Compare the2024 Nissan KicksVS 2022 Toyota C-HR

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 C-HR 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 C-HR doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The C-HR 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 C-HR only offers a rear monitor.

Both the Kicks and the C-HR have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available daytime running lights and driver alert monitors.

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 C-HR:

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Kicks is faster than the Toyota C-HR:

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks gets better fuel mileage than the C-HR (31 city/36 hwy vs. 27 city/31 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Kicks uses regular unleaded gasoline. The C-HR requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Kicks higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota C-HR (3). This means the Kicks produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the C-HR every 15,000 miles.

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 C-HR are solid, not vented.

The Kicks stops much shorter than the C-HR:

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 C-HR doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 C-HR doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR handles at .83 G’s, while the C-HR Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 600 pounds less than the Toyota C-HR.

The Kicks is 3 inches shorter than the C-HR, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks has 6.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-HR (92.6 vs. 86).

The Kicks has 2.3 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 4 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the C-HR.

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume than the C-HR with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 19.1 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 C-HR’s liftover is 31 inches.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Kicks to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and tire rotation based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the C-HR.

The Kicks SV/SR has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The C-HR doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The C-HR’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Kicks’ standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

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 C-HR doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Kicks and the Toyota C-HR, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its June 2020 issue and they ranked the Nissan Kicks SR two places higher than the Toyota C-HR Limited.

The Nissan Kicks outsold the Toyota C-HR by almost five to one during 2022.