Compare the2025 Nissan Kicks PlayVS 2025 Honda HR-V

The Kicks Play has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the HR-V’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks Play has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Automatic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Honda charges extra for Cross Traffic Monitor on the HR-V, and only on the Sport/EX-L and the HR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the Kicks Play and the HR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available driver alert 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 Play is safer than the Honda HR-V:

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

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kicks Play for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the HR-V (2/24,000 vs. 1/12000).

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kicks Play has a standard 510-amp battery. The HR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Honda.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Nissan Kicks Play is faster than the Honda HR-V:

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks Play gets better mileage than the HR-V:

The Kicks Play SV/SR’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the HR-V are solid, not vented.

The Kicks Play stops shorter than the HR-V:

The Kicks Play 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 HR-V doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Kicks Play 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 HR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks Play handles at .83 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kicks Play’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the HR-V’s (34.2 feet vs. 35.1 feet). The Kicks Play’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the HR-V Sport’s (34.2 feet vs. 37 feet).

The Nissan Kicks Play may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 600 pounds less than the Honda HR-V.

The Kicks Play is 10.7 inches shorter than the HR-V, making the Kicks Play easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks Play has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and 1.7 inches more rear hip room than the HR-V.

The front step up height for the Kicks Play is 2.9 inches lower than the HR-V (15.5” vs. 18.4”). The Kicks Play’s rear step up height is 2 inches lower than the HR-V’s (15.9” vs. 17.9”).

The Kicks Play has a larger cargo volume than the HR-V with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 24.4 cubic feet).

The Kicks Play’s front power windows 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 HR-V’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The HR-V Sport/EX-L’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Kicks Play’s standard Intelligent Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Push Button Start standard on the HR-V only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. Push Button Start is not available on the HR-V Sport/EX-L.

Compared to the Honda HR-V, the Nissan Kicks Play eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Kicks Play and the Honda HR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.