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The 2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD is a compact five-passenger crossover SUV with quite a few winter-friendly features. During our week of testing, temperatures dropped to below 20F. This gave us ample time to try out the Kicks in New England winter conditions. Before we dive into the details, let us tell you that we found the Kicks to be a great value, very fun to drive, and comfortable in all driving situations. Here’s why we found the Kicks to be a legitimate competitor to the default choice in this segment for those who plan ahead to be comfortable on the road in cold winter conditions.
2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD - All Wheel Drive With Snow Mode
Opting for the top-trim of the Kicks means you get to choose optional All-Wheel Drive if you wish. As a lifelong New Englander and a car tester in two decades, I’d never say no to AWD. However, not all systems are equal. Many are really just front wheel drive systems that reluctantly send a bit of power back after you have started to slip. The Kicks is not among this loser’s bracket of crossovers. Instead, the Kicks offers a SNOW mode that changes the algorithm from maximizing fuel efficiency to maximizing grip. You can watch it unfold on the driver information display that shows where torque is being routed. When we had a bit of ice and slush from an early winter storm, the Kicks performed very well in this mode. If the snow had been deeper, the 8.4 inches of ground clearance the Kicks offers would have been a very helpful feature as well.
2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD - Heated Seats and Steering Wheel
The Kicks SR offers heated front seats with two levels of power and a heated steering wheel that is darn near hot to the touch. On a super cold morning, these get you comfortable before the (very capable) heating system does. Paired with the textile seating surfaces, the Kicks is downright cozy on a frigid morning.
2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD - Optional Spare Tire
All we ask of manufacturers is for a spare to be available to us. We don't really need a full-size spare, and we don't mind paying a few bucks extra for it as an option. Nissan offers a compact spare tire in the SR. It's just $180 for the spare tire kit package.
2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD - Outstanding Lighting
It gets dark in New England in December at 4:15 pm! Most of our driving was at night, and the headlights of the Kicks SR were fantastic. Both high and low beams are as good as any vehicle we have tested in this segment.
2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD - Price Point
The 2025 Nissan Kicks SR costs just $27,570. Our media test vehicle had the Premium Package, two-tone paint, special alloy wheels, floor mats, and splash guards for a total price of $31,710. We priced out a Subaru Crosstrek Premium with the Optional Package (OP14) to add similar content and found the price to be $31,004. These two vehicles match up quite well, price-wise and feature-wise.
2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD - Conclusion
Subaru's Crosstrek is a legend in New England and has earned its stellar winter-handling reputation. Nissan is the brand we now associate most closely with affordability. It is clear to us, based on a week of testing, that Nissan has made an extra effort to elevate the Kicks SR AWD to a level of winter capability we previously associated with just one model at this very affordable price point.
All images of the 2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD by John Goreham. Screenshot of the spare tire option courtesy of Nissan.
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John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
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