Compare the2025 Nissan Kicks PlayVS 2025 GMC Terrain

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Kicks Play are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Nissan Kicks Play has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Kicks Play SV/SR’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kicks Play and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 Kicks Play’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kicks Play for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Terrain.

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 GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is rated below average.

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 GMC With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than GMC.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 8 places higher in reliability than GMC.

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

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 Terrain are solid, not vented.

The Kicks Play’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Terrain’s standard 65 series tires.

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 Terrain 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 Terrain doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks Play handles at .83 G’s, while the Terrain Elevation 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 2.9 feet tighter than the Terrain’s (34.2 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

The Nissan Kicks Play may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 850 pounds less than the GMC Terrain.

The Kicks Play is 11.9 inches shorter than the Terrain, making the Kicks Play easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks Play is 5.2 inches narrower than the Terrain, making the Kicks Play easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Kicks Play has .4 inches more front headroom and 3.1 inches more front legroom than the Terrain.

The Kicks Play’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

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