The Kicks doing its best
to look heroic, as well.
Having a go on the winding
roads, but the Kicks'
strength is in the city.O
ur long-term 2018 Nissan
Kicks has finally settled in and
exceeded its break-in period.
With just over 5,000 miles on the odom-
eter, it was time to give the keys to our
test team to see what the Kicks can do
when pushed to its rather modest limits.
The Kicks hit 60 mph in a sluggish
9.9 seconds and finished the quarter
mile in 17.6 seconds at 78.2 mph,
making it one of the slowest subcom-
pact crossovers on sale. Only the Ford
EcoSport with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost
three-cylinder the and Toyota C-HR
are slower. Stopping from 60 mph took
125 feet, which is longer than a number
of rivals we recently tested, including
the Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, and
Mazda CX-3. Associate road test editor
Erick Ayapana observed plenty of ABS
chatter but commended the Kicks for
stopping straight and having little
front-end dive.
On the figure-eight course, road
test editor Chris Walton liked the Kicks’
neutral turn-in; however, it loses its
composure midcorner, where he noted
that the car “goes all gooey.” The trac-
tion control intervenes by cutting power
and doesn’t appear to be undefeat-
able; it still works in the background
even when you turn it “off.” Despite the
Kicks weighing in at 2,655 pounds, its
125-hp 1.6-liter I-4 doesn’t have the
power to go more than 60 mph on the
figure-eight straightaways. Walton
commented that he hardly needed to
brake when entering a corner on the
figure-eight.
Lessons learned from track testing:
The 2018 Nissan Kicks is at its best
navigating the urban jungle, cruising
leisurely to your next destination. If you
want your subcompact crossover to
gleefully take on your favorite winding
road and back up its sporting inten-
tions, look to the Hyundai Kona and
Mazda CX-3.
For the next update, we’ll be taking
the Kicks out on the open road to see
how well it does on long drives and
road trips. Stay tuned.Avg CO2 0.60 lb/mi Energy cons 1 0 5 kW-h r/1 0 0
mi Unresolved problems None
Maintenance cost $0 Normal-wear cost $0
Base price $21,635 As-tested $23,000
EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 31/36/33 mpg
Real MPG 28.7/39.8/32.8 mpg“We took the
Kicks to the
test track, and
spoiler alert: It
isn’t a race car.”
Stefan OgbacService life: 3 mo/5,255 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 32.3 mpg
MT GARAGE
2018 Nissan Kicks
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