Nissan Juke vs Toyota Yaris

What's the difference?

The Nissan Juke was meant to herald a new era for Nissan in Australia.

It was the first in a slew of new-generation SUVs and has now been joined by the Qashqai, X-Trail, and Pathfinder as part of a new-look Nissan.

Unlike those others, though, the Juke hasn’t quite resonated with buyers. Since arriving to what Nissan probably expected to be fanfare back in 2020, the new Juke has since sunk to the bottom of its compact SUV segment, outselling only a handful of other models.

So, what went wrong? Is the quirky styling of the Juke too much? Are there too many appealing choices in the compact SUV space? Alternatively, could the Juke be an underrated gem worth checking out?

I find myself in an upper mid-spec ST-L to find out.

Long the domain of first-car buyers and suburbanites winding down on their driving years, the Toyota Yaris is now hybrid-only, and is a far cry from the $15,000-or-so cheap and cheerful staple it once was.

But with its fourth generation a few years into its lifespan, the Yaris is trying to be more than just a basic A-to-B runabout. In fact, the ZR we have on test is more expensive than an entry-grade Volkswagen Polo.

Does more than $30,000 of light hatch really feel worth it once you’re behind the wheel, or are you better off pocketing almost $10,000 to save on one of the thinning pack of rivals?