2025 Nissan Kicks

Pros 

• The style is beautiful and stylish.
• Fair prices.
• Wonderful technology features.
• The seats are nice and soft.

Cons

• Slow speeding up.
• In the real world, fuel economy is awful.
• The Kicks SR has a very stiff rideover bumps.

How does the Kicks’ engine work? In general, the Nissan Kicks works about the same as other small SUVs in its class. During our emergency braking test, it took the Kicks about 132 feet to stop. However, the brakes were smooth and confident, and they were easy to use when driving around town. It’s about the same for both control and steering. The Kicks are easy to drive and handle, but we wouldn’t want to go on a road with lots of turns.

Sadly, both the transmission and the engine stopped working. When you try to speed up the car quickly, the engine sounds slow and weak. It takes the Kicks 10.3 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is the longest time in its class for an extra-small SUV. The continuously variable automatic transmission also reacts slowly to both large and small speed inputs and doesn’t make the most of the engine’s limited performance. Compared to other cars in its class, the Kicks’ engine feels old and rough.

How do you feel about the Kicks? The front seats are comfortable, and the upholstery in the top SR trim level is a stylish mix of fabric that breathes and fake leather that doesn’t let you sweat too much on hot days. These small SUVs have better seats all around, even in the back.

The SR trim’s better upholstery pleased us, but its 19-inch wheels and tires did not. The Kicks already had a rough ride over bumps, and the low-profile tires made it even worse. On rough city streets, they almost always jostled. When going faster, the Kicks gave you great body control and made you feel stable the whole time. Louder noises could be heard inside the car because of the low-profile tires, but not as much as the engine when it was speeding up.

How is the inside? It’s easy to get in and out of Kicks’ house and get to know them. It’s easy to use the touchscreen choices and the climate control. The front and sides are easy to see thanks to the large windows and low hoodline. The wide rear roof beams make it hard to see out the back, but they’re not a disaster.

However, people who are taller or have bigger feet might need help getting into a driving stance. When you sit low and straight, the accelerator pedal is pushed up against the side of the footwell, which can be painful. We also noticed that the Kicks’ back seats aren’t as roomy as those in similar ultra-compact SUVs.

How does the tech work? Our top-of-the-line Kicks SR has a Bose surround sound system and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Other trims have a 7-inch screen. These improvements give the Kicks a style that some of its rivals might not have. Although a navigation system is not built in, every Kicks trim level except the base can connect your phone wirelessly and show Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Backseat riders can charge their phones wirelessly and use USB-C ports.

You can enjoy your Kicks with Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 1.0, which has a surround-view camera system and semi-automated hands-free driving with front and back parking sensors. The other tools we used to help us drive also worked well. The Kicks have a lot of good features for the price.

How are things with the storage? The Kicks’ trunk has a normal amount of space for its class. With front-wheel drive, the SV and SR trim levels can hold 29.2 cubes of stuff. The base S can hold 30 cubes, which is a little more. But when all-wheel drive is added, the lineup’s room drops to 23.9 cubic feet. It’s important to note that the SV trim has a choice to change the floor height so that it can fit some taller items.

The Kicks have a lot of room inside for your everyday things. The large cupholders and door pockets for the front and back riders are very useful, even though they aren’t very creative. However, bigger rear-facing seats may not fit perfectly, which is common for small SUVs. Car seats will be easy to install.

How much fuel does it use? The EPA says that the Kicks with all-wheel drive get 30 mpg on the highway, while the Kicks with front-wheel drive get 31 mpg. We tried to match the estimate with all-wheel drive on the Kicks SR, but it didn’t work. The motor is not efficient enough to get those numbers, even when everything is perfect. This is mostly because the engine isn’t strong enough, so we have to use more throttle to keep up with traffic. The Kicks is farther off than most extra-small SUVs, which all have small engines, according to the EPA.

Should you spend the money on the Kicks? When new, the base Kicks model (S) costs about $10,000 less than the top-of-the-line SR model we tried. The Kicks are made of great materials and have great fit and finish, but the extra money for the top-of-the-line SR is not worth it, especially since it doesn’t have a more advanced engine. Nissan’s available all-wheel drive is sure to please buyers on a budget.

The Kicks come with bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties that last for three years, or 36,000 miles, and five years, or 60,000 miles, respectively. These are normal coverage amounts. You can get roadside help for three years or 36,000 miles, but maintenance is not free.

The Kicks are a one-of-a-kind extra-small SUV that is both stylish and practical. There is a sense of beauty almost everywhere, which takes away any negative feelings that some customers might have about buying a cheap car. The engine and gearbox make the Kicks look and feel bad, which is a shame. Unless you’re mostly driving slowly in the city, the Kicks’ engine doesn’t have as much power or refinement as most of its rivals.

Nissan keeps the best parts of the Kicks for the SR trim level. But because getting a Kicks will save you money, we suggest getting the SV with the Premium package. The Kicks’ inside and outside look better, the infotainment system is more advanced, and there are other features that make driving them more fun in any weather or season.