Compared: 2024 Chevrolet Trax vs. 2024 Nissan Kicks

These two pint-sized crossovers offer big value.

Chris O'Neill | 

Dec 13, 2023 | 3 min read

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.

Chris O'Neill

Chris has worked in the automotive industry in a number of capacities, from dealership operations to brand marketing to product planning for an OEM, and now as a journalist helping consumers make more informed decisions when shopping for a new vehicle. He's written for Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Outside, The Autopian, Expedition Portal, and more, and maintains his own automotive YouTube channel and Instagram page. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a partner, two dogs, and a 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser that he's driven to the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula and back.