Compare the2025 Nissan KicksVS 2025 Lexus UX

The Kicks SR offers an optional front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The UX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Kicks SR has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The UX only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Kicks and the UX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks is safer than the Lexus UX:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 visits) on the Kicks for 1 year and 14,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the UX (2/24,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kicks’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is rated lower.

Both the Kicks and UX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Kicks has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Kicks’ standard fuel tank has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (11.8 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Kicks AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (12.4 vs. 10.6 gallons).

The Kicks has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The UX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Kicks stops shorter than the UX:

The Kicks SR’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the UX’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kicks SR has standard 19-inch wheels. The UX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Kicks has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The UX doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Kicks offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the UX; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Kicks SR AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the UX 300h F Sport Handling pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Kicks has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the UX (8.4 vs. 6.3 inches), allowing the Kicks to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 450 pounds less than the Lexus UX.

The Kicks is 5.1 inches shorter than the UX, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (95.7 vs. 90.4).

The Kicks has 2.5 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (30 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Kicks’ standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The UX’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Nissan Kicks outsold the Lexus UX by over 8 to one during 2024.