Nissan’s American dealer network, and the brand as a whole, hasn’t had it easy lately. Perhaps the 2025 Nissan Kicks will breathe new life into showrooms, partly because it looks good, and partly because it’s cheap. The old model in base S trim cost $22,730 including freight, while the new model in base S trim starts at $23,220 including freight. That’s a price increase of just $490, and you seem to be getting a decent car for that kind of money, assuming you’re willing to give up a few key features.
Under the hood, the old model’s 122-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine has been replaced with a two-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 19 more horsepower and a whopping 35 Nm more torque. Add in the new all-wheel drive and standard 8.4 inches of ground clearance, and the new Kicks promises to be a better-rounded subcompact crossover than the old one.
And speaking of all-wheel drive, it costs just $1,500 for the base S trim, $1,650 for the mid-range SV trim, and $1,500 for the top-of-the-line SR trim. Overall, that’s still a reasonable price and should make the Kicks the go-to model for anyone looking for the most affordable new all-wheel drive car.
The base model has one catch, however: It doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, two of the most important features in any new car since drivers interact with them all the time. It’s hard to believe that an automaker would still offer CarPlay and Android Auto as options in 2024, but that’s the way it is. What a disappointment.
The cheapest 2025 Nissan Kicks that anyone would actually want to buy is $25,070 including freight, but it may still be missing other things you want, like more than four speakers, pockets in the front seatbacks, rear heater ducts and illuminated vanity mirrors. You know, things that many used cars have for $2,500. An SV Premium package adds the pockets in the front seatbacks, heater ducts, illuminated vanity mirrors, a sunglasses holder, a large sunroof and heated seats for an additional $1,500, putting you at $26,570.
If you want more extras like more than four speakers, lane departure warning, rear cupholders, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a rear seat armrest, the SR trim starts at $27,570 – that’s $2,280 more than the old Kicks SR. If you upgrade a Kicks SR with the SR Premium package and all-wheel drive, it actually costs $29,630. While that’s still cheap overall compared to new cars, that’s a lot of money for something that should be cheap and good.
If you want Apple CarPlay and aren’t looking for all-wheel drive, the Chevrolet Trax still offers better value on paper than the 2025 Nissan Kicks. Even the base Trax gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and costs $21,495 including freight. In this segment, something that costs $3,575 less while still offering key features is just too good to ignore, and the fact that a top-trim Trax costs just $25,395 means you really have to want a front-wheel-drive Kicks to spend the extra money. If you’re particularly style-conscious, the Buick Envista is also worth a look, as it really surprised us for a base price of $23,995 including freight.
Is the 2025 Nissan Kicks still worth considering? Absolutely. A new small crossover that you can get in bright colors for reasonable money is still worth a look. However, it’s not quite the ultra-cheap crossover it once was. If you’re looking to buy one, read the spec sheet carefully and decide which features you can live without, because unless you’re going to blow the cash, you’re always going to have to compromise on something.
(Image credit: Nissan)
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