Compare the2025 Kia NiroVS 2024 Nissan Kicks

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Kia Niro have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Nissan Kicks doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Niro’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Kicks doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Niro and Kicks have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Niro has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Kicks’ Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Niro and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available front and rear parking sensors.

Warranty

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Kicks’ 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Kicks. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Kicks ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Niro’s reliability 11 points higher than the Kicks.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 17 more horsepower (139 vs. 122) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Niro is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

	Niro	Kicks
Zero to 30 MPH	3.3 sec	4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	10.5 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.6 sec	7.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.9 sec	18.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84 MPH	79 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Kicks:

		MPG
Niro
	1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/54 hwy
	Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/45 hwy
Kicks
	1.6 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/36 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Kicks doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Niro’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. The Kicks doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kia Niro 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 Niro stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Niro	Kicks
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Niro Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (225/45R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The Niro Touring’s 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 Niro Touring has standard 18-inch wheels. The Kicks’ largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Kia Niro’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.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Niro 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 rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Niro has standard front gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Kicks’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 4 inches longer than on the Kicks (107.1 inches vs. 103.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Niro is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Kicks.

The Niro SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro SX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Kicks SR (27.9 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The design of the Kia Niro amounts to more than styling. The Niro has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Kicks (.334 to .344) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Niro get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Niro uses 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.

Passenger Space

The Niro has 12.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (105.1 vs. 92.6).

The Niro has .1 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 6.3 inches more rear legroom, 3.9 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

Cargo Capacity

The Niro has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kicks with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 32.3 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro SX’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Niro’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Kicks doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Niro uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Kicks uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Niro SX, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Kicks doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Niro SX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Kicks doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

On a hot day the Niro’s driver can lower the front windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kicks can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Niro EX/SX’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Kicks’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

In addition to a parabolic reflector, optical-grade lenses in the Niro’s standard projector headlights precisely focus the beam, providing more even illumination of the road for better visibility and a sharp cut-off that prevents blinding oncoming drivers. The sharp cutoff allows the use of a stronger light. The Kicks’ standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights.

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

When the Niro SX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kicks’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro SX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Kicks doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Niro 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 Niro’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 Niro and the Kicks offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro EX/SX 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 Niro SX/EX offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer 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 Kia Niro EX/SX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Niro owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Niro will cost $120 to $1150 less than the Kicks over a five-year period.

Recommendations

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