What Is the Smallest Nissan SUV?
The Kicks is Nissan's smallest SUV, but is it the most popular among subcompact SUV fans? Learn more here.
Written by Rob Shapiro
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
At 169.1 inches and with the ability to seat five passengers, the subcompact Kicks is the smallest SUV by Nissan on the market—but it’s only one of many small or subcompact SUVs offered by the popular automaker.
Just because you want an SUV doesn’t mean you’re necessarily after the biggest one available. After all, it’s not always about cargo space and towing capacity. Sometimes it's about fuel efficiency, low maintenance costs, and just a bit more room than a large sedan. For many drivers, a small SUV is more than enough to meet their needs.
If you’re in the market for a small Nissan SUV, the subcompact Kicks is the way to go—but we get that you probably want to review all your options. That’s why the team here at
Jerry
, the trusted insurance comparison app, has put together this kind on Nissan’s small SUV offerings. We’ll also show you how to save on your Nissan Kicks insurance cost
! Let’s get started. What is the smallest SUV Nissan makes?
At only 65 inches tall and 169.1 inches long, the Kicks lacks quite a bit of size and cargo space. That said, it makes up for it with strong fuel efficiency (31 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, and 33 mpg combined), a sporty exterior, and exceptional handling.
The Kicks offers 25.3 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 53.1 with the second row folded. It also provides features like a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and more.
Of course, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine with the Kicks. The negatives include a lack of power, no all-wheel-drive, a loud engine, and a lack of steering feedback. It also has an uninspired 0-60 time of 9.7 seconds.
The bottom line is? The Kicks might have a few marks against it, but it’s still a great subcompact SUV that offers a wonderful driving experience.
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Other small Nissan SUVs
Nissan offers several small SUVs in their current lineup. To give you an idea of how the Kicks stands up to the rest of Nissan’s small or smallish offerings, let’s do a comparison.
Smallest: 2022 Nissan Kicks
Starting price: $20,548
Wheelbase: 103.1 inches
Seating capacity: Five
Modern style and excellent fuel economy make the Kicks the king of Nissan’s subcompact SUV line. Some engine issues and no all-wheel-drive keep it from leading the entire class.
Small: 2022 Rogue
Starting price: $29,498
Wheelbase: 104.2 inches
Seating capacity: Five
The Nissan Rogue is another strong option in the subcompact SUV space. It boasts enviable fuel economy and a much better three-cylinder or four-cylinder engine than the Kicks, and it recently underwent a full redesign.
It comes with advanced driver aids but, on the downside, it’s not the most comfortable ride and it has weak acceleration. It’s not the quickest car off the line, so make sure you consider that if you’re going to purchase one.
Small-ish: 2022 Nissan Murano
Starting price: $37,048
Wheelbase: 111.2 inches
Seating capacity: Five
The
Nissan Murano
is a beloved SUV. It’s not exactly tiny at 192.8 inches, but with the number of SUVs measuring at over 200 inches, it’s still on the small side. The Murano is a practical SUV that is still a ton of fun to drive. It’s spacious enough for passengers and cargo, but what owners love the most about this gentle ride are its comfortable seats, infotainment controls, and powerful engine. It even has a reliability rating of 89/100.
On the downside, this is not a good towing SUV, it does not offer sporty handling, and it lacks in the outward visibility department.
The best alternatives to Nissan’s smallest SUV
Who said you only have to shop for a Nissan? The market is flush with tons of small SUVs from a variety of automakers. Let’s look at three that give the Kicks a run for its money: the Hyundai Venue, the Mazda CX-30, and the Kia Seltos.
Practical and stylish: 2022 Hyundai Venue
The
Hyundai Venue
combines the practicality of a hatchback with the comfort of an SUV, and it starts at the low price of $18,900. Owners love its large infotainment system and its stylishness is appealing without being over-the-top. It’s not the zippiest vehicle on the road—its 0-60 time of 9.8 seconds isn’t all that impressive. Nor is the 17.4 seconds for a quarter-mile. Despite its lack of speed, though, it’s an enjoyable ride with decent performance and good handling.
The 2022 Venue has some other negatives. It’s a 4-seater and has some reliability concerns. It’s also a loud SUV, which can annoy your neighbors or force you to crank the radio.
Affordability meets performance: 2022 Mazda CX-30
Reasonably priced at $23,425, the
Mazda CX-30
offers owners a lot of value for its price tag. Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 186 horsepower provides decent torque. There’s also the option to upgrade to a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine, which provides 250 horsepower. The CX-30 delivers an athletic performance and offers a nice, comfortable ride over long distances. An eye-catching body design also makes this Mazda SUV a desirable option for most drivers.
You might feel like you’re driving a BMW when you’re behind the wheel of a CX-30, but there are some negatives. In particular, the CX-30 has some reported issues with its battery and engine oil.
A common sense: 2022 Kia Seltos
Kia doesn’t make cars fit for drag races and James Bond movies. They’re practical and affordable (the Seltos has a starting price of $22,590 for the LX), and AWD comes standard across models.
The
Kia Seltos LX
, S
, and EX
trims offer a 146 horsepower, 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. The Seltos’ interior has heated front seats, a tilted and telescopic steering wheel, cloth seats, and more. As far as tech specs go, owners can enjoy Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Drive Mode Select, 8” display audio, and more. As you can see, this Kia won’t be the first choice of car purists and speed demons, but there is a lot to like about it.
The best thing about the Seltos, and many other Kia models, are their safety features and their price point. The safety features include rear occupant alert, electronic stability control, rearview camera, and more.
How to shrink your car insurance payments
A smaller SUV usually comes with a lower car insurance premium, but you may still be able to save even more. So how do you get the best price on
car insurance
?Forget about spending every waking hour on hold with an insurance company’s call center. With
Jerry
, you can find a cheaper rate without any of the hassles you normally associate with shopping for insurance. As a licensed insurance broker and the world’s first super app for car owners, Jerry opens a door to more than 55 top-rated providers to find optimized quotes that will make your budget very happy.You can work with our team of insurance experts to easily switch policies so that you can focus on enjoying your brand new SUV.
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