Topic: 2022 Nissan Kicks SR

[Blueprint]

Modern vehicles are a lot like swiss knives - do-it-alls that can tackle any roads, any use, with more comfort, performance, tech and safety than the cars of yesteryear. Some, however, are still operating within the thight confines of their given mission. This is one of them.

https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20220901/nissan-kicks-sr-2022-essai-routier/

[Blueprint]

The Kicks blends the Juke's funkyness with the Versa Note's affordability. As such, this is very much a subcompact vehicle, a lot smaller in person than it appears in person. But it's a good-looking little thing, without the polarizing design elements of the Juke. Interior however is a sad sea of hard black plastics. The SR Premium pkg this car has spruces up things a bit with orange stitching and grey accents, but this cabin remains very much in the delivery vehicle realm.

[Blueprint]

Nissan is known for its excellent "zero gravity" seats. The Kicks does without them, using instead these ill-designed torture stations. After my first 30 min commute, my behind was sore for a few hours. Something is very wrong in the overall geometry of the driver's environment. The steering wheel doesn't telescope out enough, so I had it at its stop, yet my knees were rubbing on the very hard lower dash plastics. One has to back the seat beyond the ideal position, and set it higher than preferred to control its angle and the effects of the pressure points on your buttocks. You end up driving Italian style, arms out and knees bent. The driver's door armrest is unsusable, at thigh height - or even below. Proof that I'm not alone having issues on how to sit in this thing: notice the messy stitching on the driver's seat after only 2,000 km on this new press vehicle. A lot of bottoms wiggled here in attempts at finding a comfort that doesn't exist. First car I would avoid buying just for the seats.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

^^^But Hey, at least it has speakers in the headrest, amiright?

[Blueprint]

In line with its young urban audience, the Kicks is full of tech, especially in this loaded unit. The famous Bose headrest (driver only) has such a subtle effect that I had to put my ear on it to make sure it did something. It won't replace headphones - its mission is to contribute to the layers of sound in the cabin, and the Bose setup is quite the little thumper. A good thing, as the Kicks is very noisy - air flow, tires, drivetrain - they all contribute to a tiring level of sound on the highway. This Kicks also had a host of safety tech, including peripheral cameras and adaptive cruise control. Yet, look at the number of blanks in the control panel below - do other markets get enough features to add so many buttons? A real miss here: no sunroof, not even in the options.

[Blueprint]

Around town, the Kicks feels like a go-kart being driven from atop a kitchen table chair. Suspensions are firm, steering direct and visibilty great. The CVT is well-tuned to extract the best of the 122 hp 1.6 litre four, the low weight helping make more of the 114 lb-ft of torque. In the concrete jungle, the Kicks is zippy and fun to drive, in its "zone". Tackle an on-ramp however, and physics take over. This is the foot-to-the-floor approach we used to know with early '80s cars, and to keep up with frantic urban highway traffic the CVT zings up the revs at all times, and even the slightest overpass incline has the revs shooting up. Making a pass with this thing requires a fine control of your momentum.

[Blueprint]

You can't say Nissan did not nail the Kicks' target audience in its ads. Young, trendy, music-boppin' youths are all over the Kicks tv commercials. The 30-somethings get out of town and into the countryside in a Qashqai. Families have Rogues. And the adventurous are in Pathfinders. Follow that recipe and the Kicks won't deceive, provided your anatomy is compatible with the awful seats and driving position. The thight reat seat won't matter much for singles, but they will like the big trunk, small thirst (7.4 l/100 km avg for me with lots of WOT), trendy looks and high tech content. Skip the SR's cosmetics and Bose trickery and get the $25k SV for a value proposal. But do try these seats before buying.

[Seafoam]

 I'd choose a Sentra over that.

[Blueprint]

I'd choose a Sentra over that.

That's actually in the review, made even more flagrant by the fact that I was driving a same-colour, same msrp Sentra SR at the time I was writing the Kicks review. The kicker: the Sentra is more comfy, more powerful, serene on the highway ... and got better mileage. Car > CUV.

[PJungnitsch]

That's something about the seats. Maybe there's some thought behind it 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT2VVT8tht8

GM used to have a similar issue with some of its cars, like no one ever sat in them during the design stage. I had to buy an Obusforme for the work Malibu, and a friend had one of the small ones that was worse

Just a little something that p*sses you off every trip

[Blueprint]

That's something about the seats. Maybe there's some thought behind it 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT2VVT8tht8

GM used to have a similar issue with some of its cars, like no one ever sat in them during the design stage. I had to buy an Obusforme for the work Malibu, and a friend had one of the small ones that was worse

Just a little something that p*sses you off every trip

Lol on that video!!

After my first drive, I said to myself: "I'm stuck with this for a whole week ?!?" I never say that! Eventually I found a way to set the seat to avoid the painful pressure points, which involved raking it too high - the Kicks has that manual height lever that changes the angle as it rises the seat. Edit: avoiding the bad pressure points does not equal to comfort.

[ktm525]

Seems to be a nasty little vehicle.  This clown car class is a tough one.

[Blueprint]

Seems to be a nasty little vehicle.  This clown car class is a tough one.

The Kicks even fared badly in IIHS safety tests, while the older CX-3 aced them and received a "Top Safety Pick".

Venue, Soul, EcoSport, Trax, CX-3, CH-R are the competition. Of these, I have not driven the Ford (never will - cancelled) and the Hyundai (will fight for the keys when it arrives in fleet). The Mazda looks fantastic but is hyper-small inside and rides rough, and cancelled too, the Trax/Encore duo is surprisingly refined and roomy (and cancelled - see the trend?), the CH-R felt a price point higher but the Soul was an all-around nice vehicle.

If on such a budget, I'd get a Forte5 EX or a Sentra. More budget - Crosstrek 

[Fobroader]

Seems to be a nasty little vehicle.  This clown car class is a tough one.

X2....this thing sounds absolutely awful, bad seats, the lawn trimmer engine...yuck.

[Blueprint]

Seems to be a nasty little vehicle.  This clown car class is a tough one.

X2....this thing sounds absolutely awful, bad seats, the lawn trimmer engine...yuck.

We're not the intended clientele.

[Layne]

I'd choose a Sentra over that.

I'd choose the bus over that.

This vehicle is a perfect reason to buy used.

[Blueprint]

I'd choose a Sentra over that.

I'd choose the bus over that.

This vehicle is a perfect reason to buy used.

The 2020+ Sentra is actually quite good!

[Layne]

I'd choose a Sentra over that.

I'd choose the bus over that.

This vehicle is a perfect reason to buy used.

The 2020+ Sentra is actually quite good!

I actually meant the Kicks....

[Fobroader]

Seems to be a nasty little vehicle.  This clown car class is a tough one.

X2....this thing sounds absolutely awful, bad seats, the lawn trimmer engine...yuck.

We're not the intended clientele.

Are..are you implying that I am neither "hip" nor "trendy"



Since most of my clothes come from Costco, you may be right 

[Seafoam]

I'd choose a Sentra over that.

That's actually in the review, made even more flagrant by the fact that I was driving a same-colour, same msrp Sentra SR at the time I was writing the Kicks review. The kicker: the Sentra is more comfy, more powerful, serene on the highway ... and got better mileage. Car > CUV.

Yeah I wouldn't have to read your review and would come to same conclusion otherwise. These lifted CUV things only have a height advantage over a car. The regular sedan will usually perform better on every metric.