2018 Kia Niro Plug In Hybrid Review / Comparison - In 4K

As part of their mission to increase their average fuel economy, Kia made the subcompact Niro crossover a hybrid by default and now they have added a bigger battery pack and an electric motor so you can drive electric only for up t0 26 miles. (As long as you don't need to heat the cabin, more on that in the video). This makes the Niro PHEV arguably Kia's most efficient vehicle for the average commuter. In an impressive move Kia also managed to package the battery under the rear seats so the Niro PHEV doesn't lose any cargo capacity vs the standard hybrid model.

[Kouryuuk]

I feel this channel is grossly under appreciated. You can get all the important information without having to leave your house and when you narrow it down you can go test drive them with a great knowledge base. I don’t understand how each of your videos don’t have millions of views, this is incredibly valuable information for anyone looking to buy a car.

[johnmichaelMTBC]

Just got the regular niro and have been blown away. This car doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Unreal how good of a car they were able to make at that price.

[zenornot]

This Review is perhaps the most thorough review I have ever watched on YT...Thanks

[jmurphy]

Picked up a Snow White Pearl EX Premium PHEV a week ago and in my limited experience so far this review is spot on. We decided on the Niro based on the hatchback / CUV body style vs the Prius et al. In a week of commuting (80 mile round trip) I've averaged 69mg combined charging at home at night. That's comparable to my 2001 VW Golf TDI with far better creature comforts. The interior is excellent and the tech is very well though out. Kia has definitely hit a home run with the Niro PHEV.

[elholto]

This video was so useful in my search for a"new to me" car. I was looking for a plug in hybrid that would work for my 6'3" frame and be able to climb the daily commute to my home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This review was perfect (even filmed close to my home), gave me all the info I needed and I purchased a 2019 Kia Niro Plug In Hybrid last week. Thanks!

[jamesf]

Alex is simply the best here. He does his homework better than anyone else. And is extremely detailed and gives numbers

[blitzbbffl]

Brilliant analysis and presentation. One additional piece of information that I'd like to see you include for PHEVs is fuel tank volume and resultant combined range. Thank you.

[sscholle]

Most complete and detailed reviewer out there. Thanks Alex.

[janmcgill]

My favorite channel for car reviews. Thank you Alex, you cover all the bases and appreciate your work.

[booth]

Good Lord, this has to be one of the most satisfying reviews to sit through. Thank you, good sir. Wow.

[nim]

I came across your channel when I was looking for a new car a while ago. The clear, informative and factual unemotional presentation is excellent. I keep watching the videos even though I'm happy with what I bought because they are so well made.

[virginiaragtopper]

Hey Alex,
Love your in-depth reviews and your keen insights into so many vehicles which you seem to keep within your noggin in great detail. The value of your reviews is very much heightened by your ability to do comparisons and analyses "on the fly" which is so helpful to us folk who don't get opportunities to have these cars for loan over a week or two as you do. But the real reason I'm writing for the first time after being a fan for so long looking at your videos, is that I just purchased a loaded EX Premium Kia Niro, and have to say this is a well thought out vehicle in so many ways. It feels extremely "planted" while driving so I have to only guess on how much better the "Touring Hybrid" with the wide and taller tires feels in this area. I traded in a 2012 Honda CRV that had 76K mis on the clock, and had to drive about a hundred miles to find a PHEV Niro, so the ride up with the Honda when compared with the ride back in the Niro was very different. The sense of stability and steadiness was significantly better in the Niro than in the CRV, which came as a surprise to me. The sensitivity to input and response in the steering wheel was markedly better in the Niro as well. The techical acoutrements in the Niro were years ahead of the CRV, with the highly functional "Smart" cruise, or adaptive cruise control, which works worlds better than the one in our 2018 Honda Accord Touring 2.0 my wife drives for work, which I've driven many times using that feature. There's no sudden braking or seeming confusion like one feels in the Accord. Also, in the Accord, during slowdown while having the adaptive cruise control working, we've both experienced the very unsettling experience of the system crashing and simply not slowing down anymore with no advance warning, so it becomes a rather hair-raising experience to expect the car to keep slowing and in fact the system has crashed and no longer you with a kind of exigency bordering on emergency to haul the car's speed down to avoid the rapidly approaching vehicle directly in front of you. We'll see if that happens with the Niro in time I guess, but the greater issue here is that these "safety" adaptations to motoring technology must be cautiously employed and enjoyed, because like anything else high-tech, they can fail completely when you least expect it. I'm pretty sure the "crash avoidance" feature in the Accord was simultaneously dismantled when the adaptive cruise control failed during both my wife's and my shocking experiences, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of the crash avoidance technology, it seems to me. Perhaps there's a glitch or problem with the system, but who can tell?? I do know that once this happens, the system must be shut down by turning off the vehicle, then restarting it, to get these systems working again. You begin to rely on these new technologies, since they make the driving experience much more enjoyable, particularly with the adaptive cruise control. The only thing missing on the Kia that we absolutely love on the new Accord is the Heads-up display which we've both come to really enjoy on the Accord. Speaking of the Accord's problems, we've also had trouble with speed limit visual recognition technology which optically recognizes and displays the speed limit on the dash as well as in the heads-up display in the windscreen. Frequently it has nothing to show, as I believe it defaults to "nothing" after so many minutes pass, since that's what appears to happen when speed limit signs fail to appear for lengthly periods of also we've seen speed limit signs of 90 and 100 mph on rare occasions which shows that the recognition tecnology is far from perfect, and clearly isn't linked with GPS navigation data which is inherent in all modern navigation systems. If that were the case there would never be a weird readout like 100 mph for example, and there would also never be a 'blank' screen when there's no frequent posted speed limit signs. These are very technical details but they're from experience so I think they're worth noting. BTW, I was hoping for a review of the new Accord Hybrid since it incorporates all of that Honda Sensing technology now and makes the car different and better in my opinion than the '17 model which you reviewed in great detail. I know they're similar in technology re: the drivetrain, but the car is so new it makes for a new experience and is worth a critical look at once again. It would have been appreciated since I was considering one of those and the Niro for this purchase. In the end, I found the pure electric mode really appealing, especially since we don't expect to use the car very much after we both officially retire at the end of this year, so if we keep it charged up daily, it should seldom require petrol in our driving styles. The Niro is a very interesting niche in hybrid technology it seems, having a really nice blend of usable storage space, easily accessible and roomy rear seating, economical running costs, and a nice sporty feel to the handling and driving experience. So far, I'm really pleased with our decision, and I guess time will tell if that satisfaction is durable, right?! So, thanks again for your excellent quality reviews, and I'll continue to visit your page to keep up with the never-dull world of automotive evolution. One final note, though I know I'm long-winded here. I discovered that CO2 exhausted by a Honda Accord Hybrid in a 15, 000 mile yearly usage emits a whopping 6, 192 lbs of the stuff. And that's a hybrid. I really had no mental concept of just how much carbon dioxide each vehicle was dumping into the atmosphere by our prolific use of internal combustion engines. Twice the weight of a car in just one year in the greenhouse gas CO2?? Good grief, man, no wonder we are concerned about our effect on the environment, our global warming activity.

[doynemedical]

OMG Alex, I was waiting for this review with anticipation!
Your the best!

[stupid]

GREAT breakdown at the end of other plug-ins, Alex. You're doing an amazing job on these videos. Keep up the great work

[akhiljobby]

This was, hands down, the best presentation I have watched about Niro. Thank you.

[dansanger]

Alex does a great job explaining the different types of plug-in hybrids. I'll throw in my two cents as a Chevy Volt owner. After living with a plug-in hybrid for a year, I have to say that I have grown really fond of the smoothness and quietness of EV mode, plus the ability to charge at home. But, when the gasoline engine switches on, I feel like I'm being rudely thrust back into the 20th century. Even though I love my Volt, and more than 96% of my miles have been in EV mode, if I were looking for a new car today I think I would restrict my choices to battery only, betting that charging infrastructure will improve within a year or two.

Right now, the only affordable 200+ mile EV that's readily available in the US is the Chevy Bolt. In a year or so, the choices will expand to include Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, and Hyundai Kona EV. If you still want the security of a gasoline engine, then there are lots of good plug-in hybrids to pick from, including the Niro. But, once you drive electric, it's hard to go back to a gasoline engine again. Electric drive is just way more civilized.

[littlebit]

The regular Niro is awesome, these are not high end vehicles, but the gas savings is so massive you cannot overlook them. We love it. 12 gallon fill up and over 600 miles per tank, soooo much better than regular cars.

[alliejr]

GREAT explanation of different types of plug-in hybrids!

[runforit]

Alex, your reviews are fantastic. How do you only have 326K subscribers?

[rickybansal]

Alex is the ultimate authority in car reviews. Love this channel.