It's now 2022, and I have had the Niro Hybrid since 2017. I am as happy today as I was when I bought it. Totally reliable like all Kia's and the mileage and "driveability" is superb. Even this early one is a keeper...
@@Manos2907 No, it has a small 1500 cc engine and is a true hybrid. The engine only comes on to supplement the battery power. No need to do anything other than fill the gas tank every 1300 km's or so. Routinely gets 4.8 litres per 100 km, which sinks badly in the winter to around 8km per litre. I think today with the charging technology being so early in development and implementation, it's best to stay with the hybrid model. The gas usage is SO good that I only need to fill the small gas tank every month. For me, it's the best of both worlds (at least for now)
Well it definately is a small car but good design of the interior never leaves you feeling cramped or uncomfortable (and I'm 6foot 2 inches, 220 lbs). As well the brilliant design of the rear gives you an unbelievable amount of storage space. It doesn't feel "boxy" by any means....@@Gpeagasus246
Way to go Kia. I remember when that brand first came out. They have really improved by leaps and bounds in quality and technology. The Niro ought to get some attention.
5:35... But it looks like $#!+ I literally laughed out loud! No other professional car reviewer would dare to admit this fact (except possibly Micah). Thanks for your honesty! Lol
I have had my Niro LX for 2-momths and 1500 miles and have averaged 52mpg in mostly rural driving. I drove a Hyundai compact hatchback for 4-1/2 years and loved it, but the Niro has much better entry and seating. A little too soon to say I love it?
One of the cars that look smaller in person but bigger in pictures and film hmm. Great Review! I don't know if the real world MPG is all that Great? I know it's not super expensive but it's also a small car. A Civic hatch gets 40MPG HWY and almost 30 CITY
Here is my Kia experience. Anyone in my position has encountered the same thing from Kia. If you cannot supply them with up to date maintenance records on your vehicle they will not cover it. So for instance, if you change your own oil you're screwed. Might work if you saved all your receipts but very few people are in the habit of saving receipts of them doing their own oil changes. This ploy Kia uses is well documented if you want to look it up, I have, and it’s out there. Also my car would be covered under the SC147 recall as the symptoms of my engine seizing up (engine needs replaced) followed the exact same symptomology as those the manufacturing defect notes in the recall. The recall notice even appears on my Carfax report. Again you can find all the recall information online. The reason my car isn't part of the SC147 recall according to Kia is because it is MPI instead of GDI. All the rest of the engine is the exact same, 2.4L theta II. Kia says that because my car uses a different kind of fuel injection method that it cannot be affected by the metal filings left in the engine block which is what the SC147 recall is all about. That's totally absurd on its face but that's Kia's position. The vehicles Kia did recall was done after many government threats as well as numerous lawsuits brought by disgruntled Kia owners for which there are many. Kia's mother company, Hyundai actually recalled their vehicles for the same problem immediately when the issue was discovered. It took Kia several years later to admit to the problem and issue a recall even though they were well aware of the problem. Where was Kia's concern for people being killed due to this manufacturing defect? A car having its engine seize up on the interstate would be something that would concern most companies immediately but not Kia. Unless Kia completely changes the way it does business they will continue to cost consumers thousands of dollars for defective cars and probably end up killing people due to their own negligence. I had to argue, write emails, file complaints with various entities, etc just to get Kia to actually LOOK at my engine at no cost to me to determine the how and why of the engine failure. Kia refused to cover my car even though it is under warranty and furthermore refused to even LOOK at my car to see what caused the failure. I'm still waiting for a callback from Kia with their assessment. Kia actually agreed to take my valve cover off to take a look at my car once I complained as high up as I could to Kia. This was after several months of my car sitting dead on the Auffenberg Kia lot in Metro east St Louis. Kia actually told me I'd have to pay $1500 up front to have my engine failure looked into initially. My constant pressure on Kia finally got them to say they would take my valve cover off for no fee which costs Kia less than $50 in labor. Kia had no desire whatsoever to know what caused my engine to seize up. Their ONLY concern was to avoid any acknowledgement of any responsibility or liability. Kia already knew what caused the engine to fail. The same thing that happened to hundreds of thousands of the same engines made by Kia and Hyundai. It was the exact same problem as the Kia SC147 recall. Taking the valve cover off will not help. There was no oil leak. No oil smell. Never any indication of any problem with the valve cover. It's simply a ploy for Kia to say we looked at your engine and it's your fault. Who would trust their assessment at this point anyway? I'm out thousands of dollars I still owe on a car without a working engine. Don't you think any car maker worth a darn would want to know why one of their vehicles engines just seized up on the highway? Kia's been super lucky so far no one has died due to their negligence. Additionally a co-worker of mine had a problem with his Kia and will not buy one again either. For his Kia the car required a specific oil filter made and installed by Kia and if that was not used the engine fails. He was never told this when he purchased the vehicle. His insurance successfully sued Kia for over $7,000 for his engine failure. Unfortunately my insurance doesn't cover mechanical issues. Ever wonder why your Kia never quite gets the gas mileage it was rated to get? Kia has also paid out for a class action lawsuit because they lied about the MPG of many of their models. The very MPG rating that many people base a large percentage of their purchase decision on. Yeah, Kia lied about that too but kept it hush hush. You can find the information online if you look for it. I had my car into the dealership (Auffenberg) several times before the engine failure telling them something is bad wrong with the car. The Kia service department ran every kind of computer diagnostic and could find no reason for the problems which included knocking, major loss of power, major loss of fuel economy and car dying at both idle and speed. Check engine light was always on and every sensor it said was malfunctioning was replaced and it didn't help. Unfortunately I could not leave my car with Kia. Kia wouldn't supply me with a free rental. They said it was against company policy. My step daughter was dying needing a second liver transplant as all this was going on and I couldn't be without that vehicle. With only one vehicle (other than the Kia) I wouldn't be able to get to work or my step daughter wouldn't be able to be cared for properly. I told Kia this and still they refused to get me a rental while they actually got to the root of my car problem and addressed it. Instead they said sorry to hear that, we can't find any problem with your car. They actually let me leave with a car they KNEW was dangerous and about to fail. They didn't care that my family was going through a serious medical situation with my step daughter and the car behaving as it was only increased the stress on my entire family during this time. Fortunately my step daughter got her transplant just in time and is doing ok now. Not only did Kia sell me a defective product but all this happened as our family is going through the stress of a child being deathly ill, lots of additional costs for medical related expenses and Kia was told this and didn't care. Kia added thousands of dollars to my already stressed finances by selling me a defective vehicle. But it gets even better. The Kia rep in Arizona named Steve that handles my case and many others actually told me on the phone that some of Kia's cars die early and that's just the way it is. He insisted all other car manufacturers have the same problem and also refuse to repair the vehicles leaving their customers screwed too. That's certainly not my experience nor that of anyone I know. Steve at Kia flat out told me Kia isn't going to pay and I'm out of luck because I got a bad Kia and have to eat it. That's what he said. That's Kia’s customer service that said that to me. I have to shake my head and laugh every time I call Kia and their recording says "Rated #1 in initial quality 2 years in a row!" Yeah, and dies in 78,000 miles and Kia refuses to make a full recall or honor it's warranty. You won't see Kia winning any customer service awards or vehicle longevity awards. My advice to anyone that has a Kia (ESPECIALLY if it's a 2.4L) is to trade it in and get something other than a Kia before it dies and your left paying off a car that doesn't run. I liked Kia at one time or I wouldn't have bought one. What I've found out since has opened my eyes to the quality of their vehicles and their denials of their own manufacturing defects even if it could cost lives or severely screw consumers over financially. Buying a Kia might make you think you're getting more quality for less money but it's all based upon lies and cover-ups. That is my Kia experience and it's the WORST experience I've had with any company on any level at any time in my 31 (47 - 16) years of driving cars.
Damn!! what's with all the presenter love? It's only Micah and Zach doing what they get paid to do! As usual, great review of an otherwise forgetable vehicle Zach me lad "your mileage will vary" perfect and typical Zach snark! (nice kicks by the way)
KIA's done good with their '1st attempt' at a hybrid. They should gather lots of customer feedback from every owner, and make modifications as needed. The Prius are LOUD inside, usually you will have a hard time trying to talk over all the road noise inside a Toyota. Toyota Prius MPG is great, but Pepsi can thin body seems to amplify road noise.
That was hilarious! We've been seriously looking at the base FE, but you bring up a good point about the LX being a better value, but how do the lower trim levels handle wet corners with those cheaper looking low rolling resistance tires/wheels?
Phrancis5 I have a 15 Prius C base model and it comes with Bridgestone LRR tires and they handled Chicago's winter just fine. I am upgrading those ugly steel wheels to some Advanti DST storm wheels
Nice. Is that the same tires as the Niro? Well I wouldn't encounter that much snow, but it rains a lot in the pacific NW, so the next car is either the new subaru Impreza/crosstrek or low/mid-trim Niro.Both similar price, size, and practicality, but it's down to standard AWD or greater hybrid MPGs.
I have the second basic model of this car so I don't have the wireless phone charger or heated steering wheel/seats or in dash nav system. I'm not missing it since in the basic models there's 2 USB ports for charging your phones and if you have a smart phone, you have driving directions with Google maps. With highway and back road driving is average 43 a gallon, maybe less. But this varies a lot. Only twice have I gotten 50+ miles per gallon and I don't even know how I did so re-creating what I how is very difficult. Using the 'S' sport mode gear charges the battery so much faster but it isn't that smooth when you take your foot off the gas. But this didn't make or break the car the me. I really like the car so far. Still better mileage than my Yaris I had for years lol. And having 4 doors for friends is great to. Very spacious can fit a lot inside this car.
Yesterday I test drove a Kia Niro LX and while the design, fit/finish weren't nearly as nice as economy cars from other brands, the driving dynamics were pretty nice for a hybrid - at least in sport mode. Otherwise throttle response was very sluggish. Brakes didn't feel regenerative and overall it didn't look and drive like a Prius. Handling and noise isolation weren't as good as I wanted, but given the space and cheap price for a hybrid, it wasn't a dealbreaker. Though it's styled to look like a fwd crossover, it's really just a tall wagon/hatchback and smaller in person than expected. Ergonomics, comfort, and sightlines were still good overall. One big turnoff though... The Kia dealer flat out lied to us when we asked what month the PHEV version would arrive and he said Kia wasn't building one - when even the Kia website said it would absolutely coming later this year. He also said you couldn't add a "tech package" to the LX trim when the website clearly let you build one. He was just trying to sell what was on the lot that day.
Phrancis5 that’s their job. I sold cars, I don’t like to lie so I quit after 1 year. But like 98% of customers come in dreaming about cars we don’t have on the lot, and a salesman will starve if they don’t try to sell from inventory. They saying goes, “Sell what you can see instead of see what you can sell.” But I understand you should be able to get the facts from a salesperson.
Why is an electric parking brake considered a feature? Why add a button/sensors/electric motors to something needed that is already very simple and works perfectly fine completely manual? I foresee lots of electric parking brake failures in the future.
"less than civilized 6 speed dual clutch automatic"? I've got one ordered, should have it very soon, in the test drive I took I found it very smooth. The electric motor does the initial acceleration from a stop, so there is no jerking as the clutch engages when you first start off....unlike some other dual clutch cars.
Subject NOISE - Fun review. And I like the presenter, too. Thanks! What I care most about is noise, not exact hybrid fuel economy. My questions are: 1.) Is it worth it to pay more for the Touring model to get a quieter cabin? Does it even make a difference in the Niro? 2.) Would it be possible to put sound-proofing material somewhere in/under the cargo area, around where you might put a spare tire? Do you think that would have a significant effect on road noise? 3.) What about tires? If a model comes with 18-inch wide tires, can a person ask for 17-inch more narrow tires? I would appreciate hearing what Kelley Blue Book experts or anybody else thinks (or knows!) about how to achieve as quiet a cabin as possible in the Kira Niro. Again, thanks...not only for the review, but also for this forum.
Hi, Adele! We wouldn’t suggest upgrading to the Touring model just to get a quieter cabin. All Niro trims include a sound absorbing front windshield and the Touring trim features wider 225/45R18 tires compared to the P205/60R16 tires found on lower trims. If anything the Touring trim’s wider tires could be slightly louder. There are products like Dynamat that you can install yourself without much effort to minimize road noise but if noise is your primary concern a traditional compact SUV might be a better choice.
Kelley Blue Book - you are the GREATEST. I really appreciate your answering my questions. If I end up getting a Niro I'll go for the smaller tires and look into adding Dynamat. Thank your suggestion of a traditional compact SUV. Won't work for me because I refuse to own one. I'm sorry gas is relatively cheap for the moment and Americans want truck-like vehicles. What I do want is a hybrid or diesel station wagon. The Niro is almost one. The new sedans are too low for my ancient bones. Thanks again!!
We have owned a Kia Niro Touring for 5 months now. However, it is a 2018 model so perhaps they've made modifications to the dual clutch transmission shifting logic. As far as "herky-jerky" shifting is concerned, I don't know what the heck he is talking about! Ours is as smooth as silk. The vehicle ALWAYS starts moving under electric propulsion before the engine starts. I've driven other vehicles with "Start/Stop" technology and they are just annoying. By contrast, the start stop system is not even noticeable in the Niro. Our mileage in the warmer months was astounding considering the one we have is the LEAST efficient. Now that colder temps have kicked in, mileage has dropped off with the engine starting to generate cabin heat even if the battery is at a high state of charge. Still WAY better than our gasoline powered 2nd vehicle in cold weather though.
Battery life still worries me . I tend to keep my cars a min of 10 yrs. Who wants to replace a 4000 $ battery after the warranty ends. Why do they not offer a lifetime warranty on the battery like the Hyundai Ioniq , this cars sister ship ?
First saw the Niro in a series of superbowl ads and gotta saw that its growing onto me. Too bad there's no AWD, like others have said in the comments, its a deal breaker if you live up north
Why is it a deal breaker if you live up north? Don't forget; how often does one possibly use AWD or 4wd? If one really has the need for it; then one should not be on the road. It will also not save you in ice, or from other vehicles. Then there are the truck or Jeep Wrangler people. Which is great, except that... What is the lowest point of a stock vehicle? Go above that and items such as the axle start to plow snow - which doesn't work very well for long.
Would be nice to have the spec sheet and the prices listed on the screen versus just told all these options and prices. Oh well...another review that got it wrong
Do you know why the Kia Niro isn't a Top Safety Pick for IIHS? I've been trying to decide between the Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq. I like the amount of room for the 2nd passengers the Niro has. It seems like a great choice if I have kids one day and need to put in/remove car seats. However, the Ioniq is an IIHS Top Safety Pick for both 2017 & 2018. Additionally, Hyundai offers a lifetime warranty for the battery, which is one of the biggest longterm concerns for hybrid owners.
Niro front head room: 40.1 inches; rear head room 39.1 inches. Soul front head room: 39.6 inches; rear head room 39.5 inches. I am considering it too, since the Soul has such a short trunk with the rear seats up.
cadsux maybe it's a placebo effect. I have test driven the Niro and I felt I was sitting at a higher height in my soul and I just had to slide into my soul. The niro I felt I had to duck my head to get in. I love it. Just on the fence.
Live in US you might complain about how ugly or funny this car look. but in my country if you got this car, well you are living in a luxury life...import tax 130%.
Gordon Freeman Gordon you don’t really need awd in small cars with small tires like that: people think they need awd and it’s just an unnecessary mechanical headache down the road.
chancy319 ok I can understand if you don't like the look and think it's underpowered (it's a hybrid though...it's not supposed to have a lot of power) but the fact that you said "it's a Kia" just makes you sound like a snob
chancy319 well, I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with your Kia. I have one and it's been a great car, more reliable than the Nissan I had before (which was a piece of crap tbh)
Still not a proven design like the Prius. Only real advantage it has is its better acceleration. The Prius and Niro both look like toy-ish cars, but at least the Prius looks space-ish. This thing looks a car a 12-year-old would drive.
It's now 2022, and I have had the Niro Hybrid since 2017. I am as happy today as I was when I bought it. Totally reliable like all Kia's and the mileage and "driveability" is superb. Even this early one is a keeper...
Hello is it plug in hybrid?? do you charge the battery at charging stations or not?
@@Manos2907 No, it has a small 1500 cc engine and is a true hybrid. The engine only comes on to supplement the battery power. No need to do anything other than fill the gas tank every 1300 km's or so. Routinely gets 4.8 litres per 100 km, which sinks badly in the winter to around 8km per litre.
I think today with the charging technology being so early in development and implementation, it's best to stay with the hybrid model. The gas usage is SO good that I only need to fill the small gas tank every month. For me, it's the best of both worlds (at least for now)
Thank you very much
in terms of car length, does the car feel "small". Like, does it look like a normal length car or does have sort of a "box car" type feel?
Well it definately is a small car but good design of the interior never leaves you feeling cramped or uncomfortable (and I'm 6foot 2 inches, 220 lbs). As well the brilliant design of the rear gives you an unbelievable amount of storage space. It doesn't feel "boxy" by any means....@@Gpeagasus246
Way to go Kia. I remember when that brand first came out. They have really improved by leaps and bounds in quality and technology. The Niro ought to get some attention.
any comments on reported brake failures in traffic? Think of buying, just checking.
Ironically, I don’t see a single one in my city lol
Just got it yesterday. I love it. Great mpg! Quiet. Fast. Safe and it's just all around awesome! Great buy
How's it now?
What would you say the real world MPG is?
Now that its been a year what do you think? And whats total miles traveled?
Got one of these thing 3k miles ago. Its pretty nice... the graphite touring pkg is what to get if you can find one.
What are you getting on the graphite EX model ?
don't even care about the car. just came to be entertained and amused. good times!
5:35... But it looks like $#!+ I literally laughed out loud! No other professional car reviewer would dare to admit this fact (except possibly Micah). Thanks for your honesty! Lol
Micah simply called the Prius "aesthetically challenged" in the Chevy Volt review.
i like it, how funny.
I must be the only person who doesn’t think the Prius is ugly.
@@maremacd All Kia`s look like shit to be honest.
i think it looks fine, better than most of whats out there in its class
I have had my Niro LX for 2-momths and 1500 miles and have averaged 52mpg in mostly rural driving. I drove a Hyundai compact hatchback for 4-1/2 years and loved it, but the Niro has much better entry and seating. A little too soon to say I love it?
+Nether Warrior How many miles can you go with Chevy?
Robert Schafer god you have zero experience with cars.
What model did you get ?
I love these guys and their witty reviews. Great quick humor, keep up the great work!
micah muzio music rockssssss
good stuff guys - my fav car reviews on youtubeeeeeeeeeee
1:10 cool wheel effects for a few seconds!
Nice video! Like the presenter :)
Keep up the great reviews guys!
Informative and entertaining
I love it. Definitely not big as I'd thought, but I am impressed.
One of the cars that look smaller in person but bigger in pictures and film hmm. Great Review! I don't know if the real world MPG is all that Great? I know it's not super expensive but it's also a small car. A Civic hatch gets 40MPG HWY and almost 30 CITY
I'd take it over a prius
SAME, just on style and design alone!
Saw one of these in black a few days ago, very sleek looking. Surprised me.
Here is my Kia experience. Anyone in my position has encountered the same thing from Kia. If you cannot supply them with up to date maintenance records on your vehicle they will not cover it. So for instance, if you change your own oil you're screwed. Might work if you saved all your receipts but very few people are in the habit of saving receipts of them doing their own oil changes. This ploy Kia uses is well documented if you want to look it up, I have, and it’s out there. Also my car would be covered under the SC147 recall as the symptoms of my engine seizing up (engine needs replaced) followed the exact same symptomology as those the manufacturing defect notes in the recall. The recall notice even appears on my Carfax report. Again you can find all the recall information online. The reason my car isn't part of the SC147 recall according to Kia is because it is MPI instead of GDI. All the rest of the engine is the exact same, 2.4L theta II. Kia says that because my car uses a different kind of fuel injection method that it cannot be affected by the metal filings left in the engine block which is what the SC147 recall is all about. That's totally absurd on its face but that's Kia's position.
The vehicles Kia did recall was done after many government threats as well as numerous lawsuits brought by disgruntled Kia owners for which there are many. Kia's mother company, Hyundai actually recalled their vehicles for the same problem immediately when the issue was discovered. It took Kia several years later to admit to the problem and issue a recall even though they were well aware of the problem. Where was Kia's concern for people being killed due to this manufacturing defect? A car having its engine seize up on the interstate would be something that would concern most companies immediately but not Kia. Unless Kia completely changes the way it does business they will continue to cost consumers thousands of dollars for defective cars and probably end up killing people due to their own negligence.
I had to argue, write emails, file complaints with various entities, etc just to get Kia to actually LOOK at my engine at no cost to me to determine the how and why of the engine failure. Kia refused to cover my car even though it is under warranty and furthermore refused to even LOOK at my car to see what caused the failure. I'm still waiting for a callback from Kia with their assessment. Kia actually agreed to take my valve cover off to take a look at my car once I complained as high up as I could to Kia. This was after several months of my car sitting dead on the Auffenberg Kia lot in Metro east St Louis. Kia actually told me I'd have to pay $1500 up front to have my engine failure looked into initially. My constant pressure on Kia finally got them to say they would take my valve cover off for no fee which costs Kia less than $50 in labor. Kia had no desire whatsoever to know what caused my engine to seize up. Their ONLY concern was to avoid any acknowledgement of any responsibility or liability. Kia already knew what caused the engine to fail. The same thing that happened to hundreds of thousands of the same engines made by Kia and Hyundai. It was the exact same problem as the Kia SC147 recall. Taking the valve cover off will not help. There was no oil leak. No oil smell. Never any indication of any problem with the valve cover. It's simply a ploy for Kia to say we looked at your engine and it's your fault. Who would trust their assessment at this point anyway? I'm out thousands of dollars I still owe on a car without a working engine. Don't you think any car maker worth a darn would want to know why one of their vehicles engines just seized up on the highway? Kia's been super lucky so far no one has died due to their negligence.
Additionally a co-worker of mine had a problem with his Kia and will not buy one again either. For his Kia the car required a specific oil filter made and installed by Kia and if that was not used the engine fails. He was never told this when he purchased the vehicle. His insurance successfully sued Kia for over $7,000 for his engine failure. Unfortunately my insurance doesn't cover mechanical issues.
Ever wonder why your Kia never quite gets the gas mileage it was rated to get? Kia has also paid out for a class action lawsuit because they lied about the MPG of many of their models. The very MPG rating that many people base a large percentage of their purchase decision on. Yeah, Kia lied about that too but kept it hush hush. You can find the information online if you look for it.
I had my car into the dealership (Auffenberg) several times before the engine failure telling them something is bad wrong with the car. The Kia service department ran every kind of computer diagnostic and could find no reason for the problems which included knocking, major loss of power, major loss of fuel economy and car dying at both idle and speed. Check engine light was always on and every sensor it said was malfunctioning was replaced and it didn't help. Unfortunately I could not leave my car with Kia. Kia wouldn't supply me with a free rental. They said it was against company policy. My step daughter was dying needing a second liver transplant as all this was going on and I couldn't be without that vehicle. With only one vehicle (other than the Kia) I wouldn't be able to get to work or my step daughter wouldn't be able to be cared for properly. I told Kia this and still they refused to get me a rental while they actually got to the root of my car problem and addressed it. Instead they said sorry to hear that, we can't find any problem with your car. They actually let me leave with a car they KNEW was dangerous and about to fail. They didn't care that my family was going through a serious medical situation with my step daughter and the car behaving as it was only increased the stress on my entire family during this time. Fortunately my step daughter got her transplant just in time and is doing ok now. Not only did Kia sell me a defective product but all this happened as our family is going through the stress of a child being deathly ill, lots of additional costs for medical related expenses and Kia was told this and didn't care. Kia added thousands of dollars to my already stressed finances by selling me a defective vehicle.
But it gets even better. The Kia rep in Arizona named Steve that handles my case and many others actually told me on the phone that some of Kia's cars die early and that's just the way it is. He insisted all other car manufacturers have the same problem and also refuse to repair the vehicles leaving their customers screwed too. That's certainly not my experience nor that of anyone I know. Steve at Kia flat out told me Kia isn't going to pay and I'm out of luck because I got a bad Kia and have to eat it. That's what he said. That's Kia’s customer service that said that to me.
I have to shake my head and laugh every time I call Kia and their recording says "Rated #1 in initial quality 2 years in a row!" Yeah, and dies in 78,000 miles and Kia refuses to make a full recall or honor it's warranty. You won't see Kia winning any customer service awards or vehicle longevity awards.
My advice to anyone that has a Kia (ESPECIALLY if it's a 2.4L) is to trade it in and get something other than a Kia before it dies and your left paying off a car that doesn't run. I liked Kia at one time or I wouldn't have bought one. What I've found out since has opened my eyes to the quality of their vehicles and their denials of their own manufacturing defects even if it could cost lives or severely screw consumers over financially. Buying a Kia might make you think you're getting more quality for less money but it's all based upon lies and cover-ups. That is my Kia experience and it's the WORST experience I've had with any company on any level at any time in my 31 (47 - 16) years of driving cars.
Damn!! what's with all the presenter love? It's only Micah and Zach doing what they get paid to do! As usual, great review of an otherwise forgetable vehicle Zach me lad "your mileage will vary" perfect and typical Zach snark! (nice kicks by the way)
Toyota Prius designers should take notes from the Niro! Make it look good!
Man even if i get a 'very low' mpg on this car of 35 I'll be happy.
KIA's done good with their '1st attempt' at a hybrid. They should gather lots of customer feedback from every owner, and make modifications as needed. The Prius are LOUD inside, usually you will have a hard time trying to talk over all the road noise inside a Toyota. Toyota Prius MPG is great, but Pepsi can thin body seems to amplify road noise.
Love mine. Gas mileage is spectacular. Though she don’t take off with power. The features make up for it.
Totally digging the soundtrack in this video
Nice video edition and camera work
Thank you! We appreciate the feedback.
That was hilarious! We've been seriously looking at the base FE, but you bring up a good point about the LX being a better value, but how do the lower trim levels handle wet corners with those cheaper looking low rolling resistance tires/wheels?
Phrancis5 I have a 15 Prius C base model and it comes with Bridgestone LRR tires and they handled Chicago's winter just fine. I am upgrading those ugly steel wheels to some Advanti DST storm wheels
Nice. Is that the same tires as the Niro? Well I wouldn't encounter that much snow, but it rains a lot in the pacific NW, so the next car is either the new subaru Impreza/crosstrek or low/mid-trim Niro.Both similar price, size, and practicality, but it's down to standard AWD or greater hybrid MPGs.
I have the second basic model of this car so I don't have the wireless phone charger or heated steering wheel/seats or in dash nav system. I'm not missing it since in the basic models there's 2 USB ports for charging your phones and if you have a smart phone, you have driving directions with Google maps.
With highway and back road driving is average 43 a gallon, maybe less. But this varies a lot. Only twice have I gotten 50+ miles per gallon and I don't even know how I did so re-creating what I how is very difficult.
Using the 'S' sport mode gear charges the battery so much faster but it isn't that smooth when you take your foot off the gas. But this didn't make or break the car the me. I really like the car so far. Still better mileage than my Yaris I had for years lol. And having 4 doors for friends is great to. Very spacious can fit a lot inside this car.
Thanks Kia, for bringing the Matrix/Vibe bloodline back from the dead. Nice work.
Matrix/Vibe ruled except for the fact American consumers didn't really buy many of them. Oh how we miss them in Canada.
nice MPG and looks good!
Yesterday I test drove a Kia Niro LX and while the design, fit/finish weren't nearly as nice as economy cars from other brands, the driving dynamics were pretty nice for a hybrid - at least in sport mode. Otherwise throttle response was very sluggish. Brakes didn't feel regenerative and overall it didn't look and drive like a Prius. Handling and noise isolation weren't as good as I wanted, but given the space and cheap price for a hybrid, it wasn't a dealbreaker. Though it's styled to look like a fwd crossover, it's really just a tall wagon/hatchback and smaller in person than expected. Ergonomics, comfort, and sightlines were still good overall. One big turnoff though... The Kia dealer flat out lied to us when we asked what month the PHEV version would arrive and he said Kia wasn't building one - when even the Kia website said it would absolutely coming later this year. He also said you couldn't add a "tech package" to the LX trim when the website clearly let you build one. He was just trying to sell what was on the lot that day.
Phrancis5 that’s their job. I sold cars, I don’t like to lie so I quit after 1 year. But like 98% of customers come in dreaming about cars we don’t have on the lot, and a salesman will starve if they don’t try to sell from inventory. They saying goes, “Sell what you can see instead of see what you can sell.” But I understand you should be able to get the facts from a salesperson.
the front end reminds me of the Hyundai Veracruz; definitely can tell the family resemblance.
-MG
I'd take the Niro's dual-clutch transmission (actual gears) over a gearless CVT that makes a car feel like a motorboat any day
Why is an electric parking brake considered a feature? Why add a button/sensors/electric motors to something needed that is already very simple and works perfectly fine completely manual? I foresee lots of electric parking brake failures in the future.
Great to see the return of your "Evil Twin," Tom! (Glad you're independent again, too!)
Very well done, keep up the good work
"less than civilized 6 speed dual clutch automatic"? I've got one ordered, should have it very soon, in the test drive I took I found it very smooth. The electric motor does the initial acceleration from a stop, so there is no jerking as the clutch engages when you first start off....unlike some other dual clutch cars.
Subject NOISE - Fun review. And I like the presenter, too. Thanks! What I care most about is noise, not exact hybrid fuel economy. My questions are: 1.) Is it worth it to pay more for the Touring model to get a quieter cabin? Does it even make a difference in the Niro? 2.) Would it be possible to put sound-proofing material somewhere in/under the cargo area, around where you might put a spare tire? Do you think that would have a significant effect on road noise? 3.) What about tires? If a model comes with 18-inch wide tires, can a person ask for 17-inch more narrow tires? I would appreciate hearing what Kelley Blue Book experts or anybody else thinks (or knows!) about how to achieve as quiet a cabin as possible in the Kira Niro. Again, thanks...not only for the review, but also for this forum.
Hi, Adele! We wouldn’t suggest upgrading to the Touring model just to get a quieter cabin. All Niro trims include a sound absorbing front windshield and the Touring trim features wider 225/45R18 tires compared to the P205/60R16 tires found on lower trims. If anything the Touring trim’s wider tires could be slightly louder. There are products like Dynamat that you can install yourself without much effort to minimize road noise but if noise is your primary concern a traditional compact SUV might be a better choice.
Kelley Blue Book - you are the GREATEST. I really appreciate your answering my questions. If I end up getting a Niro I'll go for the smaller tires and look into adding Dynamat. Thank your suggestion of a traditional compact SUV. Won't work for me because I refuse to own one. I'm sorry gas is relatively cheap for the moment and Americans want truck-like vehicles. What I do want is a hybrid or diesel station wagon. The Niro is almost one. The new sedans are too low for my ancient bones. Thanks again!!
This review just made me a subscriber! How herky jerky is this transmission compared to the Ford Focus?
We have owned a Kia Niro Touring for 5 months now. However, it is a 2018 model so perhaps they've made modifications to the dual clutch transmission shifting logic. As far as "herky-jerky" shifting is concerned, I don't know what the heck he is talking about! Ours is as smooth as silk. The vehicle ALWAYS starts moving under electric propulsion before the engine starts. I've driven other vehicles with "Start/Stop" technology and they are just annoying. By contrast, the start stop system is not even noticeable in the Niro. Our mileage in the warmer months was astounding considering the one we have is the LEAST efficient. Now that colder temps have kicked in, mileage has dropped off with the engine starting to generate cabin heat even if the battery is at a high state of charge. Still WAY better than our gasoline powered 2nd vehicle in cold weather though.
Clayton Root please what is a average mpg and the best and worse mpg. How is it with the A/C ON power and mpg. Please. I love them
Looks good in white with a great interior.
Not talking about the looks, but the Prius Prime with 25 miles electric range is hard to beat for those who have a short commute.
Battery life still worries me . I tend to keep my cars a min of 10 yrs. Who wants to replace a 4000 $ battery after the warranty ends. Why do they not offer a lifetime warranty on the battery like the Hyundai Ioniq , this cars sister ship ?
Good review , thanks
Damn, was this video recorded on a DS?
I don't care what KIA calls it, it's not a crossover.
Hi could I ask you a question when you did your road test did you ever consider driving over speed bumps at 25 mph.
Okay, but why would you want an electronic parking brake?
any comments on reported brake failures in traffic?
I had kia niro for 3 years. Never had any problems yet.
If these guys are picky with legit every car, what cars do they drive?
Erins2203 I wonder this too.
great review. i like your style
now convert the Sorento unit a hybrid so that I can get rid of mine, can find good reasons to sell it.
First saw the Niro in a series of superbowl ads and gotta saw that its growing onto me. Too bad there's no AWD, like others have said in the comments, its a deal breaker if you live up north
Why is it a deal breaker if you live up north?
Don't forget; how often does one possibly use AWD or 4wd? If one really has the need for it; then one should not be on the road. It will also not save you in ice, or from other vehicles.
Then there are the truck or Jeep Wrangler people. Which is great, except that... What is the lowest point of a stock vehicle? Go above that and items such as the axle start to plow snow - which doesn't work very well for long.
Would be nice to have the spec sheet and the prices listed on the screen versus just told all these options and prices. Oh well...another review that got it wrong
Hi Collins, you can find specs at this link here: po.st/0Wb53m
haha when i started throwing his shit into the trunk i couldnt help but chuckle XD
Great music, what was it?
Do you know why the Kia Niro isn't a Top Safety Pick for IIHS? I've been trying to decide between the Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq. I like the amount of room for the 2nd passengers the Niro has. It seems like a great choice if I have kids one day and need to put in/remove car seats. However, the Ioniq is an IIHS Top Safety Pick for both 2017 & 2018. Additionally, Hyundai offers a lifetime warranty for the battery, which is one of the biggest longterm concerns for hybrid owners.
Karayah Holly what did you go with? I’m having the same dilemma
What did you end up with? Are you happy? What are the results? Struggling to make the decision between both
Kelley Blue Book, does Kia make a gas Niro and a Hybrid Niro or just a Hybrid?
just hybrid
I like your way!
...but the prius looks like **BEEP**
any idea if it will fit a road bike or mtn bike in the back with the front tires off?
kira yamato yes it ll
I'm not a car guy. What's with all the hatchback hate?
Not bad, Kia.... not bad.
Yo I just realized it why they all sound like Mica -is this scripted The same?
No spare tire?
Very intriguing, but I wish they offered it with AWD
Tim Lucas I think they will, toyota have done it wuiet easy so...
The front looks like a Kia Sportage.
German Quiñonez okay
I think the Prime looks better and the Kia looks kinda bug-eyed though I'm glad to see a dedicated hybrid with this much utility.
Soundtrack?
duel clutch automatic!! Not for me, I do mostly city driving, those transmissions are horrible..
No they are not,better than a cvt,do some research.
At least it much better than fuckin yank tank ugly trucks everywhere!!! I would take Niro any day over ugly yank tank trucks!!
Silly, it is a hybrid car, that's perfect for start and stop traffic jams because it uses electric motor
pj520 only downfall really, my guess is they will add a cvt or converter type auto as an option
23k WHY WOULD u pick this car over an accord or a camry
More space and better warranty would be my reasons.
Better gas mileage
So confuse. Is this an upgrade version of Hyundai Tucson 2011?
No
iLife it
I mean it's faster than a CX3 so it has that going for it.
dude no AWD WTF?!
Gah! It really makes me want to trade in my Soul! I don't know about the headroom though.
Niro front head room: 40.1 inches; rear head room 39.1 inches. Soul front head room: 39.6 inches; rear head room 39.5 inches. I am considering it too, since the Soul has such a short trunk with the rear seats up.
cadsux maybe it's a placebo effect. I have test driven the Niro and I felt I was sitting at a higher height in my soul and I just had to slide into my soul. The niro I felt I had to duck my head to get in. I love it. Just on the fence.
Kinda looks like a mini.
mini? as in Mini Cooper? Because if so you're crazy lol
I love it. I wish AWD were available
it just looks dated already
of they lower and level the beltline....may it won't look as ugly.
I love Zach! He's funny as hell
This car cost $100k here......
looks like an angry goldfish and their other SUV looks like a startled goldfish
Live in US you might complain about how ugly or funny this car look. but in my country if you got this car, well you are living in a luxury life...import tax 130%.
Goodz Listenerz who cares? Don't buy imports then dipshit.
It looks like an Infiniti QX50😐
please don't use that background music again. Great review otherwise as usual
The exterior design is like a toy car...
I guess they ran out of water bottles
Nereo Daco Jr. lol right!
Zero to Niro..
Yayyyy no piece of shit CVT or cheese grater 🧀 aerodynamics!
No awd? no thx.
Gordon Freeman hard to find any vehicle with combined mpg over 35 with awd. I live in Canadian prairies and have gotten by with fwd and winters
Gordon Freeman bad mph this is a hybrid they tried it
schmo7777, I live in Ontario and as long as I've got snow tires I don't need no stinkin' AWD either, eh.
5:12 it says awd
Gordon Freeman Gordon you don’t really need awd in small cars with small tires like that: people think they need awd and it’s just an unnecessary mechanical headache down the road.
stop using those stupid miles per gallon !!!
Niro is a terrible name for a car
Better than Tiguan. Who names a car after a tiger and iguana? I actually kind of like it! To each their own I guess. :)
Royhan what about Bentayga!? 😱
are you kidding? look up the emperor Nero
Ærik Bjørnsson whats so great about him?
Royhan IDK about great but he was a very interesting character :p
But it looks like bleep. 😂
Could this guy be any more bagel??? Dry dry dry.......
It should be available in AWD
All kias have the same ugly grill
Saving money my ass. #MadeInAmerica only.
Man that thing is hideous. Much like any crossover.
I honestly wouldn't want to be caught dead in that thing.
chancy319 why?
It's ugly, it looks like a kid's car, it's underpowered and it's a Kia
chancy319 ok I can understand if you don't like the look and think it's underpowered (it's a hybrid though...it's not supposed to have a lot of power) but the fact that you said "it's a Kia" just makes you sound like a snob
Snob? Not at all. My first car was a Kia. It's unreliability made me swear off Kias after after that experience.
chancy319 well, I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with your Kia. I have one and it's been a great car, more reliable than the Nissan I had before (which was a piece of crap tbh)
Still not a proven design like the Prius. Only real advantage it has is its better acceleration. The Prius and Niro both look like toy-ish cars, but at least the Prius looks space-ish. This thing looks a car a 12-year-old would drive.
First off, it's a Kia!! Hahaha idc about technologies changing, like their partner Hyundai, they suck!!. Kia should be consider a crime lol
Zack is hilarious.
To exepsive!