LIKES
- Reasonable price tag
- Lots of safety features
- Moderately miserly
- Two screens inside
DISLIKES
- Thrumming CVT
- Not suited for highway treks
- Unsupportive front seats
- Lousy passing power
BUYING TIP
- The 2023 Nissan Kicks works well enough in S trim, though the SV’s adaptive cruise control and brighter touchscreen are worth the upspend.
The 2023 Nissan Kicks makes a decent used-SUV alternative for those who need that new-car smell.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Nissan Kicks? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Nissan Kicks is a pint-size hatchback with front-wheel drive. Shop it against the Hyundai Venue and Mazda CX-30.
Is the 2023 Nissan Kicks a good SUV?
It’s decent, especially when you consider that it costs a lot less than many of its competitors. The Kicks comes with a solid array of standard gear and its fuel economy impresses, bringing it to a TCC Rating of 5.0 out of 10.
What's new for the 2023 Nissan Kicks?
The Kicks sees no notable changes for 2023.
Underhood, the 1.5-liter inline-4 nudges out 122 hp to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission. It’s fine for in-town use, but the Kicks runs out of steam above about 55 mph. It’s not helped by the CVT, which can leave the engine hanging at higher revs. Look for an impressive 33 mpg, though—the upside to limited power.
The Kicks rides well enough, but sporty cornering isn’t part of its repertoire. It’s also not an ideal long-distance highway cruiser, both due to its limited power and its subpar seats. On the flip side, the Kicks has a reasonably large cargo area.
It’s also equipped nicely for the money, with a standard touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitors.
Adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system come on higher-end models.
How much does the 2023 Nissan Kicks cost?
The 2023 Nissan Kicks kicks off at $21,585 for the S, which has 16-inch steel wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a digital instrument cluster, and automatic emergency braking.
You might consider the extra $1,860 for the Kicks SV, which has a nicer touchscreen, alloy wheels, and adaptive cruise control.
Where is the 2023 Nissan Kicks made?
In Mexico.
Styling
The 2023 Nissan Kicks has playful lines.
Is the Nissan Kicks a good-looking car?
It’s no instant classic, but the 2023 Nissan Kicks proves that cheap needn’t look cheap. We rate it at 6 out of 10, with a point above average for its fun exterior.
The tall front grille is surrounded by black trim that dives down toward the license plate. That same blacked-out look carries along the sides, where you’ll find fender flares, a hidden A-pillar, and a fun “kink” in the D-pillar. It’s no Range Rover, but the Kicks is playful and quirky outside.
Performance
The 2023 Nissan Kicks makes for an acceptable in-town runabout.
Weak underhood power and a numbing transmission result in lousy acceleration, which means we rate the 2023 Nissan Kicks at a middling 4 out of 10 for performance.
Is the Nissan Kicks 4WD?
No, it’s only offered in front-wheel-drive configuration.
How fast is the Nissan Kicks?
The 122-hp 1.5-liter inline-4 is tasked with lugging around a sub-3,000-lb vehicle, but it’s saddled with a slow-responding continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The gearbox’s infinite ratios exacerbate its limited power output, and the combination never feels smooth.
Around town, the Kicks is adequate. On the highway, it struggles to keep up. If your commute is on 55-mph roads, the Kicks will be all right. But it’s not our choice for a road trip.
Underneath, the Kicks rides on a basic strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, which is at odds with the sporty-looking flat-bottom steering wheel. In reality, the Kicks shrugs at spirited driving. It’s meant for tight urban places, not canyon carving. At least the ride is fairly good thanks to soft tuning and somewhat large sidewalls on the 16- and 17-inch tires.
Comfort & Quality
The 2023 Nissan Kicks makes decent use of its small footprint, but its seats feel cheap.
The 2023 Nissan Kicks is a small crossover SUV with decent human and cargo space. However, penalty-box seating and a generally cheap feel overall hold it back to a 4 on our ratings scale.
The front seats come with manual adjustment, and they lack bolstering, lumbar support, and all-day padding. Base models also skimp on a center armrest for the driver, though it’s included on SV and SR trims.
The firm, upright rear bench offers 33.2 inches of leg room, but it’s also more like a park bench than a sofa recliner.
Interior trim reflects low pricing. Some competitors do a better job disguising low-buck plastics and fabrics.
Safety
Nissan fits a lot of standard safety tech to the Kicks, but its crash-test results don’t impress.
How safe is the Nissan Kicks?
It’s not as safe as all its standard safety gear might lead you to believe. Sure, Nissan bakes automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high-beam headlights into every 2023 Kicks, but a four-star NHTSA rating holds it to a 5 out of 10.
The IIHS rates the Kicks “Good” in every test, but its poor headlights hold it back from a Top Safety Pick award.
Features
As far as compact crossovers go, the 2023 Nissan Kicks offers a decent value for the money.
A three-model lineup means there’s a Kicks for any budget. Starting at $21,585, the base Kicks S includes air conditioning, 16-inch steel wheels, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
That standard fare and big touchscreen bring the Kicks to a 7 out of 10 on our scale.
A 3-year/36,000-mile warranty is par for the class.
If you’re smitten with the Kicks, the $23,445 SV trim is worth the extra spend. For its $1,900 or so premium over the base model, it adds an upsized 8.0-inch touchscreen with a brighter display, 17-inch alloy wheels, and adaptive cruise control.
How much is a fully loaded Nissan Kicks?
The Kicks SR costs another $700, which buys a reasonable amount of kit: automatic climate control, a surround-view camera system, LED exterior lighting, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Fuel Economy
The 2023 Nissan Kicks delivers pretty good fuel economy.
Is the Nissan Kicks good on gas?
The upside to limited power is impressive fuel economy from the 2023 Nissan Kicks. The EPA rates it at 31 mpg city, 36 highway, 33 combined, which is enough for a 4 on the TCC scale.
The Kicks offers better fuel economy than rivals such as the Hyundai Venue.
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