Compare the2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse CrossVS 2022 Nissan Kicks

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

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

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross weighs 676 to 819 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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

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

The Eclipse Cross comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Kicks’ 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Eclipse Cross 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Kicks. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Kicks ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Eclipse Cross’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Kicks’ (7 vs. 5 years).

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Eclipse Cross has a standard 520-amp battery. The Kicks’ 510-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi above average in long-term dependability. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

The Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 30 more horsepower (152 vs. 122) and 70 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

The Eclipse Cross has 5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (15.8 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Eclipse Cross’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Kicks:

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross stops much shorter than the Kicks:

For better traction, the Eclipse Cross has larger standard tires than the Kicks (215/70R16 vs. 205/60R16). The Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (225/55R18 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL has standard 18-inch wheels. The Kicks’ largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross’ 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.

For superior ride and handling, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Eclipse Cross flat and controlled during cornering. The Kicks’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Eclipse Cross’ wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Kicks (105.1 inches vs. 103.1 inches).

The Eclipse Cross’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (58% to 42%) than the Kicks’ (60.7% to 39.3%). This gives the Eclipse Cross more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Eclipse Cross has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kicks (8.5 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Eclipse Cross to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Eclipse Cross has 4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (96.7 vs. 92.7).

The Eclipse Cross has 2.1 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom, 2.9 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Eclipse Cross’ rear seats recline. The Kicks’ rear seats don’t recline.

The Eclipse Cross has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kicks has no towing capacity.

The Eclipse Cross SEL offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kicks doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Eclipse Cross SEL’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kicks’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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

Both the Eclipse Cross and the Kicks offer available heated front seats. The Eclipse Cross SEL also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kicks.

The Eclipse Cross SE/SEL 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 Eclipse Cross SE/SEL’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.

The Eclipse Cross SE/SEL’s standard 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 Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL 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.