Subcompact crossovers offer our Saginaw area buyers the roominess of a crossover and the efficiency of a sedan. At Garber Nissan Hyundai serving the Bay City area, we have two great options in this segment in the 2019 Nissan Kicks and the 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport. Which one is the better option for your family? Continue reading to find out.
Exterior
Having debuted just a year ago, the Kicks is one of the newest models in Nissan’s lineup. While it is not as polarizing as its predecessor, the Nissan Juke, it grabs eyeballs with its stubby nose, forward-leaning rear hatch, floating roof, sharp body lines, black body cladding, and Nissan’s signature boomerang-like lighting.
The 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport is the less extroverted subcompact crossover in the brand’s lineup. It carries on the traditional crossover look that is sure to draw in more buyers than the Kicks. It’s not that the Kicks is a bad-looking vehicle; it’s purely a numbers game that shows a more traditional styling attracts a wider range of buyers, especially in the more mainstream crossover segment.
The 2019 Nissan Kicks and 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport both have lots of exterior look-good bits to draw in buyers. The smaller Kicks has available LED lighting, 17-inch alloy wheels, dark-chrome accents, and more. The 2019 Rogue Sport also has plenty of sharp visual options, including LED daytime running lights, 19-inch wheels, LED mirror-integrated turn signals, and more.
As the higher-level small crossover in Nissan’s crossover lineup, the 2019 Rogue Sport is larger than the Kicks in every measurable, especially length and width. This gives the Rogue Sport more space for passengers and cargo, but it makes it harder to park and significantly heavier.
| Measurement | 2019 Nissan Kicks | 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport | Difference |
| Length | 169.1 inches | 172.4 inches | -3.3 inches |
| Width | 69.3 inches | 72.3 inches | -3 inches |
| Height | 62.4 inches | 62.5 to 63.4 inches | -0.1 to -1 inch |
| Wheelbase | 103.1 inches | 104.2 inches | -1.1 inches |
| Ground Clearance | 7 inches | 7.4 inches | -0.4 inches |
| Curb weight | 2,639 to 2,672 pounds | 3,261 to 3,446 pounds | -622 to -774 pounds |
Advantage: 2019 Nissan Kicks
- Smaller and easier to zip around traffic
- Lighter and nimbler
- Eye-grabbing style
Advantage: 2019 Nissan Rogue
- Larger and roomier
- Traditional styling
- Higher luxury ceiling
Interior
The wild exterior the Nissan Kick features does not transfer into the cabin directly, but it does have a sporty design that includes a flat-bottom steering wheel, bolstered seats, circular air vents, and available contrast stitching.
Inside, the 2019 Nissan Rogue boasts the same flat-bottom steering wheel as the Nissan Kicks, but that is about as far as its sporty features go. The rest of its interior is precisely what you’d expect from a subcompact crossover. While this may not be overly exciting, it is perfect for buyers who prefer simplicity.
Both crossovers offer tons of interior features tuned toward younger buyers. Standard features in the Kicks and Rogue Sport include a 7-inch touchscreen, Siri Eyes Free, Bluetooth audio streaming, a six-speaker audio system, and USB ports. Where the Rogue Sport shows its more mature side is in its range-topping SL trim, which includes standard ProPilot semi-autonomous driving, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, and more.
Despite being the smaller of the two crossover, the 2019 Nissan Kicks has more headroom and legroom in the front and rear, and rear hip room. The Rogue Sport wins big time in every other seating measurement. In the cargo area, the Kicks has a ton more space with the rear seats upright, but the Rogue Sport’s larger body offers up to an extra 8 cubes with the seats folded.
| Measurement | 2019 Nissan Kicks | 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport | Difference |
| Front headroom | 40.7 inches | 39.6 inches | +1.1 inches |
| Front legroom | 43.7 inches | 42.8 inches | +0.9 inches |
| Front shoulder room | 53 inches | 56.6 inches | -3.6 inches |
| Front hip room | 50.9 inches | 53.4 inches | -2.5 inches |
| Rear headroom | 38.5 inches | 38.3 inches | +0.2 inches |
| Rear legroom | 33.2 inches | 33.4 inches | +0.2 inches |
| Rear shoulder room | 53.2 inches | 55.7 inches | -2.5 inches |
| Rear hip room | 49.1 inches | 46.9 inches | +2.2 inches |
| Cargo capacity (behind second row) | 25.3 cubic feet | 19.9 to 22.9 cubic feet | +2.4 to +5.4 cubic feet |
| Cargo capacity (second row folded) | 53.1 cubic feet | 53.3 to 61.1 cubic feet | -0.2 to -8 cubic feet |
Advantage: 2019 Nissan Kicks
- More headroom and legroom
- More cargo room with the seats up
- Sportier cabin
Advantage: 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport
- More shoulder room
- Traditional cabin styling
- More max cargo room
Performance
Small crossovers are rarely great performers, and the Nissan Kicks and Nissan Rogue Sport are about as typical as it comes in this area.
The 2019 Nissan Kicks comes standard with a 122-horsepower 1.6-liter engine that sprints it to 60 mph in an estimated 9.7 seconds. Despite having 19 horsepower less than the Rogue Sport, the Kicks is quicker to 60 mph than the Rogue Sport by 0.3 seconds. This extra straight-line speed is thanks to the over 600 pounds of weight savings the Kicks offers.
Beyond being quicker, the 2019 Nissan Kicks also significantly more fuel efficient than the Rogue Sport. The Rogue Sport has one distinct advantage over the Kicks, and that is its available all-wheel drive — the Kicks is only available in front-wheel drive,
| 2019 Nissan Kicks | 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport | Difference | |
| Engine | 1.6-liter 4-cyl | 2.0-liter 4-cyl | |
| Horsepower | 122 hp at 6,300 rpm | 141 hp at 6,000 rpm | -19 hp |
| Torque | 114 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm | 147 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm | -33 lb-ft |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
|
| Driveline | FWD | FWD (std.) / AWD (opt.) |
|
| 0-60 time | 9.7 seconds | 10 seconds | -0.3 seconds |
| MPG City | 31 mpg* | 24 to 25 mpg* | +6 to +7 mpg |
| MPG Highway | 36 mpg* | 30 to 32 mpg* | +4 to +6 mpg |
| MPG Combined | 33 mpg* | 27 to 28 mpg* | +5 to +6 mpg |
Advantage: 2019 Nissan Kicks
- More fuel efficient
- Quicker to 60
Advantage: 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport
- Available all-wheel drive
Pricing and Features
The 2019 Nissan Kicks has a simple lineup of three trim levels — S, SV, and SR — and their starting prices range from $18,540 to $20,870**.
There are three trims in the 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport lineup: S, SV, and SL. Their starting prices range from $22,240 to $27,960.**
2019 Nissan Kicks Key Features and Pricing by Trim
S: $18,540**
- 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine
- CVT
- Front-wheel drive
- Hill-start assist
- Front disc and rear drum brakes
- Electric power steering
- 16-inch steel wheels
- Multireflector halogen headlights
- Automatic headlights
- Power mirrors
- Roof rails
- 7-inch touchscreen
- Siri Eyes Free
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Air conditioning
- Power windows with driver’s one-touch-down
- Power door locks
- Keyless ignition
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
- Intermittent rear wiper
- 12-volt power outlet
- Four cargo-area tie-down hooks
- Six-way manual driver’s seat
- Four-way manual passenger’s seat
- 60/40 split-folding rear seat
- Cloth upholstery
- Painted shifter bezel with chrome accents
- Six-speaker AM/FM audio system
- Bluetooth streaming audio
- Three USB ports
- Automatic emergency braking
- Rearview camera
SV: $20,250**
- All S features, plus
- 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
- Body-color door handles
- Body-color, heated outside mirrors
- NissanConnect infotainment with 7-inch touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay
- Android Auto
- 7-inch advanced driver-information center
- Automatic climate control
- Rear heater ducts
- Keyless unlock
- Remote ignition
- Rear cargo cover
- Chrome interior door handles and parking brake button
- SiriusXM
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
SR: $20,870**
- All SV features, plus
- LED headlights with LED accents
- Fog lights
- Dark-chrome grille accent
- High-gloss-black mirrors with integrated turn signals
- Body-color bumper inserts
- Silver exterior door trim
- Rear roof spoiler
- 360-degree camera
- Sport cloth seating with orange accents and stitching
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
- Black leatherette accents with orange stitching
2019 Nissan Rogue Sport Key Features and Pricing by Trim
S: $22,240**
- 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine
- CVT
- Front-wheel drive
- Hill-start assist
- Four-wheel disc brakes
- Active Ride Control
- Electric power steering with “Sport” mode
- 16-inch steel wheels
- LED daytime running lights
- Power mirrors
- Courtesy approach lighting
- Rear spoiler
- Black wheel-arch molding and rocker panels
- Advanced driver-information center
- NissanConnect infotainment system
- 7-inch touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay
- Android Auto
- Siri Eyes Free
- Hands-free text messaging
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Air conditioning
- Power windows with driver’s one-touch up/down
- Power door locks
- Remote keyless entry
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Cruise control
- Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
- 12-volt power outlet
- Overhead sunglasses storage
- Rear seat center armrest
- Six cargo-tie-down hooks
- Divide-N-Hide cargo system
- Cargo cover
- Six-way manual driver’s seat
- Four-way manual passenger’s seat
- 60/40 split-folding rear seat
- Cloth seats
- Four-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system
- Auxiliary input
- USB connection port
- Bluetooth streaming audio
- SiriusXM
- Speed-sensitive volume
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- Rearview camera
- Automatic emergency braking
- Blind-spot warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert
SV: $24,040**
- All S features, plus
- 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
- Auto-on/off headlights
- Mirror-integrated LED turn signals
- Roof rails
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Nissan Intelligent Key with keyless ignition
- Dual illuminated vanity mirrors
- Rear parking sensors
- Eight-way power driver’s seat
- Premium cloth seating
- Six-speaker audio system
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Lane-keep assist
- Reverse automatic emergency braking
SL: $27,960**
- All SV features, plus
- 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
- Fog lights
- Heated mirrors
- Navigation
- NissanConnect Services
- Voice recognition
- SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link
- Remote ignition
- Electronic parking brake
- Leather seating
- Heated front seats
- Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped gear shifter
- Nine-speaker Bose audio system with dual woofers
- 360-degree camera
- ProPilot Assist single-lane semi-autonomous driving
- Adaptive cruise control
Who Should Buy the 2019 Nissan Kicks?
The 2019 Nissan Kicks is the better buy for those looking to stand out. Beyond its eye-grabbing looks and sporty cabin, the 2019 Kicks also delivers slightly better straight-line speed, making it a great option for the younger crowd. Plus. with its larger cargo area with the rear seats up, the Kicks can haul people and cargo with the best of them while delivering far superior fuel economy.
Who Should Buy the 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport?
The 2019 Rogue Sport is great for more established buyers who do not want wild styling or need quick acceleration. Its traditional looks also attract more forgiving eyes than the Kicks. Finally, buyers in cooler climates with ice and snow will appreciate the Rogue Sport’s available all-wheel drive.
Whether you have a daily commute to Saginaw or just take weekend trips to Bay City, the 2019 Nissan Kicks and 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport can get it done with style and efficiency. Head to Garber Nissan Hyundai serving the Midland area and test drive both these small crossovers to see which is better for you. Can’t make it into our Saginaw area showroom today? Navigate to our online inventory page to see what 2019 Kicks and 2019 Rogue Sport models we have in stock and schedule to test drive a few at your convenience.
*2019 EPA Fuel Economy Estimates. Actual Mileage may vary with driving conditions – use for comparison only.
**Price is Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). MSRP excludes tax, title, license, options and destination charge. Dealer sets actual price.
