylinder was but adequate. Cough up $3,500 for another cylinder and you\u2019ll get 189 horses (the Cooper S).<\/p>\n

Hyundai Veloster<\/strong><\/p>\n

Combine \u201cvelocity\u201d and \u201croadster\u201d and you get \u201cVeloster.\u201d Though it\u2019s not a roadster. More like a coupe \u2014 with three doors. And a hatch. I told you it was quirky. I would have called it \u201cCerberus\u201d after the three-headed dog that guards Hell.<\/p>\n

It looks like a hound from Hell. I\u2019m pretty sure this is what Cerberus would drive. With fearsome jaws and beady eyes, Veloster is a zombie pit bull that just saw a postman.<\/p>\n

There are a few of these mongrels scampering around Detroit and they always catch my eye. Though not for the third door (right side). There\u2019s that face \u2014 and a cool tuckus with sculpted taillights and twin exhaust pipes in the middle like Corvette C7 Jr.<\/p>\n

Of course, I\u2019m just talking here about the 201-horse Veloster Turbo \u2014 not the base, 132-horse speed bump. I don\u2019t know why you\u2019d buy anything but the Turbo. If you\u2019re looking for hatchback practicality, the VW Golf or Ford Focus blow Veloster away. Taking the ancient, last-gen Elantra Veloster chassis on broken Detroit roads and I worried it would pull apart like taffy.<\/p>\n

The inside is a surprisingly fun place to be \u2014 unless you\u2019re 6-foot-5 like me and you were the first person to get shoved across the backseat to sit behind the driver. You might need the jaws of life to extract you. But you\u2019ll still admire the airy four panes of glass \u2014 optional twin-moonroof connecting front and rear windshields \u2014 interrupted only by the B and C pillar supports.<\/p>\n

The bowl-shaped shifter seems to be a quirk standard \u2014 Veloster, Mini and Juke all share it. Unique touches abound like a dash-centered start-stop button and orange door handles that double as \u201coh-crap!\u201d handles for your passengers when the devil inhabits you.<\/p>\n

And he will.<\/p>\n

Take ol\u2019 Cerberus \u2014 er, Veloster \u2014 over to Hell, Michigan, every once in a while to let the demon run. The eager turbo and remarkably smooth, 7-speed auto box (6-speed manual optional) beg to be flogged. Spying my twin pipes, I routinely attracted other motorheads eager to play \u2014 yeah, they know what those pipes mean.<\/p>\n

Hey, Hyundai, how about three pipes for the next gen?<\/p>\n

Nissan Juke<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who\u2019s the quirkiest of them all? Juke looks like a Nissan and a frog had a love child. Big, muscular haunches. Round corners. Lights like eyes on top of the hood. I expected a fly-eating tongue to snap out of its broad mouth at any moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really cute,\u201d said one passerby. \u201cExcept for the face.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Juke revels in its oddness, which is why I love it. It\u2019s a conversation piece like the pet pug down the street. Its bastard looks are also deceiving. Short of the Mini Clubman, it is one of the best handling utes in the segment. The boys at Car & Driver recorded skid pad g-loads at .84 \u2014 just shy of the more athletic-looking Mini\u2019s .86 and Veloster\u2019s .85. Over the San Francisco Bay area\u2019s insanely twisted King\u2019s Mountain Road to Half Moon Bay, the Juke playfully juked left and right, its peppy 188-horse, 1.6-liter turbo enjoying brief straightaways in between. And like Mini, Juke brings all-wheel-drive to Qlub Quirk \u2014 a useful tool to dig out of Detroit\u2019s snowy winters.<\/p>\n

Despite its crossover moniker, however, Juke is tight in the hind seats, providing poor leg and cargo room compared to larger, comparably priced vehicles like the Honda CR-V.<\/p>\n

But utility is for conformists. You\u2019re different. And so, bless us all, are the Juke, Veloster and Clubman. Quirk on, qar lovers.<\/p>\n

2016 Mini Cooper Clubman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type:<\/strong> Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger crossover<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price:<\/strong> $24,950 base ($26,500 as tested)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power plant:<\/strong> 1.5-liter, turbocharged 3-cylinder; 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power:<\/strong> 134 horsepower, 162 pound-feet torque (turbo 3); 189 horsepower, 207 pound-feet torque (turbo 4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transmission:<\/strong> 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Performance:<\/strong> 0-60 mph, 8.9 seconds (turbo 3-cyl., manufacturer), top speed: 127 mph<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weight:<\/strong> 3,105 pounds (manual, turbo 3-cyl. as tested)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fuel economy:<\/strong> EPA 25 mpg city\/34 mpg highway\/28 mpg combined (manual turbo 3); EPA 24 mpg city\/34 mpg highway\/27 mpg combined (manual turbo 4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Report card<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Highs:<\/strong> Good ol\u2019 Mini styling; best-in-quirk cargo room<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lows: Rotary-dial console control; all-wheel drive, please?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong><\/p>\n

2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type:<\/strong> Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, four-passenger sport coupe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price:<\/strong> $24,950 base ($27,450 auto as tested)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power plant:<\/strong> 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power:<\/strong> 201 horsepower, 195 pound-feet torque<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transmission:<\/strong> 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Performance:<\/strong> 0-60 mph, 6.7 seconds (Car & Driver), top speed: 140 mph<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weight:<\/strong> 2,877 pounds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fuel economy:<\/strong> EPA 27 mpg city\/33 mpg highway\/29 mpg combined (23.8 mpg flogging-it-like-a-madman as tested)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Report card<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Highs: Aggressive styling; airy, glassed roof<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lows:<\/strong> Taffy chassis; rear-seat for munchkins only<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong><\/p>\n

2016 Nissan Juke<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type:<\/strong> Front-engine, front or all-wheel-drive, five-passenger crossover<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price:<\/strong> $21,150 base ($23,000 S AWD)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power plant:<\/strong> 1.6-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power:<\/strong> 188 horsepower, 177 pound-feet torque<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transmission:<\/strong> Continuously-variable automatic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Performance:<\/strong> 0-60 mph, 6.9 seconds (Car & Driver), top speed: 124 mph<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weight: 3,164 pounds (S AWD)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fuel economy:<\/strong> EPA 26 mpg city\/31 mpg highway\/28 mpg combined (S AWD)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Report card<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Highs:<\/strong> Peppy powerplant; nimble handling for a compact utility<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lows:<\/strong> Love-it-or-hate-it styling; space-challenged<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You want different? We got different. There\u2019s plenty of variety for car shoppers with deep pockets: supercar hybrids, Tesla gullwings, BMW i8s. But what for those on a budget? The compact car aisle offers entry-level buyers a wealth of affordable appliances bristling with technology. But in a volume segment designed to onerous safety and fuel-economy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19013"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19014,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013\/revisions\/19014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}