Compare the2023 Nissan KicksVS 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

Safety
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Rav4 Hybrid’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. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Rav4 Hybrid.

Both the Kicks and the Rav4 Hybrid 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 daytime running lights, around view monitors 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 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

	Kicks	Rav4 Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	56 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	343/312 lbs.	400/388 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 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

	Kicks	Rav4 Hybrid
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	49 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	218	299
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	535 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

Reliability

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

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 Rav4 Hybrid are solid, not vented.

The Kicks stops much shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

	Kicks	Rav4 Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	143 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

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 Rav4 Hybrid LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Kicks SV/SR’s tires have a lower 55 series profile than the Rav4 Hybrid’s optional 60 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 Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR handles at .82 G’s, while the Rav4 Hybrid XSE pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kicks’ turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (34.1 feet vs. 36.1 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid.

The Kicks is 11.8 inches shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kicks has .9 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom and 1.4 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Hybrid.

The front step up height for the Kicks is 3.5 inches lower than the Rav4 Hybrid (15.5” vs. 19”). The Kicks’ rear step up height is 2.7 inches lower than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (15.9” vs. 18.6”).

Ergonomics

The Kicks’ driver power window, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4 Hybrid’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Kicks’ variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 Hybrid LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Kicks and the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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 Rav4 Hybrid isn’t in the top three in its category.