Toyota Land Cruiser vs Nissan Kicks

The 2025 Nissan Kicks was designed with young consumers and first-time car buyers in mind, drawing inspiration from sneaker culture to create a vehicle that exuded comfort, agility, and style. The Kicks designers aimed to make the vehicle appear tougher than other small crossovers without crossing into sporty territory. Built on the new CMF-B platform, the Kicks was slightly larger and had increased ground clearance, distinguishing it from its competitors. The vehicle was available in eight colours, with two-tone configurations offered on mid and top trims, and about 30% of Kicks were expected to be sold with a contrast roof. Small details, like the Kicks logo on side-mirror supports and sneaker-tread-like rocker panel trim, added a distinctive touch, enhancing the vehicle's premium feel despite its low price.

Inside, the Kicks featured a variety of textures that mostly complemented each other, although some cost-cutting measures were evident in areas like the headliner and lower console surfaces. The vehicle came standard with LED exterior lighting and 16-inch steel wheels, with options for 17- or 19-inch alloy wheels. The interior boasted Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats, offering comfort and support with standard cloth or optional synthetic leather upholstery. In Canada, heated front seats were standard, though they were only manually adjustable. Overall, the Kicks presented a significant improvement over its predecessor, offering a stylish and comfortable ride at an affordable price.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, offered in two trim levels, paid homage to its heritage with the base model 1958, featuring a retro look with round headlights and basic equipment. The Cruiser trim, however, provided a more modern and upscale appearance, with additional colours, larger screens, and essential off-roading hardware. Our test vehicle, equipped with the Premium Package, showcased Heritage Blue and Grey paint, 20-inch wheels, and an accessory roof rack, bringing the MSRP to $90,603. Despite the limited colour options, the Land Cruiser maintained a traditional two-box SUV design, maximizing off-road clearances and visibility. The interior, though utilitarian, was more refined in the Cruiser trim, with Java-coloured leather and dual 12.3-inch digital screens enhancing the cabin's appeal.

The Land Cruiser's interior offered comfort in the front seats, but the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The high load floor height required effort when loading heavy items, but the vehicle provided a generous 1,062 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,324 litres with the rear seats folded. The Cruiser trim's technology included a 14-speaker JBL premium sound system, wireless smartphone charger, and a head-up display as part of the Premium Package. Despite some drawbacks, the Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and off-road adventurer, offering a powerful and responsive ride with ample off-road capability.

The 2025 Nissan Kicks addressed previous generation flaws, offering a smoother and quieter ride. It featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine paired with a new CVT, delivering 141 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. This was a significant improvement over the previous 1.6-litre engine, which produced 122 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque. The new Kicks maintained good fuel economy while providing a balanced driving feel, minimal body roll, and improved noise control. AWD was available, using torque vectoring and a multi-link suspension for enhanced traction and handling. However, the Kicks was slow to accelerate at times, with Sport mode offering only a slight improvement. Fuel efficiency was rated at 8.1 L/100 km city, 6.6 highway, and 7.4 combined for FWD, and 8.4 city, 6.9 highway, and 7.7 combined for AWD.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor. This setup produced 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, with a maximum towing capacity of 2,720 kilograms. The Land Cruiser's full-time 4WD system included electronic locking differentials, Downhill Assist Control, and Crawl Control. Despite an official fuel rating of 10.1 L/100 km combined, real-world testing showed 15.0 L/100 km. The Land Cruiser excelled in urban and off-road settings, but struggled on twisty roads due to its suspension tuning. It offered a high driving position with excellent visibility, and off-road features like the front stabilizer bar disconnect and Multi-Terrain Monitor enhanced its capability.

The 2025 Nissan Kicks provided a good view of the road, though the low seating position required manual adjustment. The cabin offered more space, especially in the second row, with a panoramic moonroof adding to the airy feel. The Kicks could accommodate a 65-inch TV with the rear seats folded, offering 849 litres of cargo space with FWD or 676 litres with AWD, expandable to 1,699 litres with FWD or 1,418 litres with AWD. However, wind buffeting was an issue with the driver’s side window down, requiring another window or the moonroof to be opened to alleviate the pressure.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim replaced cloth upholstery with SofTex artificial leather, adding ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package included real leather and a power sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked support, and the high load floor made loading heavy items challenging. The Land Cruiser offered 1,062 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,324 litres with the rear seats folded. The rear window design limited airflow, and the centre console's cool box reduced storage space.

The 2025 Nissan Kicks in Canada came with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base S model had a four-speaker stereo and two USB-C ports, while the SV grade added a wireless charging pad and two extra speakers. The SR grade featured dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless connectivity, and a Bose audio system with 10 speakers, including headrest speakers. The screens were crisp and well-integrated, and the Bose system added personality to the driving experience.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim upgraded to dual 12.3-inch displays with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music. Four connected service plans were available, including Drive Connect with cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless charger, head-up display, and digital key technology. The TAM infotainment system was user-friendly, and the voice recognition system performed well in tests.

The 2025 Nissan Kicks came standard with a rearview camera and Safety Shield 360, including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and more. ProPilot Assist was standard on the SR trim, offering advanced driver-assistance features. The Kicks also offered a 360-degree monitor system, standard from the SR trim. It received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, but the NHTSA had not yet crash-tested it.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and more. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert and Traffic Jam Assist. The ADAS performance varied, with some features requiring manual overrides. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.