Affordable Wheels: 2022 Nissan Kicks Serves Up MPGs, Space and Tech for $24,440
With a starting price of $21,215 (all prices include destination), the 2022 Nissan Kicks is one of the least expensive SUVs you can buy right now — if you use the term SUV loosely; the Kicks is offered only with front-wheel drive. Even so, the Kicks’ base price is less than half J.D. Power’s $44,832 forecasted average new-car transaction price for May, making it a value choice for SUV shoppers who can get by with FWD.
Related: Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
But what does the Kicks give you for your money? To find out, we tested a mid-level SV trim. The SV starts at $23,075, but a few options — two-tone paint, carpeted floormats and black 17-inch alloy wheels — raised the as-tested price to $24,440. Here’s what we learned.
Decent Power in the City, Less So on the Highway
The Kicks’ powertrain is entirely adequate in urban environments. The 122-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine makes a coarse, growling noise when you press the gas pedal, but it accelerates the Kicks smoothly and swiftly up to city speeds being paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission. The duo is less effective, though, on the highway; floor the gas pedal for a high-speed pass and you mostly get more engine noise accompanied by modest acceleration.
Despite its limited highway passing power, the Kicks accelerates up to highway speeds reasonably well and merges without drama. Bear in mind, however, that I drove our test Kicks with only myself and minimal luggage aboard. A few friends along for the ride or a full cargo area will only make the powertrain work harder than it already is.
Suspension responses can feel a little unpolished, and the ride is busy at times, but the suspension tuning isn’t so firm that it punishes occupants — for the most part; there were a few occasions where pavement cracks produced a sharp, abrupt response from the suspension. The Kicks can also get pushed around by the wind a bit on the highway, but it tracks well and feels stable.
Impressive Real-World Gas Mileage
The Kicks’ four-cylinder engine may not have much reserve power, but it does get good EPA-estimated fuel economy of 31/36/33 mpg city/highway/combined, and our real-world fuel economy was just as impressive. At the end of a 295-mile road trip that largely consisted of highway driving, the Kicks’ trip computer indicated 38 mpg with an average speed of 47 mph. The drive used a little less than 8 gallons of regular gas for pump-calculated fuel economy of 37 mpg — slightly less than the trip computer’s reading but still above the EPA’s highway estimate. Our route was mostly flat, and we drove with the windows up and the automatic air conditioning set at 70 degrees.
Surprisingly Spacious Interior
Despite its small footprint, the Kicks’ cabin is relatively accommodating for taller adults. Front-seat comfort is good, the backseat cushion is set high enough off the floor for decent thigh support and there’s good headroom in both rows. Backseat legroom is acceptable, too.
There’s also decent cargo room behind the backseat, with 16.9 cubic feet of space, according to Cars.com cargo measurements. That’s more room than what’s offered in the Kia Seltos (16.3), Volkswagen Taos (15.2) and Toyota Corolla Cross (14.2), to name some other small SUVs. However, the Kicks’ split-folding rear backrest doesn’t fold flat with the cargo floor because there’s a small ledge between the two surfaces when it’s lowered.
Doesn’t Skimp on Safety, Tech Features
Even though the Kicks is relatively affordable by new-car standards, it comes with important safety and convenience features. Standard active safety features include automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, rear automatic braking and automatic high-beam headlights. The blind spot warning indicator lights are positioned near the side mirrors, making them easy to see in your peripheral vision. Kicks SV and SR trims also have adaptive cruise control; the base S trim does not.
The instrument panel includes a traditional analog speedometer, but SV and SR trims get a 7-inch customizable information screen. They also get an 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system instead of the 7-inch screen on the base S trim. Both systems support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Other convenience features of our SV trim included heated side mirrors, remote start and satellite radio (subscription required).
Is It Worth $24,440?
The Kicks is fuel-efficient, reasonably comfortable and well-equipped for the money. Its at-times-unrefined driving experience and highway sluggishness are negatives, but they don’t completely overshadow this Nissan’s positive traits. If keeping a lid on a new-car purchase price — and fill-ups thereafter — is key, the Kicks is worth a look.
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