It's so awesome how basically every plug in Niro review I've seen is overwhelmingly positive. Just bought a 2020 EX Premium that I'll be picking up later this week. It'll be quite a change from my 2006 Volvo S60 but it'll be a huge improvement in features and fuel economy.
Occasionally I'll read some issues with the 2020 PHEV KIA Niro. Usually they are issues that happen to every car or explained by reading the owner's manual. The 12 volt battery dying is common complaint, leaving someone stranded. On the third anniversary of my Niro I replaced the 12 volt battery. I know they have about a 3 year life span, so I replaced it pre-emptively. A couple of months ago my low tire pressure came on. I filled all the tires with air up to 32 psi. But the alert still stayed on. Then I read the manual and the tires are to be inflated to 36 psi. Bingo, the alert went off. But I did I learn I can monitor the tire pressure as I am driving, kind of fun. I suspect the maintenance service guys never checked the tire pressure. Once I inflated to 36 psi, no more alerts and no tires are slowly losing pressure.
I have a Canadian 2021 Kia Niro SX Touring PHEV. Absolutely love this car. Bought mat black vinyl from Amazon to cover up the dash chrome. Everything else is fantastic.
The dash glare is worse in Fall and Spring, particularly bad this past couple of weeks. It is the one aspect of the car that I really dislike. However, I know the glare is temporary as the sun gets higher in the sky in Summer.
I recently found your videos and I love how in depth they are with this car. My dream car is an XSE Premium RAV4 Prime but they're being marked up by insane amounts. I think an Oakland dealer had a 40k mark up on one making it a $96,000 RAV4. So with that in mind I've settled on a Niro Plug In LXS or EX. Looking to buy one in the spring of next year.
The RAV 4 PHEV is a great car. It was my first choice. However, for $70k you can get some serious luxury with other PHEV and electric vehicles. I intended to get my car dirty, whether it was a RAV 4 or a Niro. The RAV probably has an edge over the Niro for utility, but for regular driving (80% of what we do) the Niro has performed really well.
I got my Niro Phev (white as well) one month ago and i must say that i am very impressed by this car. I drive short distances every day so as you mentioned, it is almost like having an ev. It is very comfortable, looks nice and feels very high standard for a good price. I live in Sweden and i can tell you that this car is very popular here and i understand why now! Have a nice day!
Congratulations on the new car. We picked a winner. The assumption is getting into a Kia would be like driving a discount entry level car, but it is not. The quality is very high, bonus that it gets such good gasoline mileage and all EV range.
@@KevinKnauss yes, folks generally have a dated idea about kia and hyundai's vehicle quality. They make very dependable products now. The Niro has been a great seller and has nice styling inside and out for it's price point
Red! That is a great color. We went skiing a couple of weeks ago and I walked past my white car. Year and a half into ownership, I’m still pretty happy, mostly about the comfortable ride.
Great video!! And i can confirm everything you mentioned! I do own a Kia niro PHEV 2019 and boy im saving a lot of money on gas! And its very very comfortable
I really liked the Prius Prime at a good price point. The only real downside was the back load area was compromised for the battery. The Niro seemed to have a few more safety features and premium touches.
@@gerradwalker6222 At the time I was shopping for a PHEV, the Prius had a better price point and was an excellent car to drive. The issue that tipped me toward the Niro was the larger space behind the rear seats. The Prius roof line reduces the cargo capacity and in 2020 the larger PHEV battery intruded into the cargo space. I would have been perfectly happy with either car if it was just me driving. There have been several occasions when 3 adults, plus luggage, have been in the Niro and I was very thankful for the extra space. It really comes down to lifestyle and how you be using the car.
thanks for the review! i'm looking into a 2021 kia niro PHEV and this was a very detailed video. have you had any other problems since this video was uploaded?
I live in the foothills east of Sacramento and this seems like it would be a great car for me considering I typically drive fewer than 20 miles per day.
Typically, I'm in all EV as I run around to appointments or errands. When I get home, I just plug it in. If I have to go into Sacramento, the last 8 to 10 miles might be hybrid where the engine runs.
What is the monthly average for maintaining this vehicle? I am considering buying one but cannot find data on the average monthly cost of owning a Kia Niro Phev.
For me, it has only preventative maintenance. I have the regular 6 month maintenance check ups, oil change, tire rotation if needed. At three years, I did have the dealer replace the 12-volt battery as that is expected life. I'm coming up on four years of ownership, approximately 20,000 miles driven. Without pulling out the maintenance receipts, I'd say the average monthly maintenance cost is around $10 for me.
Just got the 2022 version with SX Touring package. Appreciated both your 7 mo and 1 yr reviews. I think they textured the glossy black plastic on the dash... will have to take a 2nd look at the chrome like finishing. Logo on VW steering wheel use to be bad for glare. I like the look of your roof racks. What make/model are they?
I've had an EX for 2 months. It's had a lot of problems like radio and display not shutting off after turning the vehicle off. Even the blue tooth was staying on and grabbing my calls in the house! It took them almost 3 weeks to get it back to me and they said it was all because of a faulty "auxiliary" battery - that little battery in the back panel. It took 10 days just to get the battery in. When that car died, nothing would turn on - no dome lights, dash lights, charging and it was stuck in park. Tow truck had to manually release the trans. That is scary, because if that happens going down the highway we will be in some big trouble. Got it back and it now works fine, but then I got an engine code. So I scheduled another shop visit, but the code disappeared they day before I could take it in. It takes just over a week to get an appointment here in the DFW area. We will see. It only has about 1,000 miles on it. With a full battery and careful driving, I get 40 miles of pure electric driving so we haven't bought gas for it yet. Speaking of GLARE, does anybody else have a terrible glare from the polished aluminum trim that runs just under the dash? It's something I've complained to Kia about and they don't seem to care. I'm going to have to do something about it. I talked to my friend at a custom shop we are looking into wrapping it with a matte carbon fiber tape. It has to be remedied. When the sun is high in the sky it reflects light right into the driver and everyone's eyes. Did they not drive this thing in the full sun before they released it???
@@onlyonesloan I'm sorry to hear about all those little bugs with your Niro. I'm not sure which auxiliary battery the car shop is referring to. Regardless, it sounds like the car was still "on", hence the connection with the Blue Tooth in the house. That would also explain why the 12 volt battery died on you, leaving the car locked up. Good to hear the issue has been addressed. The glare is a problem that KIA will never publicly acknowledge. Some people have mentioned using carbon fiber tape on the brushed chrome trim.
We traveled over to the coast on Hwy 1, twisty mountain roads. We took a trip over the Sierras to Mammoth Lakes and the Obsidian domes. We drove during the sunshine and pouring rain. No flat tires on this car or the Honda CRV before it or the Honda HRV.
I’ve had no problems with the transmission. The car shifts just like any other automatic transmission I have experienced. The shifts occur in either EV or hybrid mode. It might be slightly more noticeable under certain circumstances when shifting occurs at the same time the ICE engine stops or engages. For the gas savings, the sensation could be twice and I still would not be bothered by it.
I just use the charging unit supplied with the car. I have the scheduled charging set to begin at midnight and the car is usually fully charged by 6 AM.
The ascent over the mountain pass was steep and long. The battery hit 0%, so all the power was coming from the engine. Relative to the peppy response on curvy mountain roads, climbing the last part of this mountain was, I characterize as, a struggle. As soon as we started the descent, the battery started recharging and there seemed to be no more sluggish performance.
@@KevinKnauss i was thinking of grabbing one of these, one of the cars on my short list it seems you can find at a dealership near me. I drive 45 miles round trip to work 2 days in the office...so i may use a bit more gas ⛽️ on those days. It is in traffic though so should still do well with brake rejuvenate
@@MrZola1234 The feature that really saves gas is the Niro's ability to shut off the gasoline engine at stops and slow moving traffic. For me, the engine will cycle on and off and I barely notice it, very smooth. The regeneration from braking or increased regen setting, helps reduce how much electricity needed when charging. The engine will also regenerate the battery. However, the physics are such that brake and engine regen is an inefficient means of recharging the battery compared plugging it in. I think that is why some EVs, such as Tesla, don't offer easy regeneration options except for stepping on the brake pedal. The way I look at it, if I'm able to regen 5% of the battery, that is less Kwh needed to recharge the battery, saving a little on electrical costs.
@@KevinKnauss Maybe I'm wrong, I am still waiting for mine to come in but from what I have read think you can drive the car in sport mode it will keep the gas engine on and send extra power to charge the battery as you drive. That might be what to do when you know there are some long hills coming up, burn a little more gas now to be charged up for later.
@@SkaBob I have learned that the car is smarter than me. The default is to maximize fuel economy while attempting to maintain the battery at no less than 15% charge. For example, even when driving in EV, the engine will start if you are going up a steep hill to maintain speed, even if you have 80% battery. When in hybrid mode (0 miles EV, battery at 15%) the engine sends power to the battery for recharge. There are times when you have 20% battery, the dashboard will still show 0 miles EV range. The car knows or anticipates that you are on a long trip and reserves as much battery for assistance up hills. I have used the Sport mode twice. In Sport mode you can use the paddles on the back of the steering wheel to change gears. I don’t know if, when in Sport mode, the engine will shut down at slow speeds and at stop. This is the real gas saver. The cars ability to shut down the engine when it is not needed: going down a hill, slow speeds, when at a stop sign or traffic light. I do use the paddle shifters to increase regeneration and braking in many around town situations. I know the regen of increasing the battery charge is negligible for long trips. I figure that if I can save a couple of KWh, that reduces my electrical cost when I recharge. I think the increased regen saves more brake pad life and cost more than anything else. Once you start driving the car in different situations, you’ll understand what I mean by the car being smarter than the driver. There are only a few instances where my driving actions resulted in better fuel economy versus just letting the car make the decisions.
It's so awesome how basically every plug in Niro review I've seen is overwhelmingly positive. Just bought a 2020 EX Premium that I'll be picking up later this week. It'll be quite a change from my 2006 Volvo S60 but it'll be a huge improvement in features and fuel economy.
Occasionally I'll read some issues with the 2020 PHEV KIA Niro. Usually they are issues that happen to every car or explained by reading the owner's manual. The 12 volt battery dying is common complaint, leaving someone stranded. On the third anniversary of my Niro I replaced the 12 volt battery. I know they have about a 3 year life span, so I replaced it pre-emptively.
A couple of months ago my low tire pressure came on. I filled all the tires with air up to 32 psi. But the alert still stayed on. Then I read the manual and the tires are to be inflated to 36 psi. Bingo, the alert went off. But I did I learn I can monitor the tire pressure as I am driving, kind of fun. I suspect the maintenance service guys never checked the tire pressure. Once I inflated to 36 psi, no more alerts and no tires are slowly losing pressure.
I have a Canadian 2021 Kia Niro SX Touring PHEV. Absolutely love this car. Bought mat black vinyl from Amazon to cover up the dash chrome. Everything else is fantastic.
The dash glare is worse in Fall and Spring, particularly bad this past couple of weeks. It is the one aspect of the car that I really dislike. However, I know the glare is temporary as the sun gets higher in the sky in Summer.
I recently found your videos and I love how in depth they are with this car. My dream car is an XSE Premium RAV4 Prime but they're being marked up by insane amounts. I think an Oakland dealer had a 40k mark up on one making it a $96,000 RAV4. So with that in mind I've settled on a Niro Plug In LXS or EX. Looking to buy one in the spring of next year.
The RAV 4 PHEV is a great car. It was my first choice. However, for $70k you can get some serious luxury with other PHEV and electric vehicles. I intended to get my car dirty, whether it was a RAV 4 or a Niro. The RAV probably has an edge over the Niro for utility, but for regular driving (80% of what we do) the Niro has performed really well.
I got my Niro Phev (white as well) one month ago and i must say that i am very impressed by this car. I drive short distances every day so as you mentioned, it is almost like having an ev. It is very comfortable, looks nice and feels very high standard for a good price. I live in Sweden and i can tell you that this car is very popular here and i understand why now! Have a nice day!
Congratulations on the new car. We picked a winner. The assumption is getting into a Kia would be like driving a discount entry level car, but it is not. The quality is very high, bonus that it gets such good gasoline mileage and all EV range.
@@KevinKnauss yes, folks generally have a dated idea about kia and hyundai's vehicle quality. They make very dependable products now. The Niro has been a great seller and has nice styling inside and out for it's price point
Thank you for this video! I am looking at a 2020 Ex Premium PHEV this weekend in the red. Your video is very useful!
Red! That is a great color. We went skiing a couple of weeks ago and I walked past my white car. Year and a half into ownership, I’m still pretty happy, mostly about the comfortable ride.
Great video!! And i can confirm everything you mentioned! I do own a Kia niro PHEV 2019 and boy im saving a lot of money on gas! And its very very comfortable
I'm coming up on 3 years of ownership. The car is running great, just as comfortable, and a total gas saver.
Excellent video my Dream Car.
I think you will be very happy with the car.
Thanks for sharing!
Very helpful as we seek to upgrade my wife's 10 year old Prius.
I really liked the Prius Prime at a good price point. The only real downside was the back load area was compromised for the battery. The Niro seemed to have a few more safety features and premium touches.
@@KevinKnauss do you feel the Prius Prime is better than Niro or vice versa?
@@gerradwalker6222 At the time I was shopping for a PHEV, the Prius had a better price point and was an excellent car to drive. The issue that tipped me toward the Niro was the larger space behind the rear seats. The Prius roof line reduces the cargo capacity and in 2020 the larger PHEV battery intruded into the cargo space. I would have been perfectly happy with either car if it was just me driving. There have been several occasions when 3 adults, plus luggage, have been in the Niro and I was very thankful for the extra space.
It really comes down to lifestyle and how you be using the car.
thanks for the review! i'm looking into a 2021 kia niro PHEV and this was a very detailed video. have you had any other problems since this video was uploaded?
The only issue I have had is a flat tire. I used the flat tire sealant and pump and it worked great.
I live in the foothills east of Sacramento and this seems like it would be a great car
for me considering I typically drive fewer than 20 miles per day.
Typically, I'm in all EV as I run around to appointments or errands. When I get home, I just plug it in. If I have to go into Sacramento, the last 8 to 10 miles might be hybrid where the engine runs.
What is the monthly average for maintaining this vehicle? I am considering buying one but cannot find data on the average monthly cost of owning a Kia Niro Phev.
For me, it has only preventative maintenance. I have the regular 6 month maintenance check ups, oil change, tire rotation if needed. At three years, I did have the dealer replace the 12-volt battery as that is expected life. I'm coming up on four years of ownership, approximately 20,000 miles driven. Without pulling out the maintenance receipts, I'd say the average monthly maintenance cost is around $10 for me.
Just got the 2022 version with SX Touring package. Appreciated both your 7 mo and 1 yr reviews. I think they textured the glossy black plastic on the dash... will have to take a 2nd look at the chrome like finishing. Logo on VW steering wheel use to be bad for glare.
I like the look of your roof racks. What make/model are they?
The roof rails are Kia brand. The dealer ordered the car with the roof rails. I just had to install them.
I've had an EX for 2 months. It's had a lot of problems like radio and display not shutting off after turning the vehicle off. Even the blue tooth was staying on and grabbing my calls in the house! It took them almost 3 weeks to get it back to me and they said it was all because of a faulty "auxiliary" battery - that little battery in the back panel. It took 10 days just to get the battery in. When that car died, nothing would turn on - no dome lights, dash lights, charging and it was stuck in park. Tow truck had to manually release the trans. That is scary, because if that happens going down the highway we will be in some big trouble. Got it back and it now works fine, but then I got an engine code. So I scheduled another shop visit, but the code disappeared they day before I could take it in. It takes just over a week to get an appointment here in the DFW area. We will see. It only has about 1,000 miles on it. With a full battery and careful driving, I get 40 miles of pure electric driving so we haven't bought gas for it yet. Speaking of GLARE, does anybody else have a terrible glare from the polished aluminum trim that runs just under the dash? It's something I've complained to Kia about and they don't seem to care. I'm going to have to do something about it. I talked to my friend at a custom shop we are looking into wrapping it with a matte carbon fiber tape. It has to be remedied. When the sun is high in the sky it reflects light right into the driver and everyone's eyes. Did they not drive this thing in the full sun before they released it???
@@onlyonesloan I'm sorry to hear about all those little bugs with your Niro. I'm not sure which auxiliary battery the car shop is referring to. Regardless, it sounds like the car was still "on", hence the connection with the Blue Tooth in the house. That would also explain why the 12 volt battery died on you, leaving the car locked up. Good to hear the issue has been addressed.
The glare is a problem that KIA will never publicly acknowledge. Some people have mentioned using carbon fiber tape on the brushed chrome trim.
I bought a mat black vinyl wrap from Amazon to cover up the chrome. No more glare!
@@PamenterDoug can you share a link. cant seem to find it on amazon
Did you have a flat tire during the year? Any road trips in desolate areas or at night? I like the Niro PHEV except for the lack of a spare tire.
We traveled over to the coast on Hwy 1, twisty mountain roads. We took a trip over the Sierras to Mammoth Lakes and the Obsidian domes. We drove during the sunshine and pouring rain. No flat tires on this car or the Honda CRV before it or the Honda HRV.
Buy a temporary spare and put it in the back on long trips if you are worried. I did that 7 years ago and still have not used the spare
i put a can of fix a flat in the storage cubby
Hi, tell me about PHVE SEMI AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION any problems?
I’ve had no problems with the transmission. The car shifts just like any other automatic transmission I have experienced. The shifts occur in either EV or hybrid mode. It might be slightly more noticeable under certain circumstances when shifting occurs at the same time the ICE engine stops or engages. For the gas savings, the sensation could be twice and I still would not be bothered by it.
Hello! Did you get the standard charger or upgrade to the fast charging one?
I just use the charging unit supplied with the car. I have the scheduled charging set to begin at midnight and the car is usually fully charged by 6 AM.
Did you say the car struggled to go up a steep hill? That doesn’t sound good, I would have thought the engine would perform fine but get worse milage.
The ascent over the mountain pass was steep and long. The battery hit 0%, so all the power was coming from the engine. Relative to the peppy response on curvy mountain roads, climbing the last part of this mountain was, I characterize as, a struggle. As soon as we started the descent, the battery started recharging and there seemed to be no more sluggish performance.
@@KevinKnauss i was thinking of grabbing one of these, one of the cars on my short list it seems you can find at a dealership near me. I drive 45 miles round trip to work 2 days in the office...so i may use a bit more gas ⛽️ on those days. It is in traffic though so should still do well with brake rejuvenate
@@MrZola1234 The feature that really saves gas is the Niro's ability to shut off the gasoline engine at stops and slow moving traffic. For me, the engine will cycle on and off and I barely notice it, very smooth. The regeneration from braking or increased regen setting, helps reduce how much electricity needed when charging. The engine will also regenerate the battery.
However, the physics are such that brake and engine regen is an inefficient means of recharging the battery compared plugging it in. I think that is why some EVs, such as Tesla, don't offer easy regeneration options except for stepping on the brake pedal.
The way I look at it, if I'm able to regen 5% of the battery, that is less Kwh needed to recharge the battery, saving a little on electrical costs.
@@KevinKnauss Maybe I'm wrong, I am still waiting for mine to come in but from what I have read think you can drive the car in sport mode it will keep the gas engine on and send extra power to charge the battery as you drive. That might be what to do when you know there are some long hills coming up, burn a little more gas now to be charged up for later.
@@SkaBob I have learned that the car is smarter than me. The default is to maximize fuel economy while attempting to maintain the battery at no less than 15% charge. For example, even when driving in EV, the engine will start if you are going up a steep hill to maintain speed, even if you have 80% battery. When in hybrid mode (0 miles EV, battery at 15%) the engine sends power to the battery for recharge.
There are times when you have 20% battery, the dashboard will still show 0 miles EV range. The car knows or anticipates that you are on a long trip and reserves as much battery for assistance up hills. I have used the Sport mode twice. In Sport mode you can use the paddles on the back of the steering wheel to change gears.
I don’t know if, when in Sport mode, the engine will shut down at slow speeds and at stop. This is the real gas saver. The cars ability to shut down the engine when it is not needed: going down a hill, slow speeds, when at a stop sign or traffic light.
I do use the paddle shifters to increase regeneration and braking in many around town situations. I know the regen of increasing the battery charge is negligible for long trips. I figure that if I can save a couple of KWh, that reduces my electrical cost when I recharge. I think the increased regen saves more brake pad life and cost more than anything else.
Once you start driving the car in different situations, you’ll understand what I mean by the car being smarter than the driver. There are only a few instances where my driving actions resulted in better fuel economy versus just letting the car make the decisions.