Kia Niro Hybrid & PHEV Thread

Hard lessons .... iirc, there were a couple of the early Roadster folks that let their packs get so low that they couldn't bring them back from the dead. Tesla realized they needed to make their cars more idiot proof, increasing the low end buffer, & programming the cars so as to never being capable of getting that low. In the end - i believe Tesla did the right thing & ate the cost of the bricked packs. Good will ... it pays for itself.
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I said collector because at least one bought the car as an investment, and stuck it in a storage unit without prepping it anyway. You can't even do that with an ICE car.

 

I might wind up with one of these Niro PHEVs.

Will update.

 

I looked at and absolutely fell in love with this car.

Unfortunately, I'm not in love with the price relative to the Ioniq PHEV. This one is in higher demand so there is a lot less wiggle room.

If Camry Hybrid were a PHEV as well I would likely go that route, but alas...


Niro isn't off the table, we'll see how inventory changes over the next few months.

 

Well, it's been 9 months, & 5124 miles on the car, UPDATE TIME!!
So far, NO PROBLEMS!! I wish the dash MPG read out was a little more calibrated, it seems to have settled into a 3mpg / fillup higher than calculated, 48, dash vs 45 actual.... maybe its adjustable.....
Other than that, NADA! The AC works terrific, and the heated/AC cooled seats are heaven to sit in....who knew blowing cold air up your seat would make driving on a 100° SoCal day so much more enjoyable! Now if only it could freeze out some of the really crappy fellow drivers, that would be really SWEET!! The 7.5k checkup coming soon, I will add to this thread when I getter done!
I just really love this car!

 

we have an exchange student w/us that just got one, & it is pretty easy on the eyes . I'll have to see how easily i can fit it in it.
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so glad to hear it!!!

It's really tough to gauge "fit" inside a car -- one adjustment of the seat can throw everything off. I inherited my IS250, but no matter what I do I can't really fit in it properly. I didn't really figure that out until months after owning it though. If I had bought it I would've been pissed.

 

How do you like your Niro two years later?

 

The only reason I did not buy a Niro Hybrid was that dual-clutch transmissions, up to this point, have really only been used in super-cars/hyper-cars in modern times. Low miles driven, and frequent maintenance, are accepted norms in the super-car world, but not in mine.

Considering the recalls that the Niro has had in the main electrical wiring not being up to the surge-power of the system, I felt that these early Niros were best left to others to test out for the 200,000 or 300,000 mile dependability. There was no doubt that Kia worked its magic inside to make them more appealing to the general customer - the interior was better, the Infotainment on even the base models blew the 2019 Prius away, the cargo area access seemed better (but the actual measurement - I took in a tape measure to each dealership - was deeper from the hatch to the fronts seats when the rear seats were down).

It drove, had pep, and seemed like a nice little car. But not at the cost of being a test-dummy for the first modern dual-clutch transmission in regular commuter cars.

I felt like I gave up on a lot to buy the Toyota Prius for its drivetrain, but when push comes to shove, should I have to keep a vehicle long-term (300,000 miles), the Toyota has proven itself. The Niro has not. At best, one of the biggest supporters of their Niro on the forums seemed to have stopped posting after about 125,000 miles, so I assume they traded it in.

 

This is exactly the reason I won't switch to another brand. It took me long enough to trust the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD). I won't be ready to switch to something else for quite some time.

 

Does anyone actually have ones of these? I'm wondering how the transmission is holding up. I'm still really, really weary of non Toyota hybrids ( i.e. - non HSD hybrids ).

 

I have a 2019 Niro PHEV EX Premium I bought in May of 2019. I have owned it for 20 months now and it has over 25,000 miles on it. Never had any problems averages 30 miles in EV mode 50 mpg on gas. Has about a 600 mile range when charged up and filled up.

Excellent quality vehicle. I traded in a 2008 Prius we bought new on it. Our other vehicle was a 2004 Sienna. First non Toyota I owned in over 30 years.

If you wonder about KIA's commitment to electric vehicles here is a good read for you
Kia Previews Its EV Shift, Promising At Least 7 New Models In 7 Years - The Fast Lane Car
Kia Tells Us Its Seven-Year-Plan for Electric Vehicles

Here is a thread detailing my experience
New 2019 Niro Plug In | PriusChat

One thing for me I have learned in the last two years buying two new vehicles is to not buy brand - buy value. I look at the vehicle ratings and reviews and then make the best choice based on cost, quality and experience. Brand does enter the equation but it is a distant second to those attributes I listed.

 

I agree. We have two Hyundai vehicles ( basically the same company as Kia ) and they have been rock solid. In fact, our 2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited and 2013 Elantra GT have never needed to go into the shop. That's pretty darn impressive. And absolutely no oil consumption, blown head gaskets, etc... I will admit that I do 'baby them' though. And they don't have nearly the mileage as our Prius vehicles do....which is obviously a factor.

I love the Prius....but our 2010 liftback with 130K miles has oil consumption issues and our 2012 Prius v with 160K seems to have an emerging head gasket issue...even though I did a ton of work on the car to try and avoid it. Who knows how the previous owners treated them though...they were both purchased used...so certainly not a valid comparison.

 

Interesting article on the very humble NIRO BEV

https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/vehicles/electric-vehicle-owners-recommend-kia-niro