Compare the2025 Nissan KicksVS 2025 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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The Nissan Kicks has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The Kicks’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kicks and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	124	145
Abdominal Force	126 lbs.	154 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
HIC	303	358

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Kicks is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks	Eclipse Cross
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	2.28 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	915 lbs.	1294 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.5 in	1.73 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Kicks’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Eclipse Cross’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 3 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kicks’ warranty.

Reliability

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 Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Kicks is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 60 MPH	8.7 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.8 MPH	78.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks gets better mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

			MPG
Kicks
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/35 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
Eclipse Cross
	AWD	ES 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/26 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Kicks’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Kicks higher (6 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (4). This means the Kicks produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kicks stops shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Kicks S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires. The Kicks SR’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kicks SR has standard 19-inch wheels. The Eclipse Cross’ 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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Kicks has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kicks SR AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (28 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

The Kicks is 7.1 inches shorter than the Eclipse Cross, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kicks has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom and 1.2 inches more rear headroom than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (30 vs. 23.4 cubic feet). The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat folded (60 vs. 50.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Kicks’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch. The Eclipse Cross has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Kicks’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Eclipse Cross’ standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Kicks’ power locks have a lockout prevention feature. When the key is in the ignition or smart key is in the passenger compartment and the driver’s door is open, the locks unlock every time you lock them. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t provide lockout prevention.

The Eclipse Cross’ standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Kicks’ standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

The Kicks has a standard Push Button Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL offers FAST-Key.

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 Eclipse Cross ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kicks has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Kicks has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

Compared to traditional radio, the Nissan Kicks’ standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Kicks SV/SR has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Kicks is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Nissan Kicks outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by over six to one during 2024.

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