Nissan Kubistar (03-08) - Review

It's not a heavy duty van, although still capable of carrying payloads ranging from 625kg to 800kg, which is still a useful capacity. Plus if you're carrying larger items, or boxes, Kubistar will swallow 3.0 cubic metres of cargo, useful for buyers who regularly need to move larger boxes. Access to the load area is through a single sliding door (though a second one is optional at extra cost) and double rear doors.

Every Kubistar gets a driver's airbag and side-impact protection, while more than half the range has ABS brakes. All cars have remote central locking.

Prices compare well to rivals, although model-for-model, Kubistar is slightly more expensive than the Renault Kangoo on which it is based. That said, it is well equipped. The 1.2's fuel economy is acceptable at 40mpg, but real savings for higher-mileage drivers come with the 1.5 dCi, which can manage 50mpg in everyday driving. The 1.2-litre needs to be serviced every year/12,000 miles, while the 1.5-litre is an impressive two years/24,000 miles, which helps to keep costs down.

Sturdily built with no major problems reported so far. 1.5-litre dCi engine is well proven in other cars and should be reliable.