Compare the2023 Nissan KicksVS 2023 Hyundai Venue

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Kicks are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Hyundai Venue doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Nissan Kicks has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Venue doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Venue doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Kicks SR has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Venue only offers a rear monitor.

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. Only the Venue SEL/Limited offers a blind spot warning system.

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 Venue SEL/Limited has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Kicks and the Venue have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 daytime running lights and driver alert monitors.

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

	Kicks	Venue
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	191	335
Neck Injury Risk	32%	32%
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	182 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	343/312 lbs.	769/350 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 Nissan Kicks is safer than the Hyundai Venue:

	Kicks	Venue
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	139	154
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	172 lbs.	215 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	82 G’s
Hip Force	517 lbs.	843 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	218	343
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	42 G’s
Hip Force	535 lbs.	790 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 30 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kicks’ warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Kicks has a standard 120-amp alternator. The Venue’s 110-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kicks has a standard 510-amp battery. The Venue’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks gets better fuel mileage than the Venue (31 city/36 hwy vs. 29 city/33 hwy).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Kicks higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Venue (5). This means the Kicks produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Venue every 15,000 miles.

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 Venue SEL/Limited are solid, not vented.

The Kicks stops shorter than the Venue:

	Kicks	Venue
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Kicks has larger tires than the Venue (205/60R16 vs. 185/65R15).

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 Venue’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kicks S has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Venue.

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 Venue doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Kicks has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venue doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kicks’ wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Venue (103.1 inches vs. 99.2 inches).

The Kicks SR handles at .82 G’s, while the Venue Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Kicks has 1 inch more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom and 5.6 inches more rear hip room than the Venue.

The front step up height for the Kicks is .5 inches lower than the Venue (15.5” vs. 16”). The Kicks’ rear step up height is 1.1 inches lower than the Venue’s (15.9” vs. 17”).

Cargo Capacity

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venue 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 Venue with its rear seat folded (53.1 vs. 31.9 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 Venue’s liftover is 30 inches.

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

	Kicks	Venue
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36”/64”	25.4”/57”
Max Width	49.7”	47.5”
Min Width	39”	42.5”
Height	38.6”	28”

Ergonomics

The Kicks’ front power windows 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 Venue’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

Consumer Reports rated the Kicks’ headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Venue’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Venue doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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 Venue doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Recommendations

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its June 2020 issue and they ranked the Nissan Kicks SR higher than the Hyundai Venue SEL.

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 Venue isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Kicks outsold the Hyundai Venue by over two to one during the 2022 model year.