Nissan Kicks wins best-in-class at J.D. Power Residual Value Awards

When you buy a new car, knowing that it will be worth something when you need to sell it is essential. Residual value is the metric we use to track those numbers, as it records a vehicle’s value at specific mileage and age milestones. The Nissan Kicks recently earned a top honor in J.D. Power’s 2025 Best-in-Class Residual Value Awards, as it’s projected to retain the highest percentage of its original value after three years.  

Residual value is an important metric for car buyers, as it plays a significant role in determining lease costs. A higher residual value and better retention make a vehicle less expensive to lease, both over time and in monthly payments. 

The recently redesigned Nissan Kicks has a lot to like beyond its value-holding. The SUV comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, making 141 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive are available. The 2025 model year is the first time Nissan has offered all-wheel drive in the Kicks, making it more suitable for people who live in snowy, cold climates. 

Inside, the five-seat Kicks gets cloth upholstery as standard, but higher trims add premium cloth or cloth/synthetic leather upholstery. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are available. The front seats offer a good amount of space and comfy ergonomics, and the back seat is suitable for taller adults – not a common statement for SUVs in the Kicks’ class.  

 A 7-inch touchscreen comes standard, along with a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, Bluetooth, and four speakers. Higher trims get a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other features in the more expensive configurations include SiriusXM radio, wireless phone charging, HD radio, six speakers, and additional USB ports. A Bose ten-speaker stereo is available in top trims. 

Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, rear parking sensors, automatic high beams, driver attention monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, and more. The 2025 Kicks is too new to have been fully evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but it should build on the 2024 model’s performance, which yielded Good scores across the board but no Top Safety Pick. 

If you want to learn more about the new Kicks or any other Nissan model, Nissan of Rochester should be your first call. We’d be excited to show you around the new SUV, schedule a test drive, or help you configure the new Nissan of your dreams.