Never Buy The Kia Niro Hybrid Instead Of The Rav4
Are you looking for an electric SUV? Well, the Kia Niro Hybrid has the best value for its price and offers a lot of features to make it fun to drive. But how does it compare to the fantastic Rav4 Hybrid? Let’s see how these hybrid SUV options compare.
The Kia Niro Hybrid Vs. The Rav4 Hybrid
To get started in the 2020 Kia Niro Hybrid, you only need to spend about $24k. This price is about $4k less than the Rav4 Hybrid, which starts around $28k.
The Kia Niro has an excellent fuel economy. It has a range of 26 miles and gets up to 51 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway, so you can expect savings at the pump.
The Rav4 comes in with a lower fuel economy. It only gets up to 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. But the Rav4 Hybrid has a longer range of up to 39 miles before gas kicks in.
Kia Niro Hybrid And Rav4 Hybrid Power
The Kia Niro has a 1.6-liter gas-electric engine that produces 139 horsepower with 139 lb-ft of torque. Apparently, with the optional tow package, the Niro Hybrid can tow up to 1,062. But we wouldn’t recommend slowing the SUV down more with a heavy load.
The Kia Niro lacks in acceleration power. It takes 8.6 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. We hoped it would be a little faster off the line.
The Rav4 Hybrid has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s paired with an electric motor. It produces 219 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque. We trust in the Rav4 Hybrid’s ability to tow up to 1,700 lb.
Also, the Rav4 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, which is shockingly fast for a small SUV.
One major drawback with the Kia Niro is the fact that it isn’t available in all-wheel drive like most other SUVs are.
The Rav4 is offered in all-wheel drive, so it’s the better option for safely driving in snow and other slippery conditions.
Kia Niro Hybrid And Rav4 Hybrid Features
The Kia Niro Hybrid has a fair amount of space. There are 19.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and up to 54.3 cubic feet of cargo space total.
The Rav4 Hybrid is significantly more spacious, with 36.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the backseat and up to 69.8 cubic feet of cargo space total.
Both of these Hybrid SUVs have an 8″ touch screen infotainment center that can connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
However, the Rav4 Hybrid can connect to your smartwatch and Alexa for remote commands such as locking the doors or starting the engine.
The Rav4 is also an IIHS top safety pick. At the same time, the Kia Niro lacks safety features such as forward collision prevention and lane departure assistance that seem to be standard on other SUVs.
For just an extra $4k, you will get a better fuel economy, smarter tech, a much safer vehicle, and more with the Rav4. We see no reason to go with the Kia Niro Hybrid unless you simply like the way it looks more. The Rav4 is much more capable in almost every way.
