Compare the2022 Jeep RenegadeVS 2021 Nissan Kicks

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Renegade has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kicks doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Renegade offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kicks doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Renegade Trailhawk’s standard Hill-descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Kicks doesn’t offer Hill-descent Control.

The Renegade has standard SiriusXM Guardian, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Kicks doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Renegade and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available crash mitigating brakes and front and rear parking sensors.

The Jeep Renegade weighs 417 to 845 pounds more than the Nissan Kicks. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Renegade is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Renegade	Kicks
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	32%
Neck Stress	332 lbs.	374 lbs.
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	27 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	35%	79%
Neck Stress	221 lbs.	392 lbs.
Neck Compression	47 lbs.	138 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Jeep Renegade is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Renegade	Kicks
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	161 G’s	172 G’s
Hip Force	328 lbs.	347 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Renegade for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Kicks.

There are over 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Renegade’s warranty.

Reliability

The engine in the Renegade has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Kicks has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Renegade has a standard 150-amp alternator (160-amp - Renegade Auto). The Kicks’ 120-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 55 more horsepower (177 vs. 122) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Renegade is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

	Renegade	Kicks
Zero to 60 MPH	9.3 sec	10.5 sec
Quarter Mile	17.3 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	78.1 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Renegade (except 2.4-liter)’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Kicks doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Renegade has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (12.7 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Renegade has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Kicks doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Renegade’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kicks:

	Renegade	Kicks
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.95 inches	8” drums

The Jeep Renegade has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Kicks. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Renegade stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Renegade	Kicks
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	190 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Renegade has larger standard tires than the Kicks (215/65R16 vs. 205/60R16). The Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (235/45R19 vs. 205/60R16).

The Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kicks SV/SR’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Renegade Latitude/Limited offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Kicks’ largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Jeep Renegade’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Nissan Kicks S only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Renegade Trailhawk offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Kicks; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Renegade has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Kicks has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Renegade has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Renegade flat and controlled during cornering. The Kicks’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Renegade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Kicks doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Renegade Latitude 4x4 handles at .78 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Renegade Latitude 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kicks SR (28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Renegade has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kicks S (8 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Renegade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Renegade Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 1.7 inches higher than on the Kicks SV/SR (8.7 vs. 7 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Renegade (except Trailhawk) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Kicks doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Renegade has 6.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (100.1 vs. 93.9).

The Renegade has .4 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front hip room, 2.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Renegade. The Kicks doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Kicks is limited to 0 pounds. The Renegade 4x4 offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Renegade uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Kicks doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Renegade’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Kicks has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Renegade and the Kicks have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Renegade is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Kicks prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Renegade’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kicks’ power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Renegade’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Kicks’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Renegade Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Kicks doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Renegade’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Renegade offers an optional center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Kicks doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Renegade’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Kicks doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address with audible turn-by-turn directions, a GPS navigation system is standard on the Renegade. The Renegade’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Kicks doesn’t offer a navigation system.

With standard voice command, the Renegade offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Kicks doesn’t offer a voice control system.

The Renegade (except Sport) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Kicks doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Renegade Limited’s optional Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Kicks doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Jeep Renegade outsold the Nissan Kicks by 7% during 2020.

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