Kia's Niro Plug-in Hybrid Makes More Sense Than Most EVs | 2023 Niro PHEV Review

Подписаться 512 тыс.

Просмотров 158 тыс.

50% 1

Although Kia's Niro is more expensive with a plug than without, the plug in hybrid is significantly less expensive than the Niro EV and has almost no compromises. Range anxiety? Doesn't exist. Performance? It's zippier than the regular hybrid. Battery life? Likely better than the EV because of how the battery is used. Charge times? Who cares, you have a gas tank. On my daily commute the Niro would use a little gas, but so little that one 13 gallon tank would last 2500 miles and a year's worth of commuting would be about 90 gallons.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
The Pod: / autobuyersguidepodcast
EV Buyers Guide: / evbuyersguide
The Mountain Garden: / themountaingarden
Buy Merch! aoamerch.com
Follow us on Facebook: theautobuyersguide/
0:00 Introduction
0:51 Politics
4:13 Front End Styling
7:03 Ground Clearance & Wheels
7:34 Rear End Styling
8:14 Driver Assistance
8:47 Powertrain
11:51 Charging
12:53 Front Seat Comfort
13:35 Rear Seat Comfort
15:12 Cargo
15:51 Driving Impressions
23:35 Pricing
24:48 Final Thoughts
25:33 Closing

Авто/Мото

Опубликовано:

7 июл 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 526

@AAutoBuyersGuide Год назад

Key points to remember: 1. I said the cost of 100% renewable electricity is $0.28/kWh. The average residential regular rate is $0.26 here and will be lower off-peak or on alternate rate plans. The US average in October 2022 was $0.16. Remember rates are seasonal and the national average in October 2022 of $0.10/kWh includes commercial ans industrial uses which drive the average down. As always, your rates will vary. On the energy independence front I'll refer you to the EIA's numbers. www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php. As you can see, the pandemic related drop in consumption made the USA "independant" in terms of export/import for a hot second but we returned to a net importer after that. The USA is heading in a direction of a net export balance however but this is not consumption related but production related as the USA saw a massive increase in domestic production starting in 2008. I would caution against looking at this through a political lens because neither political party has had much impact on domestic production when you look solely at the data. The rise in domestic production started under Obama but his administration had nothing to do it with, it mainly had to do with the rise in domestic fracking. Restrictions on fracking could impact production, tax situations could affect production but generally high sustained oil prices are what tend to correlate to increases domestically. Also, just so we're clear: Canada isn't part of the USA. So any production or other issues related to Canada is a topic external from import/export balances.

@odiemac Год назад

We have a full EV Niro, and get about 4.0 miles per kWh. Your drive cycle must be a lot higher speed than ours (we also live on a big-ish hill). With 28 cents a kwh I think my math says $1,100/yr Oh yeah and we also have solar + battery for off grid power. Our fully amortized cost per kWh if the whole thing turns into a brick in 15 years is 19 cents a kWh. This is a 13KW array with 40kwh of battery costing $55K after tax producing 19MWh a year in the Bay Area.

@WilliamPozo Год назад

I watch all your videos and listen to your podcasts. Don't appreciate your California stance on Fox... Not sure why you went down that path.

@kalmmonke5037 Год назад

maybe add ihhs crash test score comparisons, maybe show differences in a excel sheet or something . also real life mpg test , see engineering explained video on mazda turbo mpg . is there a aftermarket (if theres not, media can creat edemand for it, there already is sway bar etc market) for steering that is more communicative like lotus evora/emira to possibly spend less energy turning wheels and to allow minimum and minimum g-force, braking and steering? evora emira is around as heavy as prius prime 223 and prius wont be dealing with as much g forces, so its not like its too heavy for most cars. also much more fun. without as much of a stiff chassis, although stiff chassis and then option office chair gel cushion sort of thing would be nice to be able to feel rear wheel grip too. if you add more battery, battery degradation is less, as you add more the effiency is expoenetially less so more energy at faster rate going in and out the battery so worse degradation... so what is best balance, can it be measure in effeincy ratings or battery size rating per amount of weight of car, so customer knows which car is best? small combustion to charge battery would it lower cost to run vs big batteries whose capability isntactually used often, and maybe itd be great as non plugin ybrid for those who cant charge when they get back home until they have to travel again. logn term cost differences of bolt vs prius? . also why cant companies send alsmost finishes cars to america then finish them to make them considered american made for the 7.5k or so tax credit ?

@flodjod Год назад

the sun dosnt charge sfa

@Ntmoffi Год назад

Dude, I only charge my car at off peak hours in a L2 charger. I used to charge using the cord that came with the vehicle. I had to come home and plug it in right away so it charged at peak hours. When you charge makes a huge difference in cost.

@thereissomecoolstuff Год назад

I had a 2017 Niro. Drove ride share in Seattle. Hills terrible roads and crazy weather. 80k miles in 2 years. Great car not a single problem.

@martinkopera5170 Год назад

Alex you are the best vehicle reviewer. I do not care for Kia vehicles at all. I didn’t want to waste my time on this review. But once I started watching it I finished it in its entirety.

@MarkRVillano Год назад

He explained the differences, along with the advantages, the disadvantages, and the various trade-offs very well.

@a27rocks Год назад

In 2021 I decided that I wanted to see what it was like to drive an electric, but I didn't want to go full EV so I bought a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. It's been a game changer. Even for a few months when I was living in a house and could only charge it using 110v I was averaging around 1000 miles between fill-ups (8.9 gallon tank). Now that I'm back to having a 240v outlet available, I fill up even less than that (currently at over 1200 miles with about 2/3 of a tank remaining - most of that gas used when the temps were in the teens and the car needed to run the gas motor because it was too cold for EV mode). Add to that the fact that if I need to go further I just get in and go. I made several 400-mile day trips through rural TX last year, which would have been extremely difficult if not impossible in a conventional EV. I'm planning to give the Volt to my daughter when she graduates from college in May and get myself another PHEV, but there are two major problems with that: 1- Even though the Volt is 5 years old, its EV range is still significantly greater than any of the new PHEVs. The Volt is rated for 52 Miles EV range. In city driving I've exceeded that on several occasions. At TX highway speeds (~75) that number goes down quite a bit. Either way, that's more than 20% further than anything currently being built. 2-Scarcity. PHEVs are a total afterthought for manufacturers. Maybe in California it's a bit easier to get one, but around here they're nearly impossible. One of the largest Toyota dealerships in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area (pop. 6.5 million) told me that they were allocated a total of 5 Prius Primes for the entire 2022 model year.

@anydaynow01 Год назад

Totally agree on all points. 2017 Volt owner here and I will drive it for as long as they make parts for it, the only other car I have been looking at as a commuting appliance is the Aptera when it comes out since the battery pack is also reasonably sized. Gently used gen 2 Volt prices are now more than new Bolt prices for a reason, fortunately I was able to pick mine up with low miles right before that last gas crisis on the east coast and they were going for really cheap. I have gone months between fill ups I use the ICE so infrequently, turns out an ~18 kWhr battery is all most folks need to get around town 90% of the time, the rest can be handled with hybrid mode instead of hoarding batteries creating wait lists years long.

@patrickhawley1392 Год назад

Right on. I own a Honda Clarity which has slightly less EV only range (in the summer I am getting around 85 km electric) than the Volt and I only buy gas when I'm doing longer trips. All my regular driving is done electric only and I go months at a time without buying any gas. It's a shame that Honda has stopped production of these cars. I really don't understand why there doesn't seem to be a greater demand for PHEVs with a decent electric range. That being said, the new Mitsubishi PHEV Outlander looks pretty good. I've read reviews that have said they were getting over 100 km electric although the actual rated range is only 61 km.

@normt430 Год назад

I see 2,000-3,000 miles commuting and charging at home and work in a with Voltec in a 2018 CT6 2.0E plug-in. About 50 EV miles is the sweet spot for us.

@donswier Год назад

Same story: People (myself included) couldn't appreciate how beneficial "only" 40 miles of EV range was when Volt debuted a decade ago. 14,000 EV miles per year SHOULD have been GM's Volt sales pitch then. Like you, I got a plug-in a few years back (i3 REx), and only used 25 gallons of gas to cover 24,000 miles last year. Having the gas engine means never fretting about defrost, heater, lights, wipers, traffic, side trips or any other range-depleting activity.

@byrnc927 Год назад

@@anydaynow01 I could have written your comments. We have two 2017 Volts. And an Aptera reservation. We actually have had 3, 2017s Red Volt #1 was stopped when it was rear ended by a drunk driver's SUV going 45 mph this past summer. Having all 4 passengers walk out of the hospital without any life altering injuries, I can tell you those cars are little tanks. Red Volt #1 has been replaced by Red Volt #2. We were so lucky find another 2017 Red Premier identical, along with ACC, and only 5K on the clock. It's like new. I cannot believe that to date no manufacturer has built a PHEV that can do what the Volt can do. I am disappointed that the new Prius Prime does not have the electric range of the Gen II Volt. I have put at least 30,000 miles on trio of Volts with charging my employer provides to me for free. Commuting Cost Zero, for years now. For example, Blue Volt has gone 50,000 trouble free miles has a lifetime MPG of 178. Like you I will run them both into the ground. The Aptera if it gets built, is not going to replace either Volt it will be a fun toy.

@kyjoe3403 Год назад

Drove one yesterday and was very impressed. Bummer on the tax credit. PHEV makes more sense for my situation.

@mikethornock5229 Год назад

Bought this car a couple of months ago. We love it. I zip it around town every day with a smile on my face and plug it in every other day. At 6 cents a kilowatt it gives me 35-40mpg for about a buck.

@plentyrockz Год назад

Where do you live that you can get 6 cents/kWh?

@JohnSwink Год назад

@@plentyrockz where I live in Oklahoma the elec coop has an EV rate you can put your house on- Year-Round All kWhs from 5 AM to 9 PM: 9¢/kWh All kWhs from 9 PM to 5 AM: 5¢/kWh

@Jorge_Magallon Год назад

Your ‘political soapbox’ was very interesting and a necessary clear look at some of the issues.

@budapest1002 Год назад

The worst part is about his soap box is how right he is. Past initial cost which only is really an issue for some makes not all or even a majority, having a hybrid of any kind for the most part saves money, people put politics and/or enthusiasm over saving money sometimes

@74ace468 Год назад

Alex for president!

@gordonschiff3621 Год назад

@@budapest1002 It only saves money if you need a new car. It is generally cheaper to keep a car that is paid for vs. buying a new car. The possible exception being a business that has extremely high mileage.

@budapest1002 Год назад

@@gordonschiff3621 To your point that is accurate and I’ll admit I was being a tad anecdotal. As a lot of the people in my town by new cars pretty often but always big has guzzling vehicles that legit mostly carry around air, but ten yet complain about gas prices when a used or new Prius, Maverick (if you can find) or many of the other affordable hybrid cars in existence would more than suffice for them. And for some of the patrons I get to know and talk to they talk about spending more money on upkeep of the old vehicle + fuel cost vs if they had a hybrid.

@heinuchung8680 Год назад

@@budapest1002 Tahoe versus a Prius in an accident =Tahoe wins lol

@paulgoudfrooij6561 Год назад

We were indeed looking for the PHEV a little while ago, then found out the closest dealer who had one available was hundreds of miles away. We ended up with the EV for which we found a great deal - a 2022 model with only 160 miles on the odometer priced $12,000 below new price! We love how it drives, and it gets about 4 miles/kWh on average.

@larryaugsburger8452 Год назад

It’s so refreshing to hear phev reasoning that matches mine. It’s simply the best option if you don’t want to spend a ton of time at charging on long trips, and if most short trips fall within battery range. It is exhausting to keep hearing how I’m an idiot if I don’t want to spend $50K on a BEV that’s only practical within a 100 mile radius.

@stevelovescars Год назад

I had a first generation Volt and live in a small town in MI. I fit your use case perfectly. I basically filled the gas tank twice in a year because most of my trips were around town running errands and transporting the kids where I ran essentially all electric. Colder winter weather reduced my EV range and also used the gas engine for heat, accounting for my gasoline use. Oh, and for comparison, our electric cost here is $0.09/kWh, making the cost analysis a lot more favorable than Alex’s calculations using PG&E. In areas like this where the nearest city is 2 hours away and public charging is still fairly sparse, a PHEV makes sense. I can run essentially all electric most of the time but can just hop on the freeway and drive efficiently for longer trips. The investment is lower, too.

@grahamstefaan Год назад

Except a HEV will be thousands cheaper to buy and get nearly the same fueling costs. Unless gas goes above $6 and electricity stays the same. HEV is the cheapskate answer.

@larryaugsburger8452 Год назад

@@grahamstefaan True, but I think on this car the phev is a little quicker., so you get something for the extra money besides altruism.

@grahamstefaan Год назад

@Larry Augsburger no one this concerned with mpg cares about 0-60. This is one mistake of new Prius. 2023 HEV Prius should have hit 60mpg but they added too much power. Prime prius only 0.4 sec quicker.

@larryaugsburger8452 Год назад

@@grahamstefaan I do, within limits. Anything longer than 8-9 seconds is dangerous when speed limits are 75 and people regularly exceed that.

@johnnyk6906 Год назад

I love my 2019 HEV Niro Touring. awesome MPG and utility design is perfect for commuting, outdoor activities, road trips and etc. HK system is nice for it's price range and everything works perfectly. with a hitch, I can haul small trailer for those home depot and trash runs. during road trip, roof cargo box and hitch rack will greatly extend the capacity. can't ask for better a commuting vehicle and it's rock solid reliable to boot.

@KPHVAC Год назад

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids make a lot of sense. Especially if you are only going to have 1 vehicle. I really wish the RAV4 Prime was easier to get!

@normt430 Год назад

There has always been 200-300 new/used R4P's for sale since they came out and there was no more mark up. Today their are over 500 for sale on Autotrader.

@KPHVAC Год назад

@@normt430 Everything I've seen has a huge markup. Some of the used RAV4 Primes are listed for over $60,000. I should try to find a dealer willing to sell a new one at MSRP.

@normt430 Год назад

@@KPHVAC why do prospective Toyota owners think they need to spend $60K on a Prime which is what the Lexus NX 450+ costs! That's Lexus money! Should just look at an EV instead.

@KPHVAC Год назад

@@normt430 I wouldn't spend that much on a Prime but some people must be. It's common for me to drive 400 to 500 miles in a day for a weekend trip. I only want to have 1 vehicle so I'd rather go hybrid than all electric.

@normt430 Год назад

@@KPHVAC yes, hybrid is the best for rhat distance. Especially if you are going up and down hills or mountains where hybrid can charge the battery some. For the flat lands I'd get a turbo-4 if you don't speed much or your economy will drop. Turbochargers like low and constant rpms.

@irfanhusein1445 Год назад

I agree. The Niro hybrid is a better option than a pure electric for most people in single vehicle households. I own a Tesla model 3 and a Mach E, but rather than buy an electric vehicle for my daughter I got her the Niro hybrid. The fact that she lives in an apartment without a charging port was one of the reasons why.

@michaelmorrow6499 Год назад

Many thanks for this timely review. Nice not to have to wait another 3 to 6 months for a Consumer Report's review! In Canada, of note, this PHEV now gets a C$5,000 Federal grant because of its slightly better EV only range (it was C$2,500 for the 2022 and 2021 models) plus certain provionces such as Quebec and B.C. (but not Ontario) have additional grants.

@ilyashick3178 Год назад

2023 Niro HYBRID PLUG IN tax break is about $4300 in US

@KenHiroshi627 Год назад

car companies need to make a ton more PHEV's. I dont know why this isnt talked about more...

@anydaynow01 Год назад

PHEVs with decent ranges like ~80-100 km. I think the biggest reason is the writing is on the wall for the BEVs. GM saw this with the Voltec system it developed for the gen 2 Volt. They were planning on using the tech on their product line to pay for the development but people never bought them since they were so ahead of their time, and GM did an abysmal job advertising them properly. Either folks bought the Bolt or they didn't want a hybrid (mostly drawn across political lines). Now one will be lucky to find a Volt going for a decent price there is such a high demand for them on the used market now that folks know about them and just how capable they are if you have a place to charge at home or work.

@uni4rm Год назад

Not enough profit margins if they price low, and not enough people buy them if they price high.

@alwaysawn9110 Год назад

I really like the comparison of fuel cost to electric cost at the beginning, stay on your soap box those segments of your video’s are always the most helpful. I just can’t justify this car given Kia’s resale vale drop compared to Toyota.

@harryaxe8153 Год назад

The best idea you have ever had, Alex! And by the way, the reason that the BZX has no glove box, is some models have a heat blanket attached just below where the glove box would be to keep the front passengers' legs warm!

@ubacow7109 Год назад

Phevs are so underrated. Esp for American markets where people complain about range concerns. EVs are the future but imo Phevs will be like the trucks today to cars. Phevs still have a place in society and will likely be around for at least another 20-30 years at least. Even when EV hits the solid stage age, Phevs can continue to operate as a utilitarian technology.

@mark_u Год назад

Really interesting to see how this compares with the upcoming Prius Prime.

@normt430 Год назад

This is a CUV and competes with RAV4 and is more uselfull than Prius hatch. At 15:00 he says the Prius is smaller while sitting in thr back seat and also about cargo space.

@mark_u Год назад

@@normt430 Alex did say that the Prius is the closest competitor to the Niro and while the Kia definitely has the edge in practicality, the Prime has not yet been tested for fuel economy, range, performance.

@normt430 Год назад

@@mark_u Toyota will just nueter the power it to get mpg title. That won't work for some as the power did increase for the latest one.

@dretech Год назад

I used to own 2019 Niro PHEV and I love that car dearly, it's very practical and roomy - I was able to fit the largest above the ground pool that Costco sells in the summer - Costco guys who helped me with loading was in disbelief! Based on what Alex said, this next gen Niro PHEV has improved so many things such as the jerky dual clutch, lack of power etc. Also, the better fuel rating and look would definitely help sell this new Niro PHEV and don't let the lack of Federal Tax credit steers you away from this car, because I don't think there is any PHEV qualifies at this time, please correct me if I'm wrong. Great review, Alex...you nailed it once again!

@drgturbo Год назад

The Escape PHEV and Corsair PHEV qualify plus a few other premium brand vehicles.

@heinuchung8680 Год назад

Do you still have the car?

@drehahaha Год назад

@@heinuchung8680 No, sadly.

@barrymccormick8827 Год назад

I bought the 2023 PHEV Niro. EX. It’s a waste of money for the SX. I have the winter pack with steering wheel heating and back seat heating. In winter combined from Jersey City to Maryland I got an average of 51.6mpg. One thing all reviews keep saying is only the SX gets Highway Driver Assist- Rubbish the EX in the USA gets it as well.. so the car drives itself on the freeway. Amazing tech … love it.

@pendeltonthecook Год назад

Now, if they actually sell this one outside of a few states, that would help.

@ALMX5DP Год назад

Are dealers not willing to do a dealer trade to get one in, even if it's not typically sold in whatever particular state? Or maybe just easy to try online purchasing and having it shipped.

@webcomment8895 Год назад

Kia is known to build PHEVs in trivially small numbers. It might just as hard to find one available as it is to get a RAV4 Prime. Maybe worse. Token compliance car.

@alliejr Год назад

If you live in a state that doesn’t offer it… VOTE!!! It’s the fault of your own state’s government, not Kia.

@pendeltonthecook Год назад

@@alliejr We sell ford and mitsubishi PHEVs, Volvo too. This is a kia/hyundai problem.

@AAutoBuyersGuide Год назад

The Niro PHEV is available in all 50 states. If your dealer isn't stocking them they can order one. Dealers get to chose to carry them or not but pretty much all of them will order one for you if you want.

@93455Driver Год назад

Great level of detail as usual! Hope all is okay with the crazy weather over there.

@garyclark6747 Год назад

Practical analysis and comparisons. 👍🏼 Brilliant‼️ The most inefficient hybrid is getting the tax break.🤦🏻‍♂️

@kyrosmike Год назад

38% of all electricity in united states is natural gas, my neighbor has a booster pump on his gas line to fill his CNG Civic GX. I always thought that an interesting option. I have Rav4 Prime myself. I used the 1500w inverter to power my fridge and 2nd freezer for 1/2 a day due to SoCal rains blew a transformer near me. Its about $1.30 cheaper (ish) compared to gasoline per gallon.

@alliejr Год назад

Perhaps… but what is more likely to change quickly and scalably: 100 million vehicles or 1 thousand power plants?

@anydaynow01 Год назад

Yep the PHEV with a decent EV range and home/work charging is the best of both worlds. Battery for almost all of the average person's daily driving needs and a reliable gas backup for those longer days out in town and road trips without having to worry about the charging network working, The best part is due to the hybrid mode the ICE is very understressed and lasts a lot longer than a traditional ICE. By the end of the decade when battery factories and mines are running full tilt and the charging networks have the kinks worked out then a BEV for everyone will make more sense. Otherwise there is no reason to hoard batteries when there are waiting lists years long for people to get into a BEV with insane battery sizes they will almost never use.

@BevmoBevmo Год назад

Great content comparing the EV PHEV and HEV fuel costs at the high rates in California it’s convinced me the HEV is my next car…

@gazzyT644 Год назад

Just drove 33 miles to work (90% highway) and got 59mpg.

@danhall3450 Год назад

A hatchback / wagon format fan like the competition is Ford Escape PHEV and Mitsu Outlander PHEV. I have a 2019 Niro PHEV. Great city car, pretty good on highway as well but a bit noise. Interesting that cockpit has very open feeling, actually feels larger that front seat are of our 22 Outback. I'm Very happy with the Niro's utility, comfort, tech, and its 145 mpge mileage over 18,000 miles and two minor visits to the dealer. I like the 2023, but still satisfied enough with my 2019 that I'm sticking with it for the foreseeable future.

@Qrail Год назад

Thanks for the review, Alex, hope the bad weather finds you in a safe location with extra chain saws handy. This Kia Niro PHEV, is close, but still slightly behind my Ford Energi Fusion. Based on your reports, it’s not yet trade in time. I’m averaging 52.7 mpg over 2200 miles, and 57.6 for the last 440 miles. The Ford cost less, & gets better economy.

@kolt9051 Год назад

and, imo, it looks better too. I wish ford still made that...

@Dryloch Год назад

The trunk space reduction on the Energi is ridiculous.

@ebikeupgrades 11 месяцев назад

excellent detailed review...so happy to bump into your channel. Best I've seen. Completely fluid and information dense. I'm considering this plugin as our next car here in Vermont. My Carola has been virtually bullit proof for the last 230,000 miles, I just don't know if a KIA will last me 10 years... is that even in the cards for this brand. I really hope so. Thanks!

@melissamybubbles6139 Год назад

Thank you for this review. My parents are talking about getting a PHEV whenever one of their cars dies.

@umangbhatt9532 Год назад

I am a Lifetime Subscriber of this channel only because of the content. Thanks, Alex for the efforts 🍻

@4QWzbaxSzUAq9 Год назад

love the big-picture overview !! I can't get enough of the big-picture stuff well done!

@tjs114 Год назад

Just to clarify, PG&E does not offer the option to use 'exclusively renewable energy' in all areas. Here in the San Joaquin Valley we receive no such option. That said, a lot of our power comes from South San Joaquin Irrigation District's hydroelectric plants.

@KalleSWBeck Год назад

I’m also on PG&E down in Monterey with the 100% renewable plan on the EV1 plan I pay 16 cents per kWh off peak

@AAutoBuyersGuide Год назад

The issue with 100% renewables in a way is: if you want to be the greenest, off peak is a bad time to charge :-)

@david2284180 Год назад

Alex, I love the amount of information you pack into your videos. When do you inhale?

@rightlanehog3151 Год назад

I think all the breathing is edited out.

@connerthecat4758 Год назад

I recently picked up a Plugin Hybrid (Lexus NX 450h+ in November) and I honestly think they are the best of both worlds. If we could get the electric range up to the 80-100 mile I think it would be the perfect car: Only ever using gas for long distance driving.

@enockheewonyoon1001 Год назад

What hesitates me is the fact that when PHEV is driven only using an electic motor, we are using a fraction of its full power to drive it around. I don't like the feeling of me driving a 100hp car but paid more than 50k...

@centauri0 Год назад

@@enockheewonyoon1001 Its actually just the opposite of what you are saying. If you want greater horsepower get the PHEV. Its not like the engine can't kick on and give you all the power you want at anytime in EV mode. You really should try out a Rav 4 Prime. Crazy fast.

@L3x4Pr0ne Год назад

@@centauri0 there is no where to try them out, though :(

@GrantWorksinProgress Год назад

Very thorough video - thank you (you answered a lot of my questions about this car!)

@WSC97 Год назад

Thanks for taking the time to make this video, Kudos!

@paul8699 Год назад

18:10 I'd watch a suspension video that details all the note-able setups.

@stevet6676 Год назад

Fantastic review, thanks!

@stannovacki2406 Год назад

Agree 100% w/ Alex. my Ford C-Max Energi saves me all kinds of money on gas. I use about 60 cents of electricity most days, driving to work in EV mode with maybe a grocery-store detour on the way home. only time I use the ICE is weekends, when I do all my hither-and-yon errands, at 42+ mpg. at 9 yrs old Gremlin is getting a bit long in the tooth (and short on KWh). In a year or so I'll either be shopping for a replacement HV battery pack or a new vehicle. I hope the former is practical, as the ICE portion of the car has barely 15k miles on it. PHEVs make the most sense. I don't know if it's ignorance, stupidity, or vanity that keeps people from buying them (and manufacturers from making them). such an obvious solution that no one aside from Alex,Technology Connections, and a few others are explaining. I guess no one is listening over the roar of the EV fanboiz lamenting about the lack of free DCFC stations.

@RexFlashMinistries Год назад

Outstanding reporting! We need a second vehicle and I was going to buy a Kia Niro EV, but now you have me seriously considering the PHEV. Thanks and keep up the excellent work.

@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270 Год назад

Hello from France where I have owned an e-Niro as we call them in Europe for coming up 4 years. I looked at the hybrid and PHEV but the EV is simply a better drive, quicker and smoother. Of course petrol is a lot more expensive here than in the USA but if you can charge at home overnight I am sure you can get a good deal..Even with the war in Ukraine causing massive price hikes across Europe I know that in the UK you can get £0.075/kWh (7pence) overnight. Last year I did 20,000 km, so around 12,000 miles. I spent €352 on public charging and my home charging was more than covered by the solar on my roof. Even if I had to pay for my home electricity it would have been no more than €200...In the hybrid at 50 mpg I would have spent around €1,500...it’s an easy decision. Not to mention the savings with servicing the car. I did my 75,000 km service yesterday in fact €71...with the hybrid that would have been more like €200. PHEV is an interim tech and it makes no sense to be hauling around a big engine and all that gubbins when you’re in EV mode and the reverse when in ICE mode. The reviewer mentions worries about battery life....forget it!...An EV battery like mine will be good for 300,000 km or more before I see any degradation...about 15 years of average driving.

@anydaynow01 Год назад

Yep all his points were why I picked up a Gen2 Volt. I might put two tanks of gas through it a year from roadtrips, the rest of the time I'm running about 90% of the time on the battery. If you have a place to charge at night or work and have a reasonable commute there's no reason to hoard batteries with a full EV that will almost never be used on a daily basis.

@ilyashick3178 Год назад

After IAN is Florida it is better choice just PHEV for 100 miles per gallon or 500 miles for full tank.

@guillermog40 Год назад

Agree, plug-in hybrids are the answer for personal transportation, and as sociaty we should make the effort to transition to green hydrogen as soon as possible!

@Spad68 Год назад

We are at a cross road . It's between the Niro or the Escape. Both are about the same price . The escape gets more battery rang.

@zodiacfml Год назад

thanks for mentioning about the KIA EV, makes the comparison much more comparable than other brands/model. Niro EV wins for me.

@devinlewis9409 Год назад

So excited to see this. I’ve been considering the new Niro PHEV so I’m glad to hear more about it

@rustyshackleford00 Год назад

Hope to see a Prius & Niro Hybrid comparison.

@r5LgxTbQ Год назад

very similar to my C-Max Energi, PHEV life is pretty good. I do think something more like 50 miles (like the Volt) is the sweet spot though

@anydaynow01 Год назад

Yep especially in the winter, but when it gets properly cold the Volt ICE kicks into idle mode to keep the cabin warm and help out the EV system until the battery comes up to temperature. I'm really surprised by the programing the GM engineers did with a PHEV design that's almost 8 years old (gen 2) they really did think of just about everything and the batteries/management system are quite good. I have a tick over 100k km on my EV drive system / battery and I still have >95% capacity. With today's battery tech there is no reason a PHEV can't hit that 80-100 km of range easy. Enough battery capacity to make it around town on a long day and not so much that I'm carrying around batteries I will never use so someone else can have an EV to decarbonize 90% of their driving needs.

@Ntmoffi Год назад

@@anydaynow01 I have an 18' Volt and I love my car. Great ev range and fuel mileage. Bought it in 2021 when interest rates were still low and before the fuel price mania. I too think new PHEV's could come out with higher EV ranges based off today's tech. None of the new ones seem to be getting anywhere north of 40 EV miles. That doesn't make much sense to me. Perfect car would be hub motor AWD, 100 miles EV range, and 45+ MPG. Hopefully something like that will come out this decade.

@ELPJM09 Год назад

I trust Toyota hybrids more than any Korean car manufacturer. Toyota has more experience in that department. The new 2023 Prius has a combined EV and Hybrid powertrain which I’m sure will be more practical.

@tontonn9995 Год назад

I was able to squeeze 1700 miles out of one tank of gas in my 2016 BMW X5 hybrid 4.0. 20 mile commute one way and charge at work and at home.

@edwardrick7388 Год назад

I really wanted this car as a practical compromise but it wasn't out yet, and a bit to pricy, so I got a used 2019 model for a decent price, considering the state of the used car market.

@matthewhuszarik4173 Год назад

My solar system from Tesla makes about 7500kwh a year and cost with a single Power Wall $17,500. If I amortize that over 20 years that is only about $0.13/kwh. I am assuming a decline of production to 80% of capacity over 20 years. So far I have seen no significant decline in production. Presently I sell about half of the power I produce back to PG&E. I got the extra capacity with the intention of charging a BEV or PHEV.

@LukeO-1234 Год назад

This is something I would totally buy! I've always loved the idea of plug-in hybrids!

@laloajuria4678 Год назад

to have the worst of both worlds....

@Pershing300 Год назад

@@laloajuria4678 Not if it's used properly. It fits some people's use cases.

@anydaynow01 Год назад

@@laloajuria4678 Nice political statement but properly designed they are the best of both worlds. Right now batteries can't be made fast enough to keep up with demand so waiting lists are years long for a BEV. A PHEV with a decent daily driving range and user selective EV mode (use hybrid mode for highway driving, EV for city/stop and go) will use less than a quarter of the battery size and have an ICE that is understressed and lasts much longer than in a pure ICE car since it is run so infrequently and the electric drivetrain takes most of the acceleration stress from the ICE (good PHEVs are programed to keep engine seals healthy and keep track of average fuel age), so it makes perfect sense for people who have a place to charge at home or work. Maybe in a few years when manufacturing picks up and public charging is ubiquitous and reliable it will make more sense for everyone to hoard batteries they will almost never use on a daily basis with a BEV. Right now BEVs should be reserved for apartment dwellers who can't charge at work and people with really long commutes or taxi services.

@aca2983 8 месяцев назад

Yeah this makes a lot better use case for me than a Prius. Better rear cargo capability and access, and upright driving position I prefer. I want to like the Prius, but I suspected it was too low, both floor and roof, and I've seem them in person now and that is certainly the case. These are almost like an 11/10ths sized VW Golf, which is just fine for me.

@aredink29 Год назад

I rented high top version Nero in Korea Jeju island. It was so comfortable. I was told kia only sell the version to rental and taxi industry... Shame. I would buy it most def

@bigleeroytruckenstien4480 3 месяца назад

Excellent comparison on ev vs phev vs hybrid vs ice

@kevinhenry177 Год назад

I would definitely take the 2023 Kia Niro , over the 2023 Toyota Prius. One of the main reasons is anyone over 6 feet tall is going to be impacted in the Toyota Prius front seat and also the backseat. There already have been comments about this in test drives in the 2023 Toyota Prius, you will be looking out the very top of the windshield and through the visor if you are over 6 feet tall, also the rear headroom Is dramatically reduced because of the roofline of the new 2023 Toyota Prius.

@rightlanehog3151 Год назад

Toyota needs to put that Prius drivetrain in a sensible car.

@RennieAsh Год назад

@@rightlanehog3151 The Prius seems to be somewhat of a test car for hybrid stuff. You get a bunch of new tech in it first, before it makes its way into other cars.

@rightlanehog3151 Год назад

@@RennieAsh Like a Prius v?

@CuriousGeorge1111 Год назад

An appealing and very efficient compact SUV, except for the lack of an AWD option.

@Dan-xm1og Год назад

I am currently cross-shopping the Escape PHEV with this Niro. I am a former owner of a '19 Niro PHEV, and currently drive a Bolt EUV. My electricity is almost 1/3 of yours (11 cents), so the PHEV is far less expensive to run than a hybrid or ICE. Why the Escape? First, the federal tax credit. It's also a bit larger (that's a plus for me, a minus for others). The Escape has a more powerful EV motor, and a larger battery for longer range. The Escape PHEV also has a PTC heater to heat the cabin without the ICE. Yes, the Niro PHEV has it as an option on the Touring trims, but the larger battery of the Escape means my commute can likely be completed round trip just in EV mode, even with heat on. Also, the Escape has an EV Now mode, which completely keeps the ICE off, even at full throttle. It's closer to an EV with range extender than "just" a PHEV.

@lordred8017 Год назад

Will the brake light go ON if you're using full on active Regen braking with one pedal driving? Or will they go ON only if you press your foot on the brakes?

@AAutoBuyersGuide Год назад

When you exceed a certain G threshold of braking it will turn on without your foot on the brake,

@rickhamilton620 Год назад

Would love a deeper dive into the new Prius suspension - Toyota still says it's a multi-link setup and IIRC one of the big deals with the last gen was the IRS vs the torsion beam of old.

@chrisw443 Год назад

Electricity where I am at in washington is like a nickel a kwh at night time, and 11 cents in the daytime. So.......... You'd be insane to ever buy a gas only car again, and with the full EV/PHEV , you have less macitence costs as well. You folks have insanely expensive electricity, also if you level 2 charge at work or at a nearby charger, level 2 chargers where I am and in most places are free or like a dollar to park. You show the most expensive situation for charging, kinda in the country, and I like that, it still shows how dirt cheap EV's are.

@RennieAsh Год назад

The moments of "no power" in autos can be annoying, especially if they then lurch forwards because it's refusing to downshift, but is going nowhere due to too high a gear, but finally downshifts after you press the throttle more. Might not happen the same with a DCT. But I prefer my accelerator to have instant throttle response as such

@freddenstman8773 Год назад

How much extra maintenance for the dual clutch tranny? I know for Audi it’s very expensive to do routine transmission fluid changes

@haze1123 Год назад

Great overview!

@nc3826 Год назад

"Plug-in Hybrids Make More Sense Than Most BEVs" I love listening to you preach, the gospel of Alex ;) But with most channels on RU-vid just being clickbait BS, It is still a thousand times better, So thanks...

@firefalcoln Год назад

As a plug-in hybrid driver I really appreciate that chart you showed of gallons of gas consumer for each vehicle type. I think a lot of people don’t realize that plug in hybrids are closer to full EVs than regular hybrids. Even if you have decent commute length. If you have a short commute like me, it’s pretty much a full EV except for when I got on overnight vacation trips far away. They also can be very cheap to own if, like me, you have access to free chargers at work or other places near your house where you regularly go.

@intellybit 9 месяцев назад

Get solar

@centauri0 Год назад

Great car but I'm still afraid to purchase anything from Kia or Hyundai with all of their engine issues. I am thinking about upgrading my Ford Cmax PHEV soon. A shifting car while in EV mode sounds so weird.

@BlueAlgon Год назад

Sounds good. Also, what a beautiful nature!

@wolfeb99 Год назад

I hope you made it through the storms unscathed.

@erichannes6392 Год назад

My 2015 Chevy Volt gets 2,500 miles per 9.3 gallon full tank. My wife last filled up in early August 2022. She drives it every day.

@kellydavis914 Год назад

I bought a Ford escape PHEV in December and will get the tax credit when I complete my taxes this year. Never had a smoother ride. Incredible mileage in town. 120 MPG at least.

@senthilak8446 Год назад

here its 3 ~ 4 months wait with 4K markup value to get a new niro. I though ypu will show the interior dashboard also. Also the EV range has any restriction while driving, like if go above 45 mph then it will kick start the engine?

@chrishenscheid9334 Год назад

Cross shopping with the Escape PHEV. Would love a comparison video. Or just a review of the 2023 Escape PHEV.

@NicholasTranscends Год назад

Cereal hybrid by General Mills..shockingly delicious.😊

@Quantum369Mechanic Год назад

Yes. I agree! But if every household was given or bought an EV vehicle and charged them overnight….would the load be greater then our power grid could handle?

@anydaynow01 Год назад

Depends on the chargers. I charge my gen 2 Volt using 120VAC 8A most of the time (battery life concerns, charge speed and powering the active battery temperature management) which is like putting a typical space heater on medium. I do have a 240VAC 40A charger I use when I need to head back out quickly or a friend comes over. Considering how much people actually need to charge on a daily basis (active charge times), even using the high power charger it would only be equivalent to everyone deciding they wanted to use their clothes dryer at the same time for a couple hours in a neighborhood.

@dawillis23 Год назад

105 million households in the US, 2kwh for each level 1 charger (that's plug-in hybrid, full BEVs level 2 charging would be higher, which I think are typically 240VAC 40A for approximately 8-9kwh). That would be 210 gigawatt-hours if everyone charged at the same time. Now, not everyone's getting home for the day at the same time in the country, so let's look at California: California has approximately 10 million households, so it would be 21 gigawatt-hours. Someone should double-check my math. All that to say, yes, the grid would be overloaded. It's going to have to scale with the increase of electric powered equipment. Time will tell if the grid is scaling at a pace that will keep up with adoption of electric powered equipment (home heat pumps, instant water heaters, PHEVs/BEVs, induction stoves, ovens, etc.). Isn't California suffering rolling blackouts during the summer months now, without introducing any new loads?

@nc3826 Год назад

How about the Ford Escape Hybrid plugin? Which is currently getting the tax credit...

@dickthompson8018 Год назад

We have the Ford Escape PHEV, we find the drive train very smooth, 37+ EV range, 40+ mpg in hybrid, and Tax credit.

@fredblassie3212 29 дней назад

superb breakdown...thanks.

@phillipcarroll6625 Год назад

I just bought a 2023 Niro Hybrid. I thought I was going to be concerned with its lack of power, but to my surprise, I'm perfectly OK with it. I love the car. I'm sure the extra umph from the PHEV is nice as well.

@gazzyT644 Год назад

Same, purchased a HEV because I couldn't justify $5k extra for the plug.

@timdsd Год назад

Alex, in your test, you did 0-60 in 7.2 seconds. But when comparing the Niro PHEV to the Prius Prime at the 25:12 point in the video, you said the Niro PHEV does "9 seconds, 9 and a half seconds". I assume the 7.2 seconds figure is the correct figure for the Niro PHEV.

@AAutoBuyersGuide Год назад

Sorry. 7.2 is correct. 9.4 was the initial Kia estimate but uit turns out to be much faster than epected.

@mglmouser Год назад

You also need to factor in brake and engine maintenance on hybrids.

@normt430 Год назад

With regen braking who uses the brakes much?

@ktpinnacle Год назад

As desirable as this is, for a small vehicle in an urban setting I'd still go with the Soul for the money.

@ianollmann9393 Год назад

Where these analyses go wrong is considering the lifespan of the traction battery. Typically batteries last 1-2000 charge cycles. A charge cycle is enough electricity to recharge the battery from 0-100% charge. If we have a 250 mi range battery, then we may expect the battery to last 250-500,000 miles. If your PHEV battery is enough to go 35 miles, then we expect it to last 35,000 - 70,000 electric miles. So, while it may be efficient for the first owner, at some point that battery will fail, and now we just have a regular gas vehicle with an extra 1000 lbs of useless equipment weighing it down. PHEVs are a time bomb waiting to go off. If you want an EV, just get an EV, preferably with a range of 250mi or more.

@Ichibuns Год назад

A plug in makes way more sense for most folk. For plug in owners, it might be worthwhile to use ethanol free fuel. If you're sitting on the same tank of e10 for a few months, you're asking for clogged injectors.

@SkaBob Год назад

We had the 2022 Niro PHEV, in the summer it was over 1000 miles per tank or 115mpg because we could drive in EV mode with zero gas on some trips. But in the winter it dropped by half to 450-550 miles per tank because it ran the gas motor all the time for heat. Now we have a Ioniq 5 and gave up gas mostly, still have a subau baja turbo as well.

@etbadaboum Год назад

Great review, but no interior description though!

@puddleglum5610 Год назад

I wish they would’ve continued the Ioniq Plug In Hybrid!! This new drivetrain on the Ioniq PHEV would’ve been awesome!

@Snerdles Год назад

For people in Canada, if this becomes available, this should qualify for the full 5k rebate for the federal and some of the provincial plans too. In some cases that may make the PHEV actually cheaper than the HEV since the HEV will not get the rebates.

@rightlanehog3151 Год назад

Yes, our government will be happy to help you buy a car from a company that does ZERO manufacturing within our borders. I wonder if South Korea provides incentives for their citizens buy cars made in Canada.

@Elricky124 Год назад

What’s a good Evse with the higher charging rate so I can charge this car is 3 hours instead of 8? I want something closer to $300 if possible or less

@chuckwalla2967 Год назад

As someone who likes to sit upright, those obnoxious headrests are a deal breaker. Can't even flip them around due to the design.

@99Tonygm 10 месяцев назад

The thumbnail for this video states 2,500 miles per tank. I watched the whole thing and could not see anywhere where this was explained. Could anyone confirm this please?

@L3x4Pr0ne Год назад

Great car. I drove the HEV Niro just the other day and the thing just made me happy to sit in and drive. Not the fastest in the world, but a great commuter. Great interface, tech, and loved the space inside. Felt open and airy. I'm trying to decide between the HEV and PHEV Niro and Prius/Prime. I really just want a new commuter with all the bells and whistles, which gets great gas mileage. All four will likely serve well...but i'm concerned about KIA's reliability long term. I want this thing for at least 10 years. This is funkier and I like the design much better but Toyota is reliable, has AWD for the non-prime, and the prime will get longer range than them all. sigh...such decisions

@juty-p1w Год назад

The Niro really is competitive, the base trim doesn't feel base. My dad has a 2018 PHEV Niro and he hasn't had any problems so far. I personally have a 2021 RAV4 Prime and the Niro looks like it's from the future compared to it. Especially with the Kia app being able to locate the car and track it's charging status. The Toyota app on the other hand only tracks the phone (kinda silly isn't it?) and doesn't track the charge status.

@tmanepic Год назад

Don't all Kias have a 10 year warranty?

@juty-p1w Год назад

@@tmanepic all new kias and hyundais.

@alliejr Год назад

@@juty-p1wYes. I was SHOCKED (in a bad way) sitting inside a friend’s mid-trim RAV4 Prime. Basic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Cheap is more appropriate.

@synewparadigm Год назад

I am am currently at the same position and would like to know what have you bought? Thanks in advance.

@kenoday7562 Год назад

Kia and Hyundai are adding big bucks to the MSRP here in NM.

@davidjohnson7633 Год назад

The electric heater is a huge upgrade! My Kia Optima PHEV does not have that turning it into a simple hybrid 4 to 5 months a year. Does Kia have an electric heater option for it her models?

@shipshape12 Год назад

Thank you Alex! Can you do some research on what takes so long for autos to leave the port of Philadelphia once it arrives. Mine has been sitting for a month and a half and can get no answers from Kia.

@synewparadigm Год назад

Union job security?

@ApoJake13 Год назад

I just came across your video as I was looking into different options for my next vehicle. I just wanted to say that out of all the videos I've watched, yours is top notch! The info you provide is exactly what I'm looking for and the graphics you provide are great. Thank you for doing what you do! You have a new sub from me!

@jred201 Год назад

Alex, does this have regenerative breaking like EVs? Maybe I missed it in your video.

@sdavis3398 Год назад

Alex: Thanks for doing the calculations and I think you're doing an important service. I work on this stuff with the government a great deal. We should try and set up a talk. You're getting a few things wrong and we need to clean them up: 1. Most people will drive less than 30 miles/day and can therefore get all their e-fuel in on a 'super off-peak' rate from utilities. SDG&E super off-peak rate is under 9 cents. 2. Residential solar (fully ammortized) is WAAAAAAY less than $.028/kWh. These days less than $.07/kWh. 3. We're headed toward grid-integrated smart charging using communications standards which will enable intelligent, dynamic rates for grid integration. That will enable incentives to be delivered to EVs in real time that they can 'react' to with no user intervention. That standard is called ISO 15118 and also supports reverse power transfer. This isn't about politics, you are right. It's about a the massive virtual and permanent after-tax cost reduction of vehicle fuel that EVs enable.