Compare the2025 Chevrolet TraxVS 2024 Nissan Kicks

Both the Trax and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 Trax’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 Trax’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Trax has a standard 130-amp alternator. The Kicks’ 120-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Trax has a standard 760-amp battery. The Kicks’ 510-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 above average in initial quality. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is rated lower.

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.

The Trax’s 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.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Trax is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

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

The Trax has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Kicks doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The Chevrolet Trax 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 Trax stops much shorter than the Kicks:

For better traction, the Trax has larger standard tires than the Kicks (225/60R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Trax RS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (245/45R19 vs. 205/60R16).

The Trax RS’ optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kicks SV/SR’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Trax LS/LT has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kicks S. The Trax RS’ optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Chevrolet Trax’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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Trax’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Kicks (106.3 inches vs. 103.1 inches).

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

The Trax ACTIV handles at .84 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Trax ACTIV executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Kicks SR (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

The front grille of the Trax offers available 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 Trax 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.

The Trax has 5.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (98 vs. 92.6).

The Trax has 1.2 inches more front hip room, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

The Trax has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kicks with its rear seat up (25.6 vs. 25.3 cubic feet). The Trax has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kicks with its rear seat folded (54.1 vs. 32.3 cubic feet).

The Trax 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 Trax can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Kicks can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Trax’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Kicks has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

The Trax’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 Trax and the Kicks have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Trax 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 Trax’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 Trax’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Kicks doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its 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 Trax’s 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Trax (except RS) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Trax was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024. The Kicks has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Chevrolet Trax outsold the Nissan Kicks by 64% during 2023.