New 2019 Niro Plug In

sounds very similar to prime, congrats!

 

thats exactly like the pip, with twice the range

does kia warn against keeping it fully charged for long periods of time like toyota?

 

wrong thread posted in

 

I think this may be the best vehicle for people that don't want to go fully electric yet (ie Model Y). My parents will likely be in this camp.

 

I read that it's actually a special order/option - not standard.
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The PHEV Ioniq/Niro have a lower poower motor than other available models. Which means lower top EV speed, and a more likely chance of the engine getting fired up for some reason while in EV mode. Not having a supplemental cabin heat system for EV mode meant a lower price for those owners.

 

Running the ICE for heat is my biggest gripe.

 

same on my pip

 

I'm not on Prius Chat much anymore, but I'll come by and check out threads that interest me. This one definitely interests me, because a Niro PHEV is on my short list.

Background: I used to have a job with a ridiculous commute. 225 miles round-trip, all highway, 5 days per week. I did that for three years, with about two of those in a '16 Prius Eco. I swapped that for a used '15 VW Jetta TDI (a Dieselgate buyback car) and continued in with the commute for just over another year. Then about 9 months ago I got a different job...more money, better job, with a 15 mile round-trip commute, 4 days per week (we telework one day each week).

While the Jetta TDI was great for the previous commute, it's not ideal for my current situation. It does just fine, but I do keep an eye on when the Diesel particulate filter is about to do a regen cycle, so I can avoid interrupting it. Multiple interruptions of a DPF regen can lead to problems. The car has been absolutely reliable...no issues whatsoever in almost 79,000 miles.

I could easily do all electric for the daily drive, but we need a comfortable vehicle for weekend trips & road-trip vacations for 2 not-tiny people (I'm 6', the husband is 6'6"). Because of the road-trip requirement, a pure electric is out. A PHEV makes a lot of sense...daily commute on electricity, with gas for longer trips.

Requirements: The car needs to sit higher than my old Prius and my current Jetta. I'm 52 with a bad back, and getting down into a vehicle gets old really fast. If I choose to go PHEV, It has to have enough range to do electric for daily trips to work, with gas to handle everything else, and it needs to be efficient when running on gas. I want a hatchback/wagon/SUV, because the trips to Home Depot with a sedan sometimes mean borrowing my brother's truck or my parent's minivan.

With those requirements, the Niro PHEV seems to be about the only game in town. A Prius Prime would do everything I want except get my butt up off the ground. The upcoming Ford Escape PHEV seems appealing, but the price point will likely be a little more than what I would want to pay. We tried sitting in a Honda Clarity (sacrificing the hatchback), but the husband's knees were about 1/4 inch from the dashboard...too close. We sat in a Niro, and it seemed to have enough room.

I am concerned though about some of the reviews and complaints on other forums about jerky transmissions, carbon buildup in the engine (direct injection contributes a LOT to this), and at least a couple people needing to get their engine replaced due to some faulty manufacturing of the cylinder heads. I'm familiar with dual-clutch transmissions (my Jetta has one) so I know they're not the best in stop & go. But without having taken one for a spin yet, I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on yours over time.

Other options: considering a Kia Soul (ticks all the boxes except it uses gas), a Subaru Forester (ticks the same boxes as the Soul but with more room), or maybe an Outback. Or if I'm willing to keep my butt on the ground, I'd consider a Prius Prime...trading seat height for a virtual guarantee of rock-solid reliability and spectacular fuel economy.

So yeah...PLEASE keep sharing your experiences! I'm very interested!

 

The Rav4 Prime was recently announced for the 2021 model year if you can wait on the purchase. The Escape PHEV isn't going to have an AWD option, but that doesn't sound like a concern for you.

Never driven a DCT, but from reports, the ones in hybrids are less jerky at lower speeds, so the Niro could be smoother shifting than the Jetta.

 

We sat in a RAV4, and the husband doesn't fit...his knees are hard up against the dash when he's in the passenger seat, and his head brushes the ceiling. He's got more headroom in a Camry, but his legs don't fit.

Car shopping for tall people is terrible! And I've learned that neither overall vehicle size nor published legroom figures really matter much. With him, it all comes down to the distance between the hip point and the dash (mostly on the passenger side). Vehicles with high center consoles generally don't work at all for him when he's in the driver's seat, and vehicles with wide center screens (think Tesla Model 3) are torturous for him.

Examples: He fit ok in my 2016 Prius, but fits better in the Jetta (more clearance between his knees and the dash), despite the Jetta having over an inch less of published legroom. He can't drive a previous-gen Prius, because his knee gets jammed between the steering wheel and the high center console. He can't sit in a Honda Accord or Clarity, because his knees are hard up against the dash, yet he has a bit more space in a Fit or HRV. A Toyota Sequoia puts his knees against the dash, yet he had about 1.5 inches of clearance in a Tacoma I used to have. He's got a ton of room in a Hyundai Veloster, a Kia Soul works pretty well, and although his legs fit fine in a Kia Stinger, his head is against the ceiling even with the seat all the way down. In general, Toyotas don't fit him (except for the Prius), nor do most Hondas. He's had better luck with Hyundai/Kia products (Korean cars in general), as well as most German cars. American cars are hit and miss. He currently drives a 2010 Chevy Aveo hatchback which is...you guessed it...a Korean car rebadged as a Chevy.

So the RAV4 Prime wouldn't work, which is too bad! I'd be interested in that.

 

AWD doesn't really matter for us, and I already mentioned the issue with the RAV4 and actually fitting in it.

With DCTs, it all comes down to programming. Ford got the programming almost perfect for their DCT in the Focus...responsive, downshifted readily for passing, and pretty smooth overall...but there have been recalls/problems with them, and they won't automatically downshift to provide engine braking when going downhill. The DSG (VW's name for their DCT) in the Jetta TDI is mostly good...it's very smooth when pulling away from a stop (a weak point in most DCTs), but left in Drive the transmission wants to head straight for 6th gear and never leave. Sport mode is better because it raises the shift points and feels more normal to me whether in town or on a winding back road (it's brilliant in that situation), but in Sport mode it downshifts too early and aggressively when slowing down normally for a stoplight. In both drive and sport mode I like that it knows when I'm going downhill...if I tap the brakes when going downhill, it'll drop down a gear or two so I don't have to ride the brakes. Normally I end up letting it shift on its own to 3rd gear when accelerating, then I'll shift it manually from there, or I'll put it in sport mode when accelerating then back into drive when slowing down. Regardless of mode, the shifts are fast and smooth, especially when under moderate to heavy acceleration, but the 1-2 shift is the most noticeable, because 1st gear is so short, with the shift to 2nd happening very quickly after leaving the line from a dead stop.

Regardless of how I drive it, the TDI-DSG combo is frugal though...in city driving I never get below 34 mpg, and on the highway I'm usually in the mid to high 40's, and that is making no effort whatsoever to save fuel.