No…I’m not being a name dropper, I’m just thinking about how today’s smallest Crossovers have a lot in common with All-Star players who were considered way too small to ever succeed.
And the ’26 Nissan KICKS is a great example of a potential All-Star.
From the low $20’s to the mid-$30’s…( Whoa’…let’s talk about that in a bit ) and with the average new vehicle window sticker now topping $50,000, it’s reassuring to see that you can drive out in something not only affordable and functional…but also something with a bit of personality, too…and still keep your investment in the $20’s - $30’s.
Today’s KICKS bears no resemblance to its former self. While it’s still a slightly elevated 5-door crossover, it’s finally gone to fashion school. In fact, I see “Baby Infiniti when I look at today’s KICKS. It seats 4-5 passengers in reasonable comfort, and holds around 25 cu ft of their stuff in the back.
Mileage? The EPA rates it at 27 city and 34 highway. I averaged right at 29 for my week-long commute. 0-60 will take around 9-10 seconds ( AWD takes a little longer ) and the top speed of 110 - 120 is way more than enough to get you one of those Super-Speeder tickets.
Content, tho’, is what makes the KICKS stand out…even with that almost 35K window sticker.
Our top-of-the-line AWD SR had a level of content that you used to expect only on something costing much more. Here’s just a taste:
Nissan Connect…giving you personalized settings for you and up to 4 others.
Remote start to pre-heat or cool from your phone.
Wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
Wi-Fi hotspots to connect up to 7 devices at once.
Oh…and if you’re running late leaving to an appointment and want to know if you have enough gas to get there…just check in from your phone.
Opt for the SR version and get a rather sassy two-color red and black interior, a 12.3” digital dash, 19” alloys, LED lighting, roof-rails, Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist, all-around view, hands-free texting and just about every auto-braking and cross-traffic alert that you’d want.
Even with destination charges, you’d still be a hair under $30,000.
It was the extras that drove us into the mid-$30’s pricing.
Moonroof, Premium alloys, 10-speaker Bose audio, heated steering, heated front seats, ambient lighting w. a ground package are the extras that boosted our test KICKS to $34,715,…but resulted in a darn well-equipped and comfortable ride;
In low-level trim Nissan’s KICKS is a quirky, capable economy value. Dress it up in SR trim with all available options, you’ve got a quirky little luxury ride.
Your call.
