Compare the2023 Toyota Corolla CrossVS 2023 Nissan Kicks

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Corolla Cross have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Nissan Kicks doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Corolla Cross has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kicks doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Corolla Cross 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 Corolla Cross and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 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 Toyota Corolla Cross is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Corolla Cross	Kicks
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	191
Neck Injury Risk	27%	32%
Neck Stress	243 lbs.	374 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	330/310 lbs.	343/312 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	79%
Neck Stress	165 lbs.	392 lbs.
Neck Compression	86 lbs.	138 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	301/156 lbs.	370/209 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 Toyota Corolla Cross is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Corolla Cross	Kicks
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	92	139
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	129 lbs.	172 lbs.
Hip Force	330 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	318
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	47 G’s
Hip Force	367 lbs.	517 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	12 inches

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 Corolla Cross its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kicks has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla Cross for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Kicks.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross’ reliability 46 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The Corolla Cross’ 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (169 vs. 122) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (151 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Corolla Cross is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

	Corolla Cross	Kicks
Zero to 30 MPH	3.4 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.3 sec	10.5 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	15.8 sec	19.3 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.7 sec	5.8 sec
Quarter Mile	17.1 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83.1 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (12.4 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Corolla Cross AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (13.2 vs. 10.8 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Corolla Cross’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Kicks:

	Corolla Cross	Kicks
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.1 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		11 inches

The Toyota Corolla Cross 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 Corolla Cross stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Corolla Cross	Kicks
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Corolla Cross has larger standard tires than the Kicks (215/65R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Corolla Cross XLE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (225/55R18 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Corolla Cross has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kicks S. The Corolla Cross XLE’s 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Toyota Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross AWD 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 solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Corolla Cross AWD has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Corolla Cross AWD flat and controlled during cornering. The Kicks’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Corolla Cross is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Kicks.

The Corolla Cross’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (59% to 41%) than the Kicks’ (60.7% to 39.3%). This gives the Corolla Cross more stable handling and braking.

The Corolla Cross XLE 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 Corolla Cross XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Kicks SR (28.2 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Corolla Cross has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kicks (8.1 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Corolla Cross to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Corolla Cross has 2.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (94.9 vs. 92.7).

The Corolla Cross has 1.7 inches more front hip room and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Kicks.

Cargo Capacity

The Corolla Cross has a much larger cargo volume than the Kicks with its rear seat up (26.5 vs. 25.3 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Corolla Cross XLE offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Kicks doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Corolla Cross has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kicks has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

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

If the windows are left open on the Corolla Cross the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Kicks can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Corolla Cross’ 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.

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 Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross XLE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Kicks doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Corolla Cross’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Corolla Cross XLE 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 Corolla Cross XLE’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 Corolla Cross and the Kicks offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Corolla Cross 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.

With standard voice command, the Corolla Cross 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 Toyota Corolla LE/XLE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Toyota Corolla comes in sedan, four door hatchback and four door bodystyles; the Nissan Kicks isn’t available as a sedan or four door hatchback.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Corolla Cross as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Corolla outsold the Nissan Kicks by over five to one during 2022.