Compare the2025 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2024 Nissan Kicks

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

Safety

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The Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kicks doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Crosstrek has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kicks doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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

Both the Crosstrek and the Kicks 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 blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Subaru Crosstrek weighs 526 to 684 pounds more than the Nissan Kicks. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

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 Crosstrek’s reliability 45 points higher than the Kicks.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Nissan With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Nissan.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 11 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 30 more horsepower (152 vs. 122) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (145 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 60 more horsepower (182 vs. 122) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek is faster than the Nissan Kicks:

	Crosstrek 2.0	Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness	Kicks
Zero to 30 MPH	3.5 sec	n/a	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	7.9 sec	10.5 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	15.1 sec	n/a	19.3 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.3 sec	n/a	5.8 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	16.1 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.8 MPH	88.6 MPH	77.5 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Kicks doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (16.6 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Crosstrek	Kicks
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		11 inches

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Kicks S are solid, not vented.

The Subaru Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Crosstrek	Kicks
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	190 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Kicks (225/60R17 vs. 205/60R16).

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

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Kicks (104.9 inches vs. 103.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Crosstrek is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Kicks.

The Crosstrek handles at .81 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Crosstrek Wilderness 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).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kicks (8.7 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 2.3 inches higher than on the Kicks (9.3 vs. 7 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek has 7.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (100.5 vs. 92.6).

The Crosstrek has 4.2 inches more front hip room, 3.8 inches more front shoulder room, 3 inches more rear legroom, 6.1 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

Cargo Capacity

The Crosstrek has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kicks with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 32.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Kicks doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Crosstrek has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kicks has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Kicks. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek and the Kicks have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kicks’ power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Crosstrek’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 help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Kicks doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Kicks offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness 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 Crosstrek’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.

With standard voice command, the Crosstrek 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 Subaru Crosstrek offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Nissan Kicks by over two to one during 2023.

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