Compare the2023 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2023 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 Trailblazer 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 Trailblazer 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, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Trailblazer	Kicks
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	185	191
Neck Injury Risk	24%	32%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	374 lbs.
Neck Compression	15 lbs.	27 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	83/261 lbs.	343/312 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	3 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	79%
Neck Stress	153 lbs.	392 lbs.
Neck Compression	82 lbs.	138 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Trailblazer its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 96 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kicks last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

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

There are almost 3 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

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 Trailblazer’s reliability 55 points higher than the Kicks.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

Engine

The Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (137 vs. 122) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (162 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (155 vs. 122) and 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (174 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

	Trailblazer	Kicks
Zero to 60 MPH	9.3 sec	10.5 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	80.5 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Trailblazer’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 Trailblazer has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (13.2 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Trailblazer	Kicks
Front Rotors	11.81 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.39 inches	8” drums

The Chevrolet Trailblazer 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 Trailblazer stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Trailblazer	Kicks
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Trailblazer LS/LT/ACTIV has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kicks S. The Trailblazer’s optional 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer’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 better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Trailblazer is 1.1 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than on the Kicks.

The Trailblazer RS AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Trailblazer RS AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kicks SR (28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Trailblazer 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.

The Trailblazer AWD 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 Trailblazer has 1.4 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 6 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

Cargo Capacity

The Trailblazer has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kicks with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

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

	Trailblazer	Kicks
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32”/64.5”	36”/64”
Max Width	54”	49.7”
Min Width	41”	39”
Height	28.2”	38.6”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS’ power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kicks doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Trailblazer has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Kicks has no towing capacity.

The Trailblazer AWD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Trailblazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Kicks can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Trailblazer’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 Trailblazer and the Kicks have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Trailblazer 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 Trailblazer’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Trailblazer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Kicks doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost NissanConnect Services can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Trailblazer’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’ passenger power window and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Consumer Reports rated the Trailblazer’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 Trailblazer’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Kicks’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Trailblazer 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.

With optional voice command, the Trailblazer ACTIV/RS offers the driver hands free control of the radio 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 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV/RS offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS 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

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Trailblazer and the Nissan Kicks, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer outsold the Nissan Kicks by 13% during the 2021 model year.

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