2024 Nissan Kicks SV – BUYING WHAT YOU NEED

2024 Nissan Kicks SV

BUYING WHAT YOU NEED

As a panelist on Roosevelt Gist’s AutoNetwork Reports, the webcast-podcast often addresses vehicle affordability – or lack thereof. And the consensus among those of us with a seasoned perspective is simple enough: Buy only what you need, given that what you think you want might represent a monthly payment well north of what – at one time – was your rent check.

In our son Sean’s 30+ years of driving he’s owned several vehicles, but on only two occasions have they been new purchases. The highlight was probably his ’05 Mustang GT, purchased overseas while posted with the Army in Germany. As you’d hope, the Mustang proved way entertaining on Germany’s Autobahn, less so when he was transferred back to Maryland’s Fort Meade. His second new purchase was a Toyota Tacoma, which didn’t meet – at least at the time – the needs of a young family.

After 10+ years of driving a 2011 Subaru Forester (brought from us in 2013), Sean was ready – if not willing – to go car shopping. The Forester, a base model purchased new in 2011, had provided good service for most of its 150K miles, but at this point was consuming oil; this, of course, was on top of the typical nickel-and-diming you’re faced with when driving anything over a decade old. Compounding the various issues was a base Forester that, even when new, was never quick – and as it grew old(er) was decidedly more agrarian.

That same Forester in 2014 pushes $30K, as does another Subaru option, the Crosstrek. And Sean, with around $8500 in cash and trade down, wanted to keep his payment closer to $300 – which he could do if he kept the purchase on the friendlier side of $25K. In discussing his options (I’m the car guy) I suggested Chevy’s Trax as a good value, Toyota’s Corolla Cross Hybrid as offering great, 40+ miles-per-gallon efficiency (despite its $28K base price) and, almost as an afterthought, the Nissan Kicks for constituting ‘enough’ car at a sub-$25K price. 

First stop was CarMax to obtain a good-for-7-days ‘buy’ offer. On a Sunday morning the store was busy, but the buying line wasn’t backed up…I’d guess we were in and out within 45 minutes. With decent cosmetics, no accident history and 150K miles, CarMax offered $2,600 – short of the $3-$4K I would have guessed/hoped – but real money good for the next week. And despite Nissan’s Kicks being little more than an afterthought, a Nissan dealership was close – so we stopped and kicked a tire.

On the lot, Sean was impressed by the Kicks’ footprint and features, even for the mid-level SV we were looking at. Powered by a normally-aspirated 1.6 liter DOHC four producing 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque, the Kicks powerplant is decidedly under-stressed. And with an EPA estimate of 31 City/36 Hwy/33 Combined it is almost hybrid-like in its efficiency. 

With Sean’s interest in the Kicks a test drive was next, and on the short(ish) out-and-back route suggested by our salesperson the small Nissan proved to be user-friendly and adequately responsive. This isn’t, to be sure, a Sex Pistol, but Sean thought it would prove adequate for his 20+ mile commute, as well as the typical errand running he finds himself doing in and around his neighborhood.

From the Nissan showroom we drove westward to a Toyota store, where its website showed to have one base Corolla Cross Hybrid on the lot. And amazingly enough, what looked to be in the store’s inventory was in its inventory – and made available for a similar demo. This is a car I liked a lot when driving it for a week last fall, but that Corolla Cross Hybrid was the XSE trim, bumping roughly $35K. The base trim came in closer to $28,000 – but when Toyota builds a base version at this price point it’s (at least visually) decidedly underwhelming. And with its base tire/wheel package Sean found its handling somewhat less than inspired. With thanks to our salesperson for his time, we were back at the Nissan store that same afternoon.

There, the manager provided Sean with the store’s online pricing: Beginning with the window sticker of $25,500 + freight, the dealership offered a purchase price of $21700 – a discount of $3,800. Add back in $1,400 in freight, $184 in ‘government fees’ and $949 for the dealership to process the sale plus $1,045 in taxes, and Sean had an out-the-door price of just under $25,300 – which was almost exactly where he started. The good news: Nissan is offering 3.9% financing on 60 months, which gave him – with that down payment – 60 monthlies at just over $300/month.

A few days into his ownership, Sean seems happy with the decision. He likes the footprint, its (relative) refinement and, since it’s a hatch, the overall utility. In fact, he wishes he had pulled the trigger months sooner…as does his dad.