Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2022 Nissan Kicks

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Nissan Kicks has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

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

Both the Encore and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, rearview cameras, available collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Buick Encore weighs 485 to 672 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 Buick Encore is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Encore	Kicks
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	122	191
Neck Injury Risk	26%	32%
Neck Stress	298 lbs.	374 lbs.
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	27 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	207	326
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	79%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	392 lbs.
Neck Compression	104 lbs.	138 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	249/289 lbs.	370/209 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 Buick Encore is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Encore	Kicks
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	139
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	120 lbs.	172 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	318
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	47 G’s

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

Warranty

The Encore’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Kicks’ (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 82 percent more Buick dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Encore has a standard 130-amp alternator. The Kicks’ 120-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Encore’s reliability 38 points higher than the Kicks.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 58 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 13th.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (155 vs. 122) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Encore has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (14 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Encore 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 Encore’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kicks:

	Encore	Kicks
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.6 inches	8” drums

The Buick Encore 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 Encore stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Encore	Kicks
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	190 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore has larger tires than the Kicks (215/55R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The Encore’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kicks S’ standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kicks S. The Kicks’ largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Buick Encore’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.

Suspension and Handling

The Encore has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Kicks’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Encore AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Kicks SR (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Kicks doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has .8 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear hip room than the Kicks.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 23% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Encore and the Kicks have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Encore 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 Encore’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Kicks’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

The Encore’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 Encore’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.

The Encore’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 Encore has a standard 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 Encore’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Kicks’ available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

With standard voice command, the Encore 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 Encore 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.

Recommendations

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Encore	Kicks
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a

The Buick Encore outsold the Nissan Kicks by 28% during the 2021 model year.