The 2021 Nissan Kicks Is Budget Transportation Done Right. Just Not Fast.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Affordable cars can be the most difficult vehicles for automotive engineers to produce. The Nissan Kicks is budget done right. Fast? No sir. Opulent? No ma"am. But it's stylish, comfortable, fuel efficient and comes with plenty of active electronic safety tech. The 2021 model gets some updates and for those that can't afford a luxury ride (or simply don't want one) it's a solid choice. Cross shop Kia Soul, Hyundai Venue and Toyota CH-R. Tom Voelk checks out a fully-loaded top trim SR model and says go easy on the extras, you won't miss them.
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About Tom: Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award (and he's won for photography, editing, producing and reporting). But really, all you need to know is in the videos. Watch a few and you'll subscribe.
I purchased a brand new 2023 Nissan Kicks SR with Premium Package in Boulder Gray Pearl back in October of 2023 and I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with my new Nissan. The longer I own it the more I appreciate how good of a car it really is for the price. I find more and more little things it does and I tell you its good all kind of features especially on the safety front. It does everything so well and is just a really well rounded vehicle that is an unbeatable value especially in features per dollar. I live my Kicks!
Comfort:
The front seats are so comfortable and just hold you perfectly and support your back and legs so well (I am 5’11”). I usually have issues with seats not supporting my thighs because I have long legs. Not in the Kicks, its seats support the back of my thighs perfectly. The 2024 Altima SR I had drove had a much shorter bottom seat cushion it seemed and my thighs were not supported and were up off the seat at a weird angle no matter how I adjusted the power seat. Now the Sentra SR seats were excellent and had a long supportive bottom seat cushion and were even a tad better than the Kicks seats. But anyway the seats in the Kicks I love and are perfect to me lol. Also the multicolor Primatex Synthetic Leather material used on the top trim SR with Premium Package is so durable lookibg and feeling with such a sporty flare. You can tell they will hold up very well compared to true leather and they have not sagged, creased or got shiny at all like a lot of real leathers do on the seat bolster getting in and out. My 2021 Mitsubishi Mirage SE top trim that I traded on this Kicks had neat premium plaid cloth seats with leatherette bolsters and after 2.5 years of owning it the seats had not one sign of wear, no creasing, no shininess and no sagging and in the top trim Mirage SE the material is very thick and durable like this Kicks. The front area in the Kicks is so roomy with tons of legroom and I and headroom its crazy. I keep the bottom part of the seat in its half way back/forth position and the pump action height adjustment I keep in the lowest position. If I slide the driver seat all the way back I cannot push the pedals thats how much seat travel they give lol. However it slides back soooo far that it eliminates rear leg room lol. I have long legs and am almost 6 ft and in my seating position I can sit behind my self with room to spare. The rear seats are just as comfortable and you sit very high looking over the front seats and like I said I still have a ton of head and leg room behind my driving position. I know some cars have what they call stadium seating in the rear but I have never experienced it as much as in the Kicks as you sit very high and way above the front seats and if you get car sick (I hate riding in the rear seat) it really helps because you do not feel like your in the back seat and are up high and not claustrophobic feeling at all. Even still there is a ton of headroom. Back in the front seat like I said I keep the height adjustment in its lowest position like I do in all vehicles I own and its perfect for me and leaves a ton of headroom above my head like several inches. Everything in the Kicks is just placed in easy reach and is so easy to use and understand. It fits me perfectly.
Cargo:
The cargo area is huge for such a small vehicle at 169 inches long. It has 25 cubic feet and can hold so much more than you realize and even the sides of the cargo area are carpeted which keeps the car quieter and prevents getting those ugly scratch marks. It also has 2 built in bag holders and a very heavy duty solid cargo cover. The cargo cover only comes standard when you get the top trim SR and add the $1,400.00 Premium Package which I did.
Features:
Where do I begin. This top trim SR with the $1,400.00 Premium Package is loaded for such a small car and comes in under $26,000.00. It has things like rear parking sensors, 360 surround view cameras, rear automatic emergency braking (rare in vehicles under $40K) for parking and works damn well, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, 8 speaker Bose audio system with 2 neat speakers built into the drivers seat headrest, 8 inch audio touch screen, 7 inch half digital gauge cluster screen that does all kind of things, led headlights, led tail lights, led fog lights, 17 inch alloy wheels, push button start, remote start with intelligent climate control that heats or cools the car and even heats your seats and steering wheel and it bases what it does on the outside temp, auto digital climate control, auto up down drive and front passenger windows, nissan Connect Telematics, super sharp Primatex synthetic leather seats that are light gray and charcoal with orange accent stitching, primatex dash pad, rear seat occupancy alert reminder and so much more. This thing is loaded for under $26,000.00 with features reserved for more expensive vehicles.i absolutely love its 8 speaker Bose personal audio system it sounds amazing and looks cool too with the driver seat headrests. The 360 surround view camera system with multiple views makes parking a snap too. I just love everything about my Kicks.
Safety Features:
Wow does this Kicks have the safety features and they work very well and do not miss a beat. Lane departure warning with haptic steering wheel, forward collision alert and auto braking, rear collision alert and auto braking, rear cross traffic alert, pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, auto high beams, led lighting systems, park assist, 360 surround view camera, dynamic control module for engine braking (SR only) - ride control and pitch (SR only) - handling with active trace and yaw control (SR only), abs, electric parking brake with auto hold feature, stability and traction control, digital tire pressure display for all 4 tires, easy tire fill with horn alert, radar adaptive cruise control, Nissan Telematics with SOS button and automatic crash notification, 10 airbags, zero gravity seats, security system and more!!!
Driving:
The Kicks really impresses me with how it drives. Another thing that really impresses me is its sound build quality as the vehicle has absolutely no squeaks or rattles even when super cold out and just has a solid feel. This CUV does not have a wallow type ride like our Eclipse Cross SUV does to the point there is to much movement that can make you sick. The Kicks is planted and firm yet has a great ride and handles bumps and all very well. I know the SR has the dynamic module thing for ride control adjustments, torque vectoring using the brakes and active engine braking using the CVT and engine but I am not sure if the suspension on the SR (sporty trim lol) is any different than in the S or SV trim. But the point is it has a good ride which a lot of online reviews agree with. Thats impressive for its size and price. Like I said the Kicks drives with a very solid feel and has great steering thats very direct and communicative and very well controlled. It has a nice ride height too with 7 inches of ground clearance which is pretty good for a small CUV. The driving position and visibility are amazing and it had a huge windshield and huge windows all around. As far as power goes it does pretty good and has a very low reving engine while cruising and becomes very quiet. Also its idle is very quiet. The windshield wipers front and rear work great and the driver side wiper is huge and sweeps like every inch of the windshield for maximum visibility. The rear wiper has 2 settings which is nice, an intermittent speed and a constant steady speed. It gets great MPGs too and does better than most all in its class. On the highway it can get close to 40 mpg which is amazing.
CVT (JF015E-RE0F11B Jatco CVT 7)
Engine (HR16DE -1.6L 4 Cylinder)
The CVT which everyone knows about and complains is a major sore point for Nissan unfortunately. I know they had issues years back on past generation Jatco CVTs but they have improved tremendously. My last 3 Mitsubishi Mirages (2015, 2017, 2021) all had the same Jatco CVT-7 as the Nissan Kicks and I had no issues. In fact our last 7 vehicle’s have all had Jatco produced CVTs with no issues and our 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross SEL Touring with S-AWC is 5 years old now and we have had no issues with its Jatco sourced CVT. I really like the programming of the CVT-7 in the Nissan Kicks and it really feels neat. It drives like a true geared automatic transmission with simulated fake shift points that make the car feel more responsive and fun. I love it. Also on the SR you have the active engine braking, active trace control and active ride management. As for the engine in the Kicks it is the HR16DE and has been around since like 2004! Of course over the years it has had several major updates and little tweaks but is still the same basic engine. I personally like that as it’s a simple older style proven powertrain. I have no issues with that.
Thanks for the great review! I want to look at one of these!😊
I have the 2021 S because I'm poor and that's all I could afford, but I really like it! It's been fun to drive :)
Still run fine for you? I’m scared my car will break down soon lol
@@ShiYushi yup, she still runs great! No problems at all.
My girlfriend just bought this car 🥹 without telling me , has your transmission failed or anything ?or any weird sensor issues?
@@robertvilchiz1939so far so good re: transmission, no problems with the mechanical side. I will say my blind spot sensors have stopped working and the local dealership has dug their heels in about fixing it for so long I don’t think it’s covered by warranty anymore. But it’s a small thing in the end, and I still love it
Love your reviews, Tom. I watch some reviewers because of the car. I watch you in spite of the car.
Mr. Tom Voelk, a personal "thank you" for giving shy 'Martin Campbell' acknowledgement for his contribution to your platform. We are living in times where this is something of a rarity. Plus, he's better to look at than you. 😊 Thanks again Mr. Voelk.
The power is just as much as my old ‘98 Civic. I didn’t complain about power then, I wouldn’t complain about power now.
The Civic was probably 50% lighter.
@@TinLeadHammer few hundreds lbs, yes but it doesn’t matter I still weight the same as in high school. 😂
Your reviews are first class..vehicle price never a factor..thanks
It's never about price or class, it's about information.
Not really a Nissan guy myself but gotta admit it's a nice looking design!
Completely agree. It’s just a car that’s a great gas saver! That is a crossover. Not a crazy engine but gets your from point a to point b .
4:18 Beautiful hilltop shot! 🏆 and thanks for showing that again at 11:07 and 11:52
Great review and photo shots! Love the Kicks, I'm 72 and live in the suburbs and drive very little. Don't need to put a lot of money in a car.
Get the CVT flushed every 30K miles. Should last 100K miles. If you can't afford anything better, it's a solid choice. At least it looks more expensive on the outside.
1st time channel viewer. So impressed by the videography and clear, easy to follow, no nonsense review. Thanks for this! Super helpful.
I have the S model, I’m super happy with it! I upgraded from a 2011 Versa hatch. :)
Love your style…can we get him 250k subs?!?!??? Keep up the great work.
Tested this and the Hyundai Venue recently. I am a Nissan fan as I own a Cube and thought the Kicks would be better. I was wrong. Hyundai Venue handled better, had a better CVT by a lot and felt more powerful even thought the HP and Torque are the same with both cars. I only drove the Kicks a little and it felt very underwhelming while the Venue is a car I would look foward to owning.
Automakers are setting themselves up for a big world of hurt if they think they can all move upmarket and leave only used cars as the future of affordable cars. As soon as they abandon the lower end of the market somebody (from China likely) will slot themselves in as the budget brand, start offering c ars that are 80% as good for 50% of the money and put half of the established brands out of business
That’s a great point
part of the cost problem's are down to 2 main things!!!
1) American's don't really like small or micro cars... The new Sentra is larger then the Altima was not even 10 years ago, Compact is the new mid-size, Sub- compacts the the Versa and Rio are about as big as compacts where a few years ago...
2) More and more standard safety features. You literally cant buy a new car without a backup camera and a few sensors slapped on it, that's federally mandate on all cars sold in the US.
I wouldn't worry about "Chines cars" the really cheap ones you see online are tin cans that would kill anyone inside of them using a 30MPH crash... The really cheap ones would never pass our safety regulation's here.
There's some Chinese cars already sold in the US like the Buick Envision that's not really that popular... Some American's are extremely patriotic and would never buy a Chinese made car, the other half are brand snobbs! There is entire sect's of tens of millions in America what wont even buy a Hyundai or Mazda no matter how outstanding they are, because that's not their favorite brand. Toyota, Honda, Chevy loyalist's as an example. If Chinese cars ever came to the US they would be an extremely fringe vehicle to see like Mitsubishi is today, Like Suzuki was a few years ago before they gave up on the US market.
Not to mention if there was any fault at all with the vehicles the public would quickly bran the vehicles unsafe or unreliable and avoid them despite any lower price point we might see... But Hyundai, Nisssan, and Mazda literally produces their own steel for their cars, sooooooo I don't see how anyone is going to compete with them without selling their cars at a loss or using slave labor to make them... And if the west hears the cars are being made with slave labor people might go beyond avoiding purchase and actively protest the Chinese brands.
Well said, my man 👍
Actually Toyota do have some budget models that you would only find in developing countries like the Philippines and Indonesia. They probably just don't want to release them in the states. I doubt you would find the Toyota Rush stateside.
We have this in Philippines but its hybrid now. Fuel with gasoline to charge the battery and the battery will run the front wheel
good to see some budget cars that real people can afford.
Am I less real because I can afford a more expensive car?
@@ivanlowjones yes
@@ivanlowjones Then here is a tip. There is a freedom to having a car that is just a car.
@@ChristopherWalkenPUA
I still exist regardless of my preferred transportation mode.
@@bzdtemp
I'm still confused as to how I'm no longer a person if I drive a more upscale car.
if you dont care too much and just need a transporter id get the base model its not like you will use EVERY sv feature available... unless you know you will for like intel cruise control. i would of got the sv if it was maybe 1kish more but its hard finding ones that arent 24k with quiet a bit of mileage. mine was i think 19k-20k base model 25k miles i got it through online so extra they shipped it to me all in all i spent 21k for the vehical post tax in late 2023
This was great and very helpful. Wife and I are considering a kicks and this is just what we needed, thank you! I have to ask if the evil twin is an actual twin or you splitting the shot. I tried my best to find the tell-tale signs and didn't see them on first viewing. So either you DO have a twin, or you did a great job there!
Getting the kicks SV. hopefully next month. It has everything that I need.. if I wanted speed I would of gotten a corvette. I currently drive a 2012 checy sonic. That has just a tad more Hp then this, and I still suffered from passing.
I know, I know, real-life customers wouldn’t buy this idea for a new car, but… how sweet would it be to have this as a manual and with AWD. It has the right size and look. Gives me good Matrix/Vibe vibes.
Thanks, I'll keep my 16 year old manual Vibe.
@@rightlanehog3151 Nice!
Those Bose speakers on the headrest looks so dope
Love this vehicle
We have a 2018 and I can pretty confidently recommend it. My big worry is whether the CVT will die early. Hopefully by 2018, they were more reliable than the ones from about 10 years ago. I actually like the way the CVT drives----but do worry about long term reliability.
@@funktron4 You should be fine as long as you change the CVT fluid every 60k miles.
I am so confused about how your channel does not have more subs than the lifeless Alex on Autos. I love your energy!
I appreciate you taking the time to briefly breakdown the cost and engineering behind vehicle production. I understand capitalism a lot more now but in my adolescence, I had so many unanswered questions about things like that.
My 2019 Kicks has 195k, just did plugs and coils, runs better than when I bought it.
195 000 are you sure??
@@marco3002 crazy huh?
That is heartening to know.
@@marco3002 I'm a courier, want my taxes and pic of odometer???
Tom, you may find this Washington Post article on a ev road trip interesting. It adds to your commentary on the topic, and produces some new perspective or perhaps, wrinkles.
I bought this car in July 2021! Smart car! I love it!
Always love your vids Tom. Great job!
Wow, I has to say...that's a guud looking affordable suv! Not a bad copy of Audi and RAV4...That steering wheel is better than my MazdaSpeed3!
Do you ever venture out of neighborhood for a test drive? Love to see you driving on the highway or freeway.
First time watching your review. Very nice job. You must be a journalist. I’m subscribing. 👍
Welcome aboard!
Tom, I am looking forward to the AWD, 60 mpg Yaris Cross arriving in this market.
Are you? Last I heard it's forbidden fruit.
@@DrivenCarReviews We'll see. Naturally, I would welcome any other 50 mpg compact CUVs.
Your brother was unusually agreeable in this episode
I really like that kicks, but I'll wait for the new corolla SUV review, then I'l make my decision
Hope to get one soon. I've seen it in person. Visually the Kicks has more personality inside and out but I'm curious about driving dynamics.
@@DrivenCarReviews I know, but the corolla is AWD, I live in the North east
The price for the Corolla is likely to be considerably higher though.
@@funktron4 that's a fact, but you'll get AWD, plus Toyota reliability, also physical first gear
@@johansenBB Exactly, will always go with a Toyota CVT over a Nissan one.
Ohhh God I should watch this video before I drive on the freeway , I’m so disappointed about the speed , and yes it’s exactly like you described,
COME ONNN LETS GOOO!
What's a real shame is when those engineer's develop a cheap plastic for the budget models, then put it in the top tier models too. Here's looking at you GM.
sun roofs are rarely used if you actually keep track of how often you open it
It's not just about opening it. It can be just as much about having more light to brighten up the cabin.
@@DrivenCarReviews True!
Good car for begginers comfortable to drive yes its not fast but enough for me so yeah buy it if u like it
Imagine if Nissan put the 1.8 here. It would elevate this and probably not affect mpg much
i'm patiently waiting for this model to enter malaysia since there's a rumor that Nissan will bring this to Malaysia,
just wait till the transmission dies after the warranty
It looks cozy. I dig it.
Mine is pretty fast, not a rocket but faster than most cars on the road. You just need to remove the factory air box and install a K&N cone air filter about $75 huge difference.
Nissan could use the 1.0L turbo (3 cylinder) petrol engine with 117HP they use in the European Juke instead of this 1.6L. Just saying.
Why would they?
@@funktron4 because it is lighter, stronger and better on gas
@@Niro.C Does the turbo end up being an expensive problem if you tend to hold onto your cars for a long time?
@@funktron4 I buy a new car every 3 years when it is under warranty 🤷♂️
Geezh Tom-- what happened to the price of this thing with the refresh-- i remember when it was 18-22 (a FIT competitor); i know they added standard features for 2021 but---- a base CX-30 (decently equipped) is 24-------
8:35 I thought tissue hoarder was last year's trend 🤣
I'm in the market for one and sadly every single one is way over msrp. I can pay up to a grand more but not several over msrp.
If only it didn’t have the dreaded Nissan CVT.
Did you watch the video, the implementation is supposed to fine.
No one's gonna be drag racing in these although I would like some extra power for easier merging on the highway.
@@ZapFlashD One of our cars is a 2018 Kicks SR-----and one of the only things I nitpick about is merging onto freeways. If cars are already going 80 MPH in all lanes and you're merging almost from a stop, it's tough. You have to time it right. However, that said----one thing I believe he was wrong about in the review is passing at highway speeds. Once our Kicks is up to highway speed, passing is suprisingly easy. I've never seen any car get this much juice from 125 HP.
@@bzdtemp It doesn’t matter about implementation, it’s about reliability, a real issue.
@@bzdtemp Nissan has had a history of poor reliability with their CVT transmissions and they are not repairable/rebuildable...you have to replace the whole thing if something as simple as a solenoid inside of it fails
CVT that feels like a geared transmission is not "pretty well done".
Would be nice with a stick shift.
sport drive button doesnt work _
Hmmm. The URL I copied into the comment didn't seem to show up in the TH-cam site. So if you need more information on how Google it, the article was Seven quick tips for taking a road trip in an electric vehicle - without running out of charge. By Jack D. Smith
Is it reliable? Can it get ~200K miles?
What Nissan should have done was double the price to make people feel better about the kick.
I'd be hard-pressed to shovel out 24k for one of these while the Honda Civics and Hyundai Konas exist in the world. It just doesn't compare. This was supposed to be the replacement for the Juke which was universally polarizing. The new design in Europe is far better looking while keeping some of its original's quirkiness. Nissan should have brought that design here and skipped the Kicks. The other (new) models from Nissan are far superior in design and quality. Maybe that will trickle down into the Kicks at some point.
Um have you looked at the base price of a Civic for 2022?. Dude this is more affordable..
@@moeanthony9308 Yipes, yes I have and they are pricey but I think I would still pay the premium considering the quality. I took a good look at one at a dealership and it was very impressive. The Nissan just doesn't compare even considering the price gap.
@@christopherprose3881 can't say I disagree there Chris
OMG I Cannot Stand A FWD Crossover! It’s Weird! What’s The Point Of Ground Clearance Without The Grip?!
My belief is many consumers like to sit up higher for a better view of the road. The bonus is easier ingress/egress. Just a couple of reasons why CUV's are so popular.
It good on gas and inexpensive
2:05 "WiFi connection to emergency services" Sorry but what does this even mean...? WiFi standards don't really reach beyond 200 feet. Does this mean I have to be within 200 feet to a fire department building? Probably not but that's what that sentence means. It's like when poorly written articles randomly throw in technology terms like "5G" in a nonsensical fashion, eg. "The new factory will be equipped for 5G for faster shovel manufacturing"
Throw an electric in it at that price point, instant best seller.
They do a EV style but it's not available in North America.
no manual transmission, no sale
Hope they have fixed their terrible CVT's!
Also never buy one from Milton Nissan, Ontario (just a heads up)
they love to take your vehicle for joy rides and then scream at you when
you complain about it!!
It’s dangerously slow in the highway. You command no passing power
I own a 2019 Kicks and I have no problem with highway driving or passing other cars. In fact if I'm not paying attention I find my self regularly cruising at 80-85 mph. I regularly get 40mpg on the highway as well. So I must respectfully call BS on your misinformation.
I have to say Nissan has stepped up their game as far as design. Still, for $20k I could get a used Porsche Cayenne GTS or Land Rover LR4
And those are both huge money pits.......
@@colderbeer Yeah, it’s one of the ironies of car guy mindset. A new car that depreciates $40k is a dream, a used car that needs a $40 part is a nightmare. :-)
Yep, unreliable crap, electrical nightmares.
@@epbrown01 Because the cost of keeping the cayenne or LR4 running over time is basically like buying 200 $40 parts and still only making in another couple months before doing it again
I hate the name. It’s expensive considering it’s just a lifted Versa.
Still think the Kia seltos beats this thing by miles
Needs a better engine. A 1.6NA is too weak. Would like to see it with the 3 cyl turbo that it has in Europe. Also, the FWD only without AWD is a non-starter for me, as it makes it more CUV-ish than a real crossover.
looks like a good rental car though
Too long and why would you tell bargain car hunters to go for a higher trim? Silly.
Almost 25K for a 122 horsepower "SUV"? No thank you. And look at all those blank buttons at 5:44
Who gives a fuck about blank buttons? Then don’t watch reviews on reasonable priced cars, go watch reviews on Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s or whatever you picky rich assholes buy.
Nissan CVT transmissions are garbage! Trash! 🗑🚮🗑🚮 DONT BUY them.. trust me. Do your research on Nissan cvt transmissions problems
2:51 cvt? pass
It doesn't look bad for your average consumer that doesn't know what a torsion beam means.
I would suggest most consumers don't know what kind of suspension their cars ride on.
122 HP.....really...for such a heavy vehicle that engine is practically useless.
I think I would still buy a few year old used car instead of something like this (some of those warranties are transferable) so I could have some more features and better comfort, but I’m impressed with the way Nissan has gotten this thing together. It’s a shame it’s so ugly.
You definitely get more car for your money buying used, but that comes with a lot of risks----sometimes people get burned badly.
You save now but pay later when this piece of junk failing car company CVT breaks down
Is this David Cosgrove from Amarillo, Texas?! If it is, you still don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I’ve put over 100 thousand miles on 2 Nissan CVT’s . Never a problem. One of them was a 2018 Kicks SR.
This vehicle is so under powered, it was struggling just to start up.🤦🏾♂️
As an actual Kicks owner I call BS on this comment.
@@vidsling I hope you are right because I am going to buy one!
I press the button and my Kicks starts immediately. All this talk about how slow it accelerates also is inaccurate. I don't want to go from 0-60 in a few seconds. That is no way to save gas. I get 43.4 MPG on the expressway.
My e-Bike is faster than this heaping pile of CVT crap. I had a rental of this vehicle and I pressed the gas pedal down and a minute later it reached 30mph.
You are a real hero.
Then perhaps: 1) Your rental had some nightmarish mechanical problem. 2) You don't know how to drive. Or 3) You're lying. I vote 3.
@@funktron4 believe what you want.
Would love to see you pile 15 packs of TP onto your ebike!
@@redmusichouse touché
Videos like this show how a certain level of professionalism in production, writing, and editing, can convey a lot of useful info in a very concise manner. Well worth a subscription. BTW, I'm approaching the 30K mark on my 2019 Kicks SR, and have been quite happy with it.
I really like this new auto industry two tone design trend.
What’s old becomes new again. Two tone paint was a thing until the 80’s-90’s. That, along with light bars and more colorful interiors are coming back and I’m all for it.
Bought a SR for my kid. It has so many features! We test drove a few different vehicles but this was the best value.
Rich , spoiled brat. Bet your kid has everything he/she ever asked for. You’ll regret that one day.
Raise your hand if you initially read the title card as “Best Bang For The Buick”
I just bought the 2021 Nissan Kicks SR Premium and I'm addicted. If you're a responsible driver and not lead footed, the 122hp will do everything you need. It's incredibly smooth on the highway.
Tom does excellent car reviews, great to see him do one on a car that is affordable by ordinayr mortals he should do more of these!
He does just not many cars are affordable these days
Thanks so much for this amazing professional review as usual. We have a nissan rogue for the family and looking for a second car for our hybrid work comeback, so a car just for me and my wife, cheap on gaz and not too pricey, the Kicks is perfect. We were at walmart last week end and while i am parking, i saw around 7 Kicks around me lol. While leaving i just saw more of those coming to walmart, its really impressive, but that mean selling it in few years will just be an advantage.
Nissan has questionable reliability issues.
Sometimes it's great. Sometimes it's worse especially CVT.
I enjoy your reviews, but please post your height on the video comments. The seat comfort, headroom, and rear seat comfort part of the review is without context unless we know your height, and perhaps even your weight.
8:10
I bought TWO 2020 Kicks SRs for the household one year ago. Excellent value, safety tech, and convenience features for the money. I think the front seats are the most comfortable I've ever had. However, just like my 2020 Subaru Forester, there are transmission oddities in GENTLE city driving. Power delivery is very uneven and lumpy 0-30 mph, and then the transmission (torque converter seems confused with locking/unlocking) is "stumbly and jerky" when varying speeds in the 14-21 mph range....you know, in normal urban traffic. So, it's a crude experience when you need to feather the throttle around town. But eh, they're cheap.
I'm glad to see someone else mention the jerky transmission...it was concerning me because I just jumped from a Ford Focus that died because of the TCM to a Kicks that jerks, so now I'm extra paranoid.
My 2023 Kicks transmission doesn't stumble or jerk.
For only about 1,500 bucks more than the SV, the SR trim is the way to go.
So it’s about 3thousand more for the sr premium now in Canada deciding if it’s still worth it for 🤷🏽♀️🙈
Are the kicks made in England?
I personally don’t call a CVT Nissan transmission a “deal” maybe a future problem.
Good review Tom and Martin; great visuals. I'm more of a fan of the Kia Soul in S trim. Seems like a better buy. Larger engine, yet a CVT, but plenty of interior space.... and that long 100K mile Kia warranty
Yeah and 99k of the Warranty is spent in the Shop
Or China comes into the US with low end EV's resulting in several US manufactures disappearing.
Yeah, keep this in the city. You might get killed in the freeway with it's low power going up the mountains in California.
Add 3 things: AWD, automative seat adjustor, with sun roof. Happy camper
When available, is it better to purchase a hatchback over a subcompact SUV? Especially when the hatchback has the larger cargo space.
It doesn't need to be blazing fast.There are muscle sports and hypercars for that.
Huh.... well you have to review the Mercedes benz c class 2021 model
"Just not fast". How fast you need to go it's not a race track. These kind of comments always get me.
There are some situations that require a moderate amount of speed. Kicks does not have it. It is a slow car.
Remove the air box and they're pretty quick,