Yahoo Autos 2025 Nissan Kicks review: From city streets to beaches… it’s a Kick!
After two opportunities to get some real-time behind the wheel of the 2025 Nissan Kicks, I remain impressed. This is such a great value and a solid effort that I can easily forgive its few flaws.
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It’s channeling a vibe from the 1980s (I played a lot of Devo)
Hear me out: the 2025 Nissan Kicks has a few 1980s tidbits running through its DNA. Nissan designed the exterior of the new Kicks using a shoe as inspiration. No, not loafers, but sneakers and whatnot. In my estimation, they used a retro-futuristic design similar to the self-lacing Nikes used in Back to the Future II.
It holds more cargo (FWD holds 60 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, and 29.2 cubic feet with the rear seats up) than a mid-80s Toyota Corolla FX16. At 8.4 inches of ground clearance, it’s just shy of the 1988 Jeep Cherokee’s 8.8 inches. The 1980 Pontiac Firebird had a 301-cid V8 that produced 140 horsepower. The 2025 Nissan Kicks has 141 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque. Okay, those examples are a bit of a stretch.
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The thing is: it’s charming and fun to drive while blasting 80s music. Obviously, that’s just me, but I am serious about the fun-to-drive part. It has great grip, decent power, good brakes, and a slight feeling of whimsy. All that, despite having a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
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The interior gives some bangers for your buck (lots of space for drinks!)
The 2025 Nissan Kicks comes in three trims. The base model S trim starts at $23,220 (that’s with S&H). The mid-level SV trim gives you the option of adding all-wheel drive (AWD).
You will be hard-pressed to find a vehicle that gives you this much standard equipment in this class. Along with intelligent cruise control, you get Nissan Safety Shield 360, which adds automatic emergency braking, rear automatic braking, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and high beam assist.
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You also get Nissan’s vaunted “Zero-gravity” seats, meaning they have very good foam. For a small car, the seats are mighty comfortable, even with my big frame. They aren’t “squishy,” but they’re kind of dense and feel supportive.
If you get the loaded SR, (starting at $26,180) you get two 12.3” screens, wireless charging and Apple CarPlay, a killer stereo, 360-degree monitoring, and more. Lots of additional safety, infotainment, and trim options are available for the SV and SR, but the most important one (to me) is the offer of AWD. With an MSRP of $24.720, only $1,500 more than the front-drive Kicks, you have the least expensive AWD crossover available in the United States.
I’d say the $23,680 FWD Nissan Kicks SV is the place to be. You get one of the 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay, nicer (but right-sized) wheels, and more. Pony up $1,500 for AWD, and you’re still at a good price for an AWD crossover. Still, the stereo system in the SR (which has speakers in the front seat headrests!) may be worth the extra bucks.
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Driving the 2025 Nissan Kicks… everywhere
I drove the Kicks all over the mountains near Santa Barbara, along the coast in Malibu, and through the arduous Los Angeles traffic, CA. I can say that after driving several different years of the Kicks, this is much better than the previous model. It was also a great companion for the daily grind.
About two years ago, I drove a 2022 Kicks SR - using it as a vacation vehicle for my family in Anaheim, CA. It could barely hold all of us with our luggage. Laps were tasked with holding lighter bags. It also simply didn’t have the power or handling to gave me confidence.
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The 2025 Kicks is a completely different animal. Other than being larger in every way, the new and old models share no real connection. There is better power, a lot more space, and a more engaging overall feel. The ride is acceptable, but you can feel a lot of vibration when things get rough.
During my multiple 2025 Kicks drives, I felt like it was a better choice than some of the more popular subcompact crossovers in this class. Steering is well-weighted, but it's not there to communicate with the driver. It's accurate and easy to modulate.
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It’s frugal too. Nissan stated that the front-drive model gets 28 MPG city, 35 MPG highway, and 31 MPG combined. If you get the AWD version, you only lose one MPG. Part of the reason for the AWD’s lack of drag is its simplicity. An electric servo clicks on and connects the drive shaft leading to the rear wheels. Up to 50 percent of the torque heads aft if needed. It’s not a true off-road system, it’s just more for challenging traction conditions.
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Final thoughts
It should be obvious that I like this little one a bit. I’m always fond of vehicles that can still give you a lot of bang for the buck. That is something of a rarity nowadays. I also like the fact that it is a simple, naturally aspirated vehicle that’s fairly uncomplicated. Yet, there’s only a little compromise to this vehicle.
I find that the 19-inch wheels and their thin side walls are noisy and the lack of sound-deadening material in the Kicks makes that obvious. I suspect the 17, and 18-inch wheel options (with thicker side wall) would make for a quieter, less jittery ride.
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That CVT is still an issue for some consumers. Yes, there were some real issues with the transmission a few years back but Nissan has rectified most of these issues. I know that Nissan is pulling away from that transmission in some of their vehicles, but the stigma of past issues still exists.
That’s about it for my gripes. The 2025 Nissan Kicks only gets a few sentences worth of complaints from me. I have to say, I’m impressed with what they managed to pull off. Yup, it’s pretty good.
Ah, here’s an idea! I challenge all of you: drive a new Kicks side-by-side with challengers from Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, and GM and see if you agree with me. I think many of you will.
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