Compared: 2024 Chevrolet Trax vs. 2024 Nissan Kicks
These two pint-sized crossovers offer big value.
Nissan | Chevrolet
Subcompact crossovers have largely taken the reins from hatchbacks as the de facto choice for anyone wanting an economical and practical small car. The 2024 Chevrolet Trax and 2024 Nissan Kicks are two popular options in this burgeoning segment, despite neither being available with all-wheel drive. Both offer ample cargo room and an upright, elevated driving position.
Chevrolet
The Chevy Trax Undercuts the Nissan Kicks in Price
The Chevrolet Trax, fully redesigned for 2024, comes in five trim levels. The LS serves as the base model, and has a starting price of about $22,000. At the top of the lineup are the 2RS and Activ trims, which both start at $25,000.
Nissan
The Nissan Kicks first went on sale in the U.S. in 2018 and received an update for the 2021 model year. It's offered in three trims for 2024, the lowest priced of which is the Kicks S, with a starting price just over $22,000. The SR sits at the top of the lineup, and like the Trax Active, it gains some sporty touches. Pricing for the top-tier Kicks SR starts around $25,000.
Chevrolet
The Chevrolet Trax Is Bigger and Has More Widely Available Features
The Trax measures a full 9 inches longer than the Kicks, and much of that extra length translates to more back-seat legroom. If you're planning to haul passengers in the back seat, they'll likely be more comfortable in the Trax, which offers 38.7 inches of legroom, compared with the Kicks' 33.5 inches.
Cargo volumes are about the same. The Trax offers 25.6 cubic-feet and the Kicks 25.3 cu-ft, until you fold down the second rows, at which point the Trax grows to 54.1 cu-ft, while the Kicks only expands to 32.3.
The Trax can be optioned with an 11.0-inch infotainment screen, and comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The Kicks tops out with an 8.0-inch unit and requires a wired connection to use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The Trax Activ comes with an eight-way power driver's seat, while the Kicks comes with simpler manual seats across the board. All Trax trim levels can be had with heated seats, while most can also be optioned with a heated steering wheel.
Nissan
On the Kicks, these features are limited to the top-of-the-line SR trim. Every Trax aside from the entry-level LS trim can be had with a sunroof, while the Kicks doesn't offer one at all.
One important area where the Kicks outdoes the Trax is in the number of airbags. The Kicks comes with 10, while the Trax only has six. The Kicks can also be optioned with an eight-speaker Bose audio system, while the Trax doesn't offer a branded audio system and tops out at six speakers.
Chevrolet
The Kicks Has the Edge When It Comes to Fuel Economy
Both the Trax and Kicks come exclusively with front-wheel drive. With its standard turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission making 137 horsepower, the Trax returns 28/32/30 mpg city/highway/combined.
Nissan
The Kicks comes standard with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder putting out 122 horsepower and paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Fuel economy for the Kicks comes in at 31/36/33 mpg.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication) and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Chris O'NeillI am an auto-industry veteran and a current MBA candidate at the University of Utah. After moving to Utah in October 2015 and being fascinated by the unique car culture of the region, I started an Instagram project highlighting the rare and distinctive vehicles I see in the Mountain West region. I enjoy sharing with others my unique perspective and passion for all things automotive. In my free time, when I’m not thinking and writing about cars, I enjoy photography, toying with my 2011 Volkswagen GTI and 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser, and exploring Utah with my girlfriend and two dogs.
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