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 Crosstrek doesn't offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Crosstrek doesn't offer front seat center airbags.

The Kicks has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle's blind spots where the side view mirrors don't reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Crosstrek's blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Crosstrek and it's not available on the Base.

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

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks is safer than the Subaru Crosstrek:

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Kicks is safer than the Crosstrek:

There are over 66 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kicks' warranty.

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 Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 11th.

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

The Kicks has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Crosstrek doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The Kicks stops much shorter than the Crosstrek:

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 Crosstrek Sport/Limited's 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kicks SR offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Crosstrek's largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Kicks 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 Crosstrek doesn't offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Crosstrek doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR AWD handles at .84 G's, while the Crosstrek Limited pulls only .81 G's of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kicks SR AWD executes Motor Trend's “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Crosstrek Limited (28 seconds @ .59 average G's vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G's).

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Subaru Crosstrek.

The Kicks is 4.5 inches shorter than the Crosstrek, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Kicks SR AWD is quieter than the Crosstrek Limited (39 vs. 41 dB).

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Crosstrek with its rear seat up (30 vs. 19.9 cubic feet). The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Crosstrek with its rear seat folded (60 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kicks easier. The Kicks' cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.9 inches, while the Crosstrek's liftover is 30.7 inches.

The Kicks SV/SR 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 Crosstrek doesn't offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Kicks and the Crosstrek have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Kicks is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Crosstrek prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Kicks' 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 Crosstrek's rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the Kicks' driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Crosstrek can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Crosstrek's manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Kicks is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Crosstrek doesn't offer a two-wheel drive configuration.