Compare the2026 Lexus UXVS 2025 Nissan Kicks Play

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus UX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Nissan Kicks Play doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the UX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the UX deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The UX’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Kicks Play’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The UX has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Front Seatbacks, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Front Seatbacks system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The UX has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The UX offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Lexus UX has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

The UX offers optional Intuitive Parking Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The UX has standard Safety Connect®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the UX and the Kicks Play have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Lexus UX weighs 704 to 890 pounds more than the Nissan Kicks Play. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus UX is safer than the Nissan Kicks Play:

	UX	Kicks Play
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	116	191
Neck Stress	371 lbs.	374 lbs.
Neck Compression	17 lbs.	27 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	290	326
Neck Injury Risk	36%	79%
Neck Stress	163 lbs.	392 lbs.
Neck Compression	94 lbs.	138 lbs.

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

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, results indicate that the Lexus UX is safer than the Nissan Kicks Play:

	UX	Kicks Play
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	52	139
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	149 lbs.	172 lbs.
Hip Force	323 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	96	318
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	47 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the UX is 1.5% less likely to roll over than the Kicks Play.

Warranty

The UX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Kicks Play’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the UX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Kicks Play. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Kicks Play ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The UX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Kicks Play’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The battery on the UX is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the UX’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Kicks Play’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the UX’s reliability 23 points higher than the Kicks Play.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the UX second among small premium suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Kicks Play isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked second.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 75 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 12th.

Engine

The UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 74 more horsepower (196 vs. 122) and 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (152 vs. 114) than the Kicks Play’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lexus UX is faster than the Nissan Kicks Play:

	UX	Kicks Play
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	10.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.9 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the UX gets better mileage than the Kicks Play:

			MPG
UX
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	45 city/41 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	44 city/40 hwy
Kicks Play
	FWD	1.6 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/36 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the UX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the UX’s 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. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the UX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kicks Play:

	UX	Kicks Play
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.1 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		11 inches

The Lexus UX has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Kicks Play. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The UX stops shorter than the Kicks Play:

	UX	Kicks Play
70 to 0 MPH	185 feet	190 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the UX has larger tires than the Kicks Play (225/50R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The UX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kicks Play’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the UX has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 16-inch wheels are available on the Kicks Play.

The Lexus UX’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Nissan Kicks Play only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the UX can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Lexus UX has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Kicks Play has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The UX has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Kicks Play’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The UX has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the UX flat and controlled during cornering. The Kicks Play’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The UX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Kicks Play’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the UX is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than on the Kicks Play.

The UX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57.6% to 42.4%) than the Kicks Play’s (60.7% to 39.3%). This gives the UX more stable handling and braking.

The UX AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Kicks Play pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The UX 300h F Sport Design AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Kicks Play (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The design of the Lexus UX amounts to more than styling. The UX has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Kicks Play (.334 to .344) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the UX get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The UX has 2.9 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room and 3.2 inches more rear hip room than the Kicks Play.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the UX. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the UX’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 24% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 10th.

Ergonomics

The UX has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When three different drivers share the UX F Sport Handling, the memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a memory system.

The UX F Sport Handling’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The UX Premium/F Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The UX’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Kicks Play 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 UX’s 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 Kicks Play’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the UX the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the Kicks Play can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The UX Premium/F Sport’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Kicks Play’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The UX’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Kicks Play’s halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The UX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the UX F Sport has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the UX has standard extendable sun visors. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The UX’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

When the UX F Sport Handling is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kicks Play’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The UX’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Kicks Play offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Lexus UX and Nissan Kicks Play offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The UX offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Kicks Play’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The UX Premium/F Sport has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Kicks Play.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the UX Premium/F Sport keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the UX’s optional (except Base) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The UX has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The UX’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The UX’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the UX has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer rear vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the UX has a standard Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the UX. The UX’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a navigation system.

With standard voice command, the UX offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Compared to the Nissan Kicks Play’s traditional radio, the Lexus UX equipped with 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lexus UX offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Kicks Play doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus UX and the Nissan Kicks Play, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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