Compare the2025 Nissan KicksVS 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Kicks SR offers an optional front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Kicks SR has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Corolla Cross Hybrid only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Kicks has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Corolla Cross Hybrid SE/XSE/Nightshade offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Corolla Cross Hybrid SE/XSE/Nightshade offers Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

Both the Kicks and the Corolla Cross Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Kicks is safer than the Corolla Cross Hybrid:

The Nissan Kicks achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Corolla Cross Hybrid last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

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

The Kicks’ standard fuel tank has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corolla Cross Hybrid (11.8 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Kicks AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corolla Cross Hybrid (12.4 vs. 10.6 gallons).

The Kicks 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 Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Kicks S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires. The Kicks SR’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE/Nightshade’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kicks SR has standard 19-inch wheels. The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Kicks offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Corolla Cross Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kicks’ turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Kicks has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Corolla Cross Hybrid (8.4 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Kicks to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 400 pounds less than the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.

The Kicks is 4.9 inches shorter than the Corolla Cross Hybrid, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks has 7.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Cross Hybrid (95.7 vs. 88.4).

The Kicks has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear legroom, 6.3 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla Cross Hybrid.

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume than the Corolla Cross Hybrid with its rear seat up (30 vs. 21.5 cubic feet).

The Kicks’ standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Corolla Cross Hybrid S’ standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent. The Kicks SR’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Corolla Cross Hybrid SE/XSE/Nightshade’s manually variable intermittent wipers don’t change delay with speed.

The Kicks has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Corolla Cross Hybrid has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the LE/XSE/Nightshade.

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Kicks is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.