2023 Nissan Kicks

Nissan’s varied lineup of SUVs, pickup trucks, and EVs usually perform well in our road tests, but their Overall Scores suffer because of up-and-down reliability and average to below-average owner satisfaction. Inconsistent quality across the brand means some Nissans are a better choice than others. Many of its gasoline vehicles use small turbocharged engines and continuously variable transmissions to give owners both competitive fuel economy and sporty performance. Most new Nissans come standard with a full suite of active safety and driver assist systems. It’s also one of the few remaining brands that sells a sub-compact sedan, the Versa. The compact Sentra, a mainstay within Nissan’s lineup, earned a high score in our road test and is recommended. Nissan was an early EV trailblazer with the Leaf hatchback, and now sells larger five-passenger EV SUVs. Used Nissans have average reliability according to our surveys.

Nissan has replaced the funky-looking Juke with the Kicks, an all-new entry in the growing subcompact crossover segment. The Kicks is more of a budget car designed to appeal to customers who would normally buy a Nissan Sentra or Versa Note, but who are attracted to the better versatility and styling of an SUV. Unlike many crossovers, the Kicks doesn’t offer all-wheel drive. The Kicks comes with a modest 125-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine coupled to a CVT, producing leisurely acceleration but impressive fuel economy at 32 mpg overall. Interior room is generous for the class, and the controls are easy to use. Handling is mundane, and the ride is rather choppy. Automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning come standard. Blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning were made standard starting with the 2020 model. The 2021 model gets a freshening with various interior and exterior updates, and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.