Compare the2026 Nissan KicksVS 2026 Chevrolet Equinox

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Kicks 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 Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Nissan Kicks 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 Equinox doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Kicks SR offers an optional front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Equinox doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Kicks’ 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 Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kicks and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Kicks’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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 Kicks’ reliability 59 points higher than the Equinox.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fifth.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Kicks is faster than the Equinox AWD:

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks gets better mileage than the Equinox:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Kicks higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Equinox (6). This means the Kicks produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Equinox every 15,000 miles.

The Kicks SR’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox RS’ optional 50 series tires.

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

The Kicks has engine 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 Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Equinox RS AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Kicks SR AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Equinox RS AWD (28 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kicks’ turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Equinox’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Kicks has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox LT/ACTIV (8.4 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Kicks to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Kicks’ minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Equinox RS (8.4 vs. 8.2 inches).

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Chevrolet Equinox.

The Kicks is 11.3 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks’ front and rear power windows all 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 Equinox’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Kicks’ speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Equinox’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Kicks’ optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Equinox doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Nissan Kicks retains 60.97% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 50.37% resale value of the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox after five years, which can save the Nissan’s owner up to $5674 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Kicks, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Equinox isn't recommended.