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 Rav4 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 Rav4 doesn't offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Kicks and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

The Kicks has more powerful engines than the Rav4:

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 Rav4 doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Rav4 XSE's 50 series tires.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks SR AWD handles at .84 G's, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .79 G's of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kicks' turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Rav4's (34.8 feet vs. 36.9 feet). The Kicks' turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Rav4 GR Sport's (34.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Kicks has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 GR Sport (8.4 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Kicks to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4.

The Kicks is 9.1 inches shorter than the Rav4, making the Kicks easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kicks has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

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 Rav4 LE's standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.