Kia Niro EV - new owner in the U.S.

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TandM said:
We didn't have the windows down so we aren't positive on the direction. I am not overly concerned as it is a new vehicle and we experience different noises with both the Leaf and Fusion Hybrid when we got them and both seemed to settle after a little driving. It's definitely something I will keep an eye... or should that be ear on.


Yes, UVO got connected at the dealership. We still haven't gotten the trial Sirius subscription to work though.
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I'm not concerned about it as well, anything that comes up is under warranty, was just wondering if you had the same sound as I used to be an EV virgin.
My vin still says not valie for UVO...wtf. I got my code for Sirius yesterday.
 
Can you even negotiate on a hot product like this?I saved $285 because they wrote down the wrong number
Was on the highway today and there was a fast supra who blazed away. I put it in sport and caught up to him. The handling, suspension and performance make this feel like a little rocket. It is labeled as a wagon as well, I don't consider this a crossover or SUV.
 
Mike L said:
Did you negotiate the purchase from Ohio, or do everything in person once you got to DC? If the former, what were the challenges of doing it long-distance? What went better and worse than expected?
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So, we canvassed the east coast electrified dealers that already had either PHEV or EV's and those that had a reasonable charging path back home. Emailing the dealers through their individual websites was pretty effective once we had spelled out EXACTLY what we were looking for, and what we were NOT interested in (i.e. PHEV, Gas, anything other than the Niro EV). Some dealers wrote/called back and indicated they weren't going to carry that model. Others indicated they were going to, but would put us on a list to contact us once they knew more about availability, numbers, and timelines.

We were ultimately able to provide the variety of dealers with the exact model specs we were looking for (and some things we would settle for -- like optional second/third choice colors) and the things we absolutely had to have (i.e. battery heater/winter package/heated everything for cold winters) based on the published US Features & Options that were announced in January. Once we were contacted by a dealer that had received stock and had confirmed our options choices, our sales rep texted pictures of what was going to be our car along with visible shots of the window sticker, and was great about answering questions via text messages and emails alike. Everyone was very courteous, friendly, helpful and no pressure, but basically asked us to confirm whether or not we wanted it. As it happened, it was exactly what we were looking for, given what was available on the US model options.

Pricing negotiation (even though we have Truecar and Costco Auto available, the Niro EV wasn't listed on any of their sites yet) didn't really happen and wasn't an option due to the tight window of opportunity and expected limited availability of these vehicles. It wasn't marked up like the west coast stories we had heard, so paying MSRP -- while not optimal or perhaps less than desirable -- all the same, it got us the car we wanted, and we knew it was ours.

Beyond making/confirming the vehicle selection, we were able to negotiate securing the vehicle via credit card deposit over the phone and we set up the pickup time. The dealer asked for scanned copies of our drivers licenses, and an insurance card (which I was able to get with the vehicle model and the VIN# the dealer provided) and we had to fill out their online credit application right on the dealer's web page. All in all, it was a pretty painless process -- and rather smooth. We didn't have a trade-in available, so it was a fairly straightforward transaction. We did have to go with the Kia financing option rather than bringing our own, but again -- we got the car we wanted. We can always refinance after 3 months with no early pre-payment fees. This may make some people cringe, however, in the end it is all up to you and how you feel about these things personally. For us, we were happy to be able to get exactly the car we wanted. :)

Hope this helps. Let us know if you have more questions?
 
Lektrons said:
I'm not concerned about it as well, anything that comes up is under warranty, was just wondering if you had the same sound as I used to be an EV virgin.
My vin still says not valie for UVO...wtf. I got my code for Sirius yesterday.
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Did you register through the owners portal? Which app are you using for the UVO or have you gotten to that point yet?
 
TandM said:
Hope this helps. Let us know if you have more questions?
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This was great! The Drive Electric Ohio FB page spotlighted your purchase, and got me thinking about looking into something similar (I'm in Cincinnati). I'm glad to know a bit about how a long-distance purchase like this could work.
 
I wonder if working with them online protected you from the markup that dealer now adds, or if you're timing was good. Herson's, the other dealer in Gaithersburg has no markup, at least for now . . .

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Herson's is selling at MSRP (I was there on Sunday) but hey add a "protection package" to all their cars, regardless of model. That package is $995.00. I am not sure if you can decline it. The other issue is that they have deposits on whatever they have coming in, at least the ex premium models. I ended up buying an ex premium, no deletions, at King Kia in Gaithersburg, MD. I used Kia financing as it had a $500.00 rebate and I am a repeat buyer at King so I didn't pay any markup. King is a good dealership. No pressure, pretty straight forward in dealing with the customer. I would recommend them. We bought another car there a year ago and were very satisfied with the deal. If you call there ask for Hugo. He was our sales rep on both cars and is a good guy. His number is 301-948-3333.
 
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Are there any plans to release this car nationwide? I am MI and have a volt but I am looking for full EV options when my lease is up next May.
 
Mike L said:
This was great! The Drive Electric Ohio FB page spotlighted your purchase, and got me thinking about looking into something similar (I'm in Cincinnati). I'm glad to know a bit about how a long-distance purchase like this could work.
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We are member of Drive Electric Columbus (one of the parts of Drive Electric Ohio) and made the rounds this weekend for Drive Electric Earth Day EVents (Green: Bexley on Saturday with DEC and Oakwood on Sunday with DED). Glad we could give you a bit more details on our purchase.

davidtm said:
I wonder if working with them online protected you from the markup that dealer now adds, or if you're timing was good. Herson's, the other dealer in Gaithersburg has no markup, at least for now . . .

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It may have had more to do with timing since we were working with them prior to the first one arriving on their lot. We talked to Herson's too, they just didn't start receiving vehicles until after we had already picked ours up.

phiswiz said:
Are there any plans to release this car nationwide? I am MI and have a volt but I am looking for full EV options when my lease is up next May.
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Not that I have heard of. It's listed as a limited release as of now but perhaps by next year the production numbers will be up and they will be releasing it more broadly.
 
A little follow up -- Just over 1750 miles in with our Niro EV and just over 2 weeks of ownership, still loving it.

Earlier this week, we made a 300ish mile round trip to our daughter's campus (one charging stop total) trip to help her pack her dorm room up for the year (she has a couple more days of exams but has her old car on campus and kept the bare minimum in her room which she will bring home with her). We were able to fit a mini fridge, 3 full under the bed totes, a full length mirror (with built in storage), a storage ottoman, TV (in the box), Keurig (in the box), 3 fully stuffed tote bags (the kind from IKEA), 1 filled duffle bag, an IKEA rolling cart (disassembled), several pieces of bedding (bed pillows, blankets, etc), and a few other little things. Of course, my husband and I both fit back in the front of the vehicle, LOL.

Even with it loaded and driving 70+mph on the highway for 90% of the drive we still got 4.1 mi/kWh average for the drive home (higher on the way there unloaded).

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TandM said:
A little follow up -- Just over 1750 miles in with our Niro EV and just over 2 weeks of ownership, still loving it.

Earlier this week, we made a 300ish mile round trip to our daughter's campus (one charging stop total) trip to help her pack her dorm room up for the year (she has a couple more days of exams but has her old car on campus and kept the bare minimum in her room which she will bring home with her). We were able to fit a mini fridge, 3 full under the bed totes, a full length mirror (with built in storage), a storage ottoman, TV (in the box), Keurig (in the box), 3 fully stuffed tote bags (the kind from IKEA), 1 filled duffle bag, an IKEA rolling cart (disassembled), several pieces of bedding (bed pillows, blankets, etc), and a few other little things. Of course, my husband and I both fit back in the front of the vehicle, LOL.

Even with it loaded and driving 70+mph on the highway for 90% of the drive we still got 4.1 mi/kWh average for the drive home (higher on the way there unloaded).

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That's pretty amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Did your charging stop happen to be an Electrify America station, or something else?
 
Domenick said:
That's pretty amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Did your charging stop happen to be an Electrify America station, or something else?
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Yes, it was at an Electrify America (Mansfield, Ohio) and I have used the Cambridge, Ohio unit three times now (that one makes for an adventure as there is only one unit really accessible for the Niro and it has only worked once).
 
Lektrons said:
The noise is not the electronic noise emitted by the car, I know about that, maybe it is coming from the regen brakes, ill try to record it.
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did you figure it out yet? mine is doing the same thing. It seems like it's coming from this circular canister that is mounted behind what looks like the ecu on the dirver's side under the hood. I'll try to take a picture of it later.
 
JasonG said:
Just wondering if you paid over retail for the car. I was on the list at a San Francisco area dealer for this exact car! I got the call that I could purchase one that was being delivered to California this last week However, they wanted $4000 over MSRP and didn't think that was a fair price for this car...Very disappointing for sure.
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I'm picking up a Niro EV EX Premium tomorrow. The dealer knocked $1,200 off of MSRP plus I'm getting a $9,100 credit on a 36 month Kia lease with a money factor of 0.00199. There is also a $7,900 credit offered on a 48 month lease and the lease deals are supposed to last through July 1, 2019.

There are still 8 Niro EVs at the Southwest Kia dealership in Round Rock, TX and the dealer discount would probably cover shipping to almost anywhere in the country. There are two more Niro EVs at the New Braunfels Kia Dealership but that dealership is not offering the dealer discount. The lease deal should be available for any Niro EV anywhere in the country.
 
Texas Niro EV said:
I'm picking up a Niro EV EX Premium tomorrow. The dealer knocked $1,200 off of MSRP plus I'm getting a $9,100 credit on a 36 month Kia lease with a money factor of 0.00199. There is also a $7,900 credit offered on a 48 month lease and the lease deals are supposed to last through July 1, 2019.

There are still 8 Niro EVs at the Southwest Kia dealership in Round Rock, TX and the dealer discount would probably cover shipping to almost anywhere in the country. There are two more Niro EVs at the New Braunfels Kia Dealership but that dealership is not offering the dealer discount. The lease deal should be available for any Niro EV anywhere in the country.
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So, is that like, $18,200 off? (Or am I not completely understanding the lease terms?) Also, what does that work out to in terms of money down and price per month over the 4-year lease?
 
Domenick said:
So, is that like, $18,200 off? (Or am I not completely understanding the lease terms?) Also, what does that work out to in terms of money down and price per month over the 4-year lease?
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It’s about $10,300 off MSRP for the 36 month lease or $9,100 off MSRP for the 48 month lease. The lease credit includes the federal tax credit and the Texas rebate reached its’ limit for EVs a couple of months ago. For both 36 and 48 month lease I’m looking at about $475 a month in payments but getting the EX Premium with the Launch Edition option.

I’m putting $4,000 down which will cover taxes, license, registration, etc.
 
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