Compare the2023 Mazda CX-5VS 2023 Nissan Kicks

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

Safety

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The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kicks doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The CX-5 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 CX-5 and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The Mazda CX-5 weighs 977 to 1182 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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	CX-5	Kicks
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	82	191
Neck Injury Risk	23%	32%
Neck Stress	274 lbs.	374 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	27 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	160/307 lbs.	343/312 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	156	326
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	79%
Neck Stress	205 lbs.	392 lbs.
Neck Compression	86 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	CX-5	Kicks
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	81	139
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	126 lbs.	172 lbs.
Hip Force	189 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	208	318
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	435 lbs.	535 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kicks last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2018.

Reliability

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 CX-5’s reliability 21 points higher than the Kicks.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 65 more horsepower (187 vs. 122) and 72 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 134 more horsepower (256 vs. 122) and 206 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

	CX-5 4 cyl.	CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.	Kicks
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.4 sec	10.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	14.9 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	80.4 MPH	93.6 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Kicks doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-5 has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (15.3 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kicks:

	CX-5	CX-5 Turbo	Kicks
Front Rotors	11.7 inches	12.6 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.9 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors			11 inches

The Mazda CX-5 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 CX-5 stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	CX-5	Kicks
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	190 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CX-5 has larger tires than the Kicks (225/65R17 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-5 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kicks S. The CX-5 Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Mazda CX-5’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

For superior ride and handling, the Mazda CX-5 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 CX-5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CX-5 flat and controlled during cornering. The Kicks’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer than on the Kicks (106.2 inches vs. 103.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 3 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Kicks.

The CX-5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Kicks’ (60.7% to 39.3%). This gives the CX-5 more stable handling and braking.

The CX-5 handles at .81 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CX-5 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Kicks SR (27.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has 10.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (103.6 vs. 92.7).

The CX-5 has 4.3 inches more front hip room, 4.1 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 6.2 inches more rear legroom, 6.2 inches more rear hip room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Kicks’ rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kicks with its rear seat up (30.8 vs. 25.3 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kicks with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Kicks’ in almost every dimension:

	CX-5	Kicks
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38”	36”/64”
Max Width	57”	49.7”
Min Width	41.3”	39”
Height	32.4”	38.6”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Kicks doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-5 Premium/Turbo has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Kicks doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The CX-5 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Kicks has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Kicks doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard 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 CX-5’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 CX-5’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 CX-5’s power window, power lock 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 CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kicks’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CX-5’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Kicks’ standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-5’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Kicks’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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 CX-5’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Kicks’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium/Turbo has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Kicks doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the CX-5 and the Kicks offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kicks.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Kicks doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CX-5 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 CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo’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.

Both the CX-5 and the Kicks offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Kicks SV/SR doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature’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 CX-5 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda CX-5 Turbo has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. The Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-5 and the Nissan Kicks, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Nissan Kicks by almost three to one during 2022.