Compare the2023 Nissan KicksVS 2022 Chevrolet Trax

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Kicks SV/SR are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Trax doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kicks has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Trax doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Trax doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Kicks’ lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The Trax doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Kicks SR has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trax only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Kicks has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trax’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Trax LT offers a rear cross-path warning system and it costs extra.

The Kicks SV/SR’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trax doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kicks and the Trax 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 and available daytime running lights.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks is safer than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Kicks	Trax
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	347 lbs.	388 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	517 lbs.	672 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	218	382
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	535 lbs.	707 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Kicks is 2.4% to 4.3% less likely to roll over than the Trax.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Kicks the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 180 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Trax was last qualified as only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2016.

Warranty

The Kicks’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trax’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 4 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks gets better mileage than the Trax:

			MPG
Kicks
	FWD	1.6 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/36 hwy
Trax
	FWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy

Transmission

The Kicks has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Trax doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kicks SV/SR’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Trax AWD are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

The Kicks S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trax’s standard 70 series tires.

The Kicks has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Trax doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kicks’ wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Trax (103.1 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

The Kicks SR handles at .83 G’s, while the Trax LT AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kicks SR executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Trax LT AWD (28.7 seconds @ .55 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kicks’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Trax LS’ (34.1 feet vs. 35.4 feet). The Kicks’ turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Trax LT’s (34.1 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Chevrolet Trax.

Passenger Space

The Kicks has .8 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trax.

The front step up height for the Kicks is 1.3 inches lower than the Trax (15.5” vs. 16.8”). The Kicks’ rear step up height is .9 inches lower than the Trax’s (15.9” vs. 16.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trax with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 18.7 cubic feet). The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (53.1 vs. 48.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kicks easier. The Kicks’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.6 inches, while the Trax’s liftover is 28.8 inches.

The Kicks’ cargo area is larger than the Trax’s in every dimension:

	Kicks	Trax
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36”/64”	29.3”/57”
Max Width	49.7”	39.5”
Min Width	39”	36”
Height	38.6”	31.8”

Ergonomics

The Kicks’ front power windows open or close 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 Trax’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Kicks has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Trax doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Kicks’ available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Trax’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Kicks detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Kicks has standard extendable sun visors. The Trax doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Kicks’ dealer option rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trax doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

On extremely cold winter days, the Kicks SR’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Trax doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Kicks SR’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Kicks SV/SR has a standard Intelligent Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Trax doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Kicks, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Trax isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Kicks third among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Trax isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Kicks outsold the Chevrolet Trax by 20% during the 2021 model year.