Subcompact crossovers have become some of the most popular vehicles in the U.S. right now thanks to their ability to offer great passenger and cargo space combined with economical prices. Two leaders in this segment are the 2020 Nissan Kicks and the 2020 Honda HR-V. Which of these subcompact crossovers is best for our Bradenton area shoppers? Continue reading to find out.
Exterior
Subcompact crossovers range in design from mainstream to in-your-face, and the Nissan Kicks falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. One thing we can assure you is it’s nowhere near as wild as the Nissan Juke it replaces.
The 2020 Nissan Kicks boasts the lifted-hatchback look that is common in this segment and includes key Nissan signatures like the V-motion grille, sharp headlights, boomerang-style taillights, a floating roof, and sharp body lines. It also features a slight forward lean to its rear hatch, further enhancing its sporty appearance.
The Honda HR-V has remained the same since it burst on the scene in 2016. Based on the Honda Fit, the HR-V is far from a bold design, as it features relatively timid looks compared to many in this class. Sure, it may have some slight nontraditional design aspects, like its swoopy roofline and bold taillights, but it is still traditional-looking enough for most buyers.
In terms of size, these two subcompact crossovers are quite similar. The only notable difference is the extra 0.3 inches of ground clearance the HR-V has with all-wheel drive.
As for standard features, these crossovers must balance features and value. The 2020 Nissan Kick’s standard exterior features are relatively simple and include 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps, auto-on/off halogen headlights, a chrome grille, and power mirrors. Considering its big price advantage, this is a small tradeoff.
The 2020 Honda HR-V’s standard exterior equipment is a little more robust with its 17-inch silver-painted alloy wheels, two-speed intermittent windshield wipers, body-color power mirrors, projector-beam headlights with auto-off, shark-fin antenna, body-color roofline spoiler, and LED brake lights
| Measurement | 2020 Nissan Kicks | 2020 Honda HR-V |
| Length (in.) | 169.1 | 170.4 |
| Width (in.) | 69.3 | 69.8-70.5 |
| Height (in.) | 62.4-62.5 | 63.2 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 103.1 | 102.8 |
| Ground Clearance (in.) | 6.9-7 | 6.7 (FWD)/7.3 (AWD) |
| Curb weight (lbs.) | 2,691-2,720 | 2,906-3,150 |
Advantage: 2020 Nissan Kicks
- Stylish but not over the top
- Sporty SR trim
- Lighter and nimbler
Advantage: 2020 Honda HR-V
- More mainstream looks
- Standard alloy wheels
Interior
Inside, the 2020 Nissan Kicks boasts a sporty look with its round air vents, stubby gear shifter, and flat-bottom steering wheel. In addition to this look is a clean setup with very few buttons and knobs cluttering up the space.
The 2020 Honda HR-V features a far more traditional cabin with its standard steering wheel and HVAC interface. The only feature that sets the HR-V’s cabin apart from the crowd is its passenger-side air vent that stretches across the right side of the dash.
In terms of roominess, the 2020 Kicks has a significant advantage in front-seat legroom, making it a better option for long-legged drivers. On the other side, the 2020 HR-V has a surprisingly roomy rear seat with over a 6-inch advantage in legroom.
In cargo room, the Kicks has a 3-cubic-foot advantage with the rear seats upright, but the HR-V’s second-row Magic Seats give it a 4.5-cube advantage with the rear seats folded.
The 2020 Kicks comes standard with cruise control, air conditioning, power windows with driver’s one-touch-up/down, power door locks, push-button ignition, remote keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cloth seat trim, a painted shifter trim with chrome accents, metallic interior accents, a 7-inch touchscreen, Siri® Eyes Free, Bluetooth® connectivity with audio streaming, a six-speaker AM/FM audio system, three USB ports, an auxiliary audio input, and steering-wheel-mounted controls
Despite being significantly more expensive, the 2020 Honda HR-V’s cabin has far fewer features. Where it lacks relative to the Kicks is its standard four-speaker audio system, 5-inch infotainment screen, and no standard Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay®.
The Kicks gets another leg up with its range of standard safety equipment that includes automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, rear automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights, and rear parking sensors. The HR-V has all these features too, but they are standard only on EX and higher trims.
| Measurement | 2020 Nissan Kicks | 2020 Honda HR-V |
| Front headroom (in.) | 40.7 | 39.5 (w/o moonroof)/37.6 (w/ moonroof) |
| Front legroom (in.) | 43.7 | 41.2 |
| Front shoulder room (in.) | 53 | 56.8 |
| Front hip room (in.) | 50.9 | 53.1 |
| Rear headroom (in.) | 38.5 | 38.3 |
| Rear legroom (in.) | 33.2 | 39.3 |
| Rear shoulder room (in.) | 53.2 | 54.5 |
| Rear hip room (in.) | 49.1 | 47.4 |
| Cargo room (cu. ft.) (w/ rear seats upright) | 25.3 | 23.2 |
| Cargo room (cu. ft.) (w/ rear seats folded) | 53.1 | 57.6 |
Advantage: 2020 Nissan Kicks
- Far roomier front seat
- Sport design
- Clean dashboard
- More cargo room with the seats upright
- More standard tech and safety features
Advantage: 2020 Honda HR-V
- Tons more rear legroom
- More cargo room with the rear seats folded
Performance
Under their hoods, the Nissan Kicks and Honda HR-V are all about fuel economy. The Kicks’ 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine delivers a modest 122 horsepower to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission for a 9.7-second 0-to-60 time and up to 36 mpg highway.
The Honda HR-V boasts a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that throws 141 horsepower to the front or all four wheels for an 8.6-second 0-to-60 time and up to 34 mph highway with front-wheel drive or 31 mpg highway with all-wheel drive.
| 2020 Nissan Kicks | 2020 Honda HR-V | |
| Engine | 1.6-liter 4-cyl | 1.8-liter 4-cyl |
| Horsepower | 122 hp at 6,300 rpm | 141 hp at 6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 114 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm | 127 lb-ft at 4,300 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Driveline | FWD | FWD (std)/AWD (opt) |
| 0-60 time | 9.7 second | 8.6 seconds |
| MPG City | 31 | 28 (FWD)/26-27 (AWD) |
| MPG Highway | 36 | 34 (FWD)/31 (AWD |
| MPG Combined | 33 | 30 (FWD)/28-29 (AWD) |
Advantage: 2020 Nissan Kicks
- Incredible fuel economy
- Zippy handling in SR trim
Advantage: 2020 Honda HR-V
- More base power
- Quicker to 60 mph
- Available all-wheel drive
Pricing and Features
The 2020 Nissan Kicks comes in just three trim levels – S, SV, and SR – and their starting prices range from $18,870 to $21,120.
The 2020 Honda HR-V offers five trim levels: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring. Their starting prices range from $20,820 to $28,890.
2020 Nissan Kicks Key Features and Pricing by Trim
S: $18,870
- 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine
- CVT
- Front-wheel drive
- Brake assist
- Electric power steering
- 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps
- Auto-on/off halogen headlights
- Chrome grille
- Power mirrors
- Cruise control
- Air conditioning
- Power windows with driver’s one-touch-up/down
- Power door locks
- Push-button ignition
- Remote keyless entry
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
- Intermittent rear wiper
- Overhead map lights
- Rear-seat center armrest
- Four cargo tie-down anchors
- Six-way manual driver’s seat
- Four-way manual passenger’s seat
- Driver’s seat armrest
- 60/40 split-folding rear seat
- Cloth seat trim
- Painted shifter trim with chrome accents
- Metallic interior accents
- 7-inch touchscreen
- Siri® Eyes Free
- Bluetooth® connectivity with audio streaming
- Six-speaker AM/FM audio system
- Three USB ports
- Auxiliary audio input
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- Automatic emergency braking
- Lane-departure warning
- Rear automatic braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Rearview camera
- Rear parking sensors
- Hill-start assist
SV: $20,500
- All S features, plus
- 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
- Body-color outside door handles
- Heated, body-color outside mirrors
- Roof rails
- Automatic climate control
- Rear-seat heater ducts
- Nissan Intelligent key
- Remote ignition
- Rear-door alert
- Cargo cover
- Chrome interior door handles
- 7-inch driver-information screen
- NissanConnect infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay®
- Android Auto™
- SiriusXM® satellite radio
- Driver alertness monitor
SR: $21,120
- All SV features, plus
- Active ride control
- 360-degree camera
- Intelligent Trace Control
- Intelligent engine Brake
- LED headlights with signature accents
- Fog lights
- Dark-chrome grille
- High-gloss black mirrors with integrated turn signals
- Body-color front and rear bumper inserts
- Silver exterior door trim
- Rear roof spoiler
- Sport cloth seats with orange accents and stitching
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
- Black Prima-Tex™ accents with orange stitching
2020 Honda HR-V Key Features and Pricing by Trim
LX: $20,820
- 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine
- CVT
- Front-wheel drive
- Electric parking brake
- Eco Assist™ system
- Hill-start assist
- Electronic power steering
- 17-inch silver-painted alloy wheels
- Two-speed intermittent windshield wipers
- Body-color power mirrors
- Projector-beam headlights with auto-off
- Shark-fin antenna
- Remote keyless entry
- Body-color roofline spoiler
- LED brake lights
- 160-watt four-speaker audio system
- 5-inch color infotainment screen
- Bluetooth® connectivity
- Bluetooth® audio streaming
- 1-amp USB audio interface in the front console
- Air conditioning
- Power door locks
- Power windows with one-touch up/down driver’s window
- Cruise control
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering
- Rear-seat heater duct
- Floor mats
- Cargo-area tie-down anchors
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- Chrome interior door handles
- 60/40 split-folding second-row Magic Seat
- Multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines
- Brake assist
Sport: $22,520
- All LX features, plus
- 18-inch machine-finished alloy wheels with matte-black inserts
- Active noise cancellation
- Paddle shifters
- Gloss-black power mirrors
- Roof rails
- Exhaust finisher
- Fog lights
- Gloss-black underbody spoilers
- 1.5-amp USB smartphone audio interface
- Four-speaker 180-watt audio system
- Display Audio infotainment system
- 7-inch high-resolution touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay®
- Android Auto™
- HondaLink
- Pandora compatibility
- SMS text messaging function
- Sport pedals
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped shifter knob
- Multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines
EX: $23,970
- All LX features, plus
- Active noise cancellation
- Paddle shifters
- 17-inch unique silver-painted alloy wheels
- Roof rails
- Exhaust finisher
- Fog lights
- One-touch power moonroof
- Heated, body-color, power mirrors with integrated turn signals
- Tinted rear glass
- Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
- 1.5-amp USB smartphone/audio interface in the front console
- 180-watt, six-speaker audio system
- Display Audio infotainment system
- 7-inch high-resolution touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay®
- Android Auto™
- HondaLink
- Pandora radio compatibility
- SMS text messaging function
- SiriusXM® radio
- HD Radio™
- Automatic climate control
- Keyless ignition
- Power door locks
- Heated front seats
- Automatic emergency braking
- Road-departure mitigation
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keep assist
- Forward-collision warning
- Lane-departure warning
- Honda LaneWatch™
- Automatic high-beam headlights
EX-L: $25,570
- All EX features, plus
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Leather-trimmed seats
Touring: $28,890
- All EX-L features, plus
- All-wheel drive
- DeDion rear suspension
- 17-inch machine-finished alloy wheels with shark gray inserts
- LED fog lights
- Body-color underbody spoilers
- LED headlights with automatic on/off
- Satellite-linked navigation
- HomeLink® Remote System
- Eight-way power driver’s seat
Who Should Buy the 2020 Nissan Kicks
The Nissan Kicks is a great crossover for empty nesters who want a compact vehicle that can also haul people or cargo in a pinch. With all its great tech features and respectable cargo area, the Kicks is also a great option for students heading off to college.
Who Should Buy the 2020 Honda HR-V
The 2020 Honda HR-V is a family car wrapped up in a tiny crossover body with its spacious rear seats and massive cargo area. This makes it great for a growing family that requires a small, thrifty, and inexpensive crossover.
Is the Nissan Kicks the right crossover for your needs? Swing by Nissan of Bradenton, serving Bradenton, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding area today to test drive one and see what it’s all about. If you can’t make it to our Sarasota area new-Nissan showroom today, you can also check all our in-stock Kicks models via our online inventory page, choose a few that suit your needs, then schedule an appointment to take it for a test drive.
