2018 / 2019 Nissan Kicks Review - First Drive

Nissan's Juke replacement isn't as much fun, but it is one heck of a deal. Undercutting the main competition by as much as 25% the new sub-compact CUV is a strong contender for "deal of the year." The interior isn't as premium as the Honda HR-V or Mazda CX-3 (or even Nissan's own Rogue Sport), but it does deliver one of the largest interiors in the segment as well as class leading fuel economy. With decent driving dynamics, acceleration that's on par with the CH-R and HRV, a high level of standard equipment and a small price tag, the Kicks is the perfect small crossover if you're looking to save a buck and don't need AWD. (Which it doesn't have at any price.)
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[@Honda2015]

I think the point everyone is missing is that most Americans are looking for a cuv or suv. Not always for AWD or 4wd but for the room and the riding height. With cars sales declining this particular car makes sense for the car buyers. Not all cars come with AWD.

[@foxtrot685]

Everyone in this comment section hates it. That's good news, its will probably sell extremely well. Good job Nissan; motor trend went on to say that they think this is the first product to strike its target demographic perfectly and I couldn't agree more. I would like to see Nissan bring the 1.6 DIG-T engine and the 6-speed from the Nismo Sentra as well, although the DIG-T does really well with the CVT too.

[@chiluco2000]

@Darryl Henry lol indeed, it's perfect form a marketing point of view... A sporty performance model is not.

[@mark_r49]

How can anyone comment on any vehicle without driving it? Oh, it’s underpowered and has a CVT, it’s crap. How do you know that?

[@v10moped]

they been watching too much Scotty Kilmer, so now they are experts.

[@toc30]

Nissan really did its homework on the Kicks and its compact SUVs. The Rogue is doing really well and I suspect the Kicks will be another winner for them. Great review and opinion, Alex, as usual.

[@Naldynator]

This Kicks is mad cute. :) What a deal, indeed! Love your review! You keep it honest, logical and informative.

[@bludhound73]

This would make a great urban vehicle for grocery runs. Wish it had more HP. Passing on the freeway would be a concern.

[@MultiCaseyb]

I think the worst part about CVT's is not their behaviour but the fact that they like to fail (Nissan and Subaru's)

[@blintorzabat5798]

And the fact that they can't be repaired, but only replaced. And that might cost more than the value of the vehicle, a few years down the road. Of course, if one fails you in Death Valley in 100+ degree heat, that could also be a steaming pile of not good.

[@ctk4949]

Glad to see you got rid of that stupid log on the side of the car, I can now watch your videos again. Thanks!!

[@TheHelghast1138]

Excellent review Alex, not just because we have the same first name, this seems to be the perfect car for its segment, especially when you factor in price, I think they did their homework very well, excellent video!

[@mrdsn189]

What microphone are you using on that beach that has zero wind noise? Amazing!

[@AAutoBuyersGuide]

Countryman mics are the bomb. It also helps to use a well-designed "dead kitten" on the mic.

[@harper7489]

Alex on autos Nissan review looked good. 2019model. Hyundai Kona and Tucson are said to have significantly improved cornering performance. Tucson has also strengthened its on / off roads. Hyundai says. I want to know how the cornering and winding have improved. I would also like to review Kona and Tucson.

[@notrappaport5340]

>>It also helps to use a well-designed "dead kitten" on the mic.

[@DarrenPersad]

I take it you don’t know what a dead cat or dead kitten is in the audio world?

[@DarrenPersad]

Whoosh is right - humor/sarcasm is hard to discern from online stupidity sometimes these days, my b

[@nateb9768]

Awesome it’s in US now! Saw the commercials for it in Vancouver and was all “WHAT is that car?”

[@ARentz07]

My biggest issue with the Versa and Note is that they are kinda loud. The fact that this is quieter is very welcome in the price range it's at!

[@parkedjeep96]

These subcompact crossovers are basically tall hatches nowadays

[@jamieheim8009]

I owned both a 91 and 92 240sx They were 2680lbs and 155hp. They were decent on power but left you wanting more. This kicks is an attractive looking vehicle but it needs more power. 150-160hp would be a little more ideal, that along with a manual transmission and at the minimum a limited slip diff or possible awd. Hopefully in the next few years they will add power upgrades.

[@mountainhobo]

Get rid of the center console to improve knee room, put a stick shift in, and you might have something.

[@catsspat]

Coming with standard CVT automatic over manual is a significant upgrade? Ahaha. Nice one. You got me there.

[@arevee9429]

When reviewing a utility vehicle, it would be nice to see the actual utility. Put the seats down and show the back. Do the seats fold flat? How high is the lift over? Is the opening large enough and shaped so large objects can be loaded easily. I know the roller bag testing is a good non-objective way to compare models, but most people are not filling their cars with roller bags. They go to the home improvement store, buy furniture or large objects, etc. So please focus on that utility. I'll bet this Kicks would not have beat the HRV or Soul with the seats down. When it comes to cargo utility, Honda has it nailed with the magic seats.

[@TheAdventureAuto]

Hatchbacks and wagons a lot of times have more interior room and cargo space, while getting much better efficiency. It's a shame most Americans prefer these just so they don't have to bend their head a little while getting into their vehicle. I'd much rather feel more connected to the road.

[@Tully3674]

For the money, looks like a value. Now, if Nissan would get rid of their CVTs....

[@silentrefusal9911]

Better than Toyota CHR and Hyundai Kona, somewhere between Honda HRV and Mazda CX-3 ( if only driving pleasure is your concern, CX-3 is definitely a better vehicle), but as an overall package for this price in this segment, I think it's the best option only if one can live without AWD

[@imanismith96]

Could you do a 2019 Nissan kicks vs rogue sport video ?

[@jonathansannicolas7243]

Best walk around I've seen! 👍

[@lovswr]

Looks like a poor mans Evoq, especially in that two-tone paint trim. I'm 51 now & my "starter" car was a 1990 Dodge Shadow with a 5 sp manual. it cost me about 15000 new. The extra 3 grand over the last 28 years is more than worth it on this Nissan. It only needs an 8-track to go with that Polaroid camera? :)

[@verygood7155]

Excellent review!

[@mountainhobo]

1:00 I had no idea Murano still sold in the US. I have not seen one in years.

[@SebasHenderson]

Can't see how a CVT is a significant upgrade! from a manual 🤨

[@chameleonfps]

Awesome vid as per usual. Imma just my two cents about this car here lol. (Warning long) Alright so Im going to try to look at this as objectively and neutral as possible as I very much hate this segment. So if im correct this car is going after millennials who most likely are upgrading from economy cars or previous gen hybrids, or driving your parents old mini van. This means they either had terrible autos or cvts, so im going to take this as why nissan was ok with putting a cvt in this cuv. But this is still not a good excuse as other auto makers have used dcts in their cars to get better fuel economy but not losing the thing that a lot of people want which is a fun capable car at a price that wont break the bank. This does achieve pretty good gas mileage but its so freaking slow that i would take the 5 mpg downgrade and get a turbo kona lol. Basically in terms of drive this car just doesn't make since in this segment as the hrv does its job but better (being the comfortable car in the class) and the cx3/kona do a better job at being sporty. Even the chr at least goes for styling and fuel economy. The renegade at least has off-road handled. I guess the only point of this car is being the affordable subcompact with room and good mpg, which means there is an audience for this car (I personally am not that audience).

[@ALEX-sh3tx]

Is it true mitsubishi is basing the outlander sport off of this?

[@darkc10uds]

When is the full review going to be posted?

[@mustafanajeeb7859]

Good review & great Nissan.

[@hawkstringfellow]

When I buy SUV I look for fuel economy and dependability I have a mustang gt 5.0 for speed power 0 to 60 times

[@dylankngo]

I’ve been waiting for your Hyundai Kona review. 😄😄

[@WhitieWu]

What are your thoughts on the speakers in the head rest?

[@dillonyank862]

3:15 Outback. Lol nice crossover pun

[@GigginQuick]

Hey Alex, was wondering if you’ve gotten a chance to drive the Mazda 6? I’m curious about the base engine model with the stick shift.

[@fabulousprofound]

future banger racing contender

[@OsojiNosferatu69]

As dumb as it is, the Juke Nismo will always hold a weird, special place in my heart. But if this gets a Nismo, I’ll hate it

[@gregg9672]

give it a break with the cvt transmissions!

[@silkhead44]

Hyundai Kona turbo...when?

[@Malficion]

I wonder when will a crazy manufacturer insert a 300hp motor in these econoboxs...

[@Fadic4]

Oh god. Nissan. Baby what is you doing?

[@dominicfong6341]

Nissan, whatever you wanna kick, just try not to kick a bucket!

[@jasonyang4724]

Hi, can you do a review on 2018 Mazda6 GT 2.0T? Thanks

[@MatrixDiscovery]

Aweful! Funny how the KIA has the powerful vehicle in this segment.

[@mark_r49]

Learn how to drive and you wouldn’t need AWD. Don’t see the big attraction to adding needless weight.

[@Mgoblagulkablong]

gdi or mpi engine?

[@rx7guy21]

HA Kick the dust up....I see what you did there :p

[@hohil12]

Starting with a CVT is not an upgrade...

[@lincolnccoorrtteezz8236]

They are copying honda in so !any ways its sad

[@King_Kenny66]

I noticed you don't have the CHR in your size chart. Is it smaller than the Kia Soul?

[@watchreport]

2:32 larger than Soul

[@King_Kenny66]

At 232 there is no mention of CHR being bigger than Soul. If CHR is larger than Soul, he left it off the chart.

[@bird718]

that thing just looks.... how can i put it.... ugly?

[@robertsn6584]

125 horsepower in a modern car let alone crossover. How pathetic. Wait until the active lifestyle people put a couple people in that thing , plus there active lifestyle crap. Its gonna take that thing 2 weeks to reach 60 MPH

[@the_random9718]

Robert Snyder, you’re right, a 20 year old Toyota Corolla has more power than this trash

[@mountainhobo]

"125 horsepower in a modern car let alone crossover. How pathetic. " -- Put a stick shift in it, and it will be fine. It's FWD only anyway.

[@robertsn6584]

mountainhobo to bad the hook up power robbing cvt's to all nissans. How about they develop a nice 8 speed automatic. Everyone hates cvt's

[@mountainhobo]

"How about they develop a nice 8 speed automatic" -- For a small car like that, with a small engine, I would still prefer stick, though. Once you start getting into higher power range, that might change with a really good, quick auto (DCT maybe?).

[@robertsn6584]

mountainhobo the more gears the car has the better. Means each year is shorter and that means the engine has more leverage

[@jduke989]

the whole segment is useless , this car is trash , i'd rather drive a hatchback

[@luv2bottom]

I’m not sure why people are buying these so called crossovers, there are so ugly, I have a Civic Touring turbo fully loaded with a lot of tech & it has a ton of interior room and cargo space & I paid $25,000 for it. I just don’t get it

[@islandtoisland]

SMH @ Nissan. It's not a crossover SUV unless it has AWD/4WD. It's like selling single blades, but calling them scissors.

[@Eeaotc02]

Typical millennial styling looks for a typical millennial and yes I'm a millennial for myself. This vehicle doesn't appeal to me.

[@willnye9788]

Double JJ agreed. This is overall UGLY especially the front grille.

[@PLATINUM2U]

Looks like a Volvo XC40 TWIN but cheaper and yuckier😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@alliejr]

Not just cheaper, it is _HALF_ the price of a Volvo XC40. No, it doesn't look as good as the Volvo, but kudos to Nissan, I think it's ok.

[@Kylehoulihan]

No awd! LMAO good bye sales...

[@aarons7267]

Kyle houlihan if you live were they are no snow than you don’t need it.

[@LouAntonioGiordano]

I live in Canada where most vehicles are sold in awd and people buy more fwd HRV and Rogue Sport than awd. These cars are small, you just need snow tires. No need for awd, consumes more gas anyways. And you definetly don’t need the awd for sporty driving.

[@swanblake]

Alex making moee excuses than an old lady on this thing. Annoying

[@swanblake]

A raised Versa that's slower. Someone was desiring this? Yuck. CVT and 125hp NA engine all going to the front wheels only. Dangerously slow. Infusing its light weight is gonna return horrible crash test scores. This is by far the worse segment of vehicles in the auto landscape.

[@stephenj4937]

0-60 in under 10 seconds is nowhere near dangerously slow. It will still do highway speeds and pull out into traffic just fine. Cars from the 80s and early 90s are significantly slower than this.

[@yourwifisucks836]

Blake Swan go away bratty frizzy bish

[@limpunsing224]

This is basically the car that most people want today

[@Consure]

Of all the Kicks videos out at the same time, I watch yours Alex, because I know I will get all the info and clearly/concisely - thank you for another great video!

[@Elusive25]

i think this is targeting a young girl and single mom market

[@alexandre8598]

Once again, you're the best at reviewing cars!

[@tinhinnh]

should just call it new Versa

[@alliejr]

Alex, is the interior really less premium than the Honda HR-V (which has a pretty crappy interior in my opinion, and I'm a Honda fan)? In SR trim, the Kicks interior looks pretty good, in video at least, and certainly seems premium given the $20,000 price point.

[@normt5463]

alliejr If you don't mind the stubby looks, the 2018 Buick Encore offers more features with $10,000 off MSRP and well under $20K. A 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty too.

[@MichaelWebber]

Wow. The SV is a terrific alternative to a Corolla, Corolla Hatchback, HR-V. Wish it had lane departure alert, but the Toyota I test drove with it was annoying - first, the lines have to be clear, and second, it gets confused by off-ramps and other situations where the line markings disappear or veer off on one side but I drive straight ahead. AEB - automatic braking - is such an important safety enhancement that the government is mandating it in 3 years.

[@ponygt6629]

RIP Ford Ecosport

[@theodorekell]

Look how at 17:53 some kids being teleported right behind Alex

[@DarrenPersad]

Just my two cents on this thing - most subcompact SUVs are on the more mediocre side, with many “essential” SUV-like features missing. In that regard, the Kicks isn’t different - it’s a FWD-based vehicle with an anemic power plant and CVT, but target market is key here; you’re looking at smaller families or singles that need a bit more practicality, probably in more urban and slightly suburban environments, probably where there’s inclement weather, and where costs to own and run need to be kept to a minimum. The Kicks checks off those boxes. And, with greater attention to detail and better tech than some of the similarly priced competitors, it still has plenty of potential in the market. Personally, I think it would be a better vehicle than our HR-V as is (except for the lack of AWD), but if this had a more respectable power plant, a 6-speed automatic, and optional AWD, this could’ve actually been a contender for leading the segment! Missed opportunity there, Nissan!

[@normt5463]

Darren Persad Yeah, no AWD. Missing some convient features and a longer warranty that the Buick Encore offers now they have $10,000 off MSRP.

[@LuisMaldunadus]

No AWD means better fuel economy. Makes sense? YES. Nissan knows what they are doing!

[@DarrenPersad]

They really don’t. Others are FWD and offer 4WD or AWD as an option. By omitting AWD, they aren’t catering to some critical buyers as a result.

[@moitunon12]

YOU ARE A DICKHEAD.

[@MrKarKraze]

Picked up our Kicks.. Love it, perfect for a runaround vehicle that is easy on the budget and fairly comfortable.

[@jamesiepooh7337]

I'm still wondering who they targeted the Juke for...

[@apache-yaquibrown4060]

James DeHart minorities. Guess they think were less likely to return this car.

[@fouzanahmed3546]

Very good detailed review. You are one of the bestest car reviewers in KZbin.

[@clearrainbow3461]

Thank you for the informative review. This has convinced me to go with the Kicks Sr

[@graham-jefferson]

The powertrain seems unfortunate, almost dangerously slow. I wish it had a center console/passenger center arm rest too. But strangely, I like it, mainly because it's inexpensive. Needs tint on those huge windows though. Thanks for checking it out Alex!

[@greall]

I have really been looking forward to a review of this vehicle

[@craiga7652]

A turbo & AWD option (available separately) would have been a smart move by Nissan.

[@Ron-fu5jp]

HVAC controls COMPLETELY ripped off from the current Mazda's. Unbelievable Nissan! Can't come up with an original design. Otherwise seems like an interesting vehicle.

[@stephanematis]

Can we just call it a raised hatchback and call it a day?

[@hedydd2]

They must be desperate to offload those terrible [unreliable] Jatco CVT's

[@martinmartin5904]

I doubt that the MAX ( seat folded that you don't do ) cargo capacity is better than the HR-V. How it compares with the nissan Versa Note ? Btw Seem the same drivetrain ,bore and stroke for sure according to ''cars.com compare side by side ''.

[@martinmartin5904]

Versa Note max cargo : 38.3 cu.ft., Kicks : 32.3 cu.ft. ... another form over fonction vehicule

[@yahuchanonyakov]

Too small for me...and just plain not for me.

[@richkay9720]

As soon as I was aware that this pathetic excuse for an SUV was replacing my beloved Juke, I sprung into action. Raced to buy the last year (2017) Juke.

[@dimitrijeteodorovic6204]

Maybe ok in EU where most of the cars are small, but would not take my chances in USA with this vacuum cleaner against all pickups and suvs Safety first.

[@lindenwilliams7044]

We have the Qashqa here in Canada as well. A tiny bit smaller than the Rogue.

[@davemcguigan218]

Very thorough review!

[@gregg9672]

Why does it have the advantage over the HR-V? They both have horrid cvt transmissions at least the HR-V comes with awd

[@duranamo4297]

And I thought the Rouge "sport" was a piece of shit....smh.

[@waynerhea6649]

Everything about this vehicle is good except for the power train. They need a turbo and optional AWD.when you throw 4 adults and some cargo in it not to mention the extra weight and less aerodynamic body of a SUV good luck moving.

[@ttattx]

the dumbest name for a vehicle EVER. unless you own a martial arts studio, and get a skin wrap... but ONLY then.. haha.. thanks Alex

[@the_random9718]

That thing has less power then my moms 2003 Toyota Corolla

[@BanBiofuels]

Looks better than the Kia Soul or the Honda Fit at the same price.

[@salmanza5568]

Love to find an LCD display in a car like this. Really a deal maker for vehicles this day in age and esp in that price

[@Nerz8885]

Are the car parts cheap or expensive?

[@meteorsgeese7192]

not one wasted word perfect

[@conceptcs]

Seems like a great upgrade from my aging 08 Versa.

[@mikeharris7261]

now that they have dropped a turbo in the altima the maxima is the only thing on nissan lot worth mentioning

[@Anniefawesome]

I actually recognize the road you are on in so cal!! I wish they made a hybrid version of this!

[@glennkennedy441]

They lost me at front wheel drive only.....