Should I buy a 2022 EV Niro?

I have had a 2022 Niro EV since October 2021. I've taken it on several road trips on the east coast with no drama. I like the car a lot. It's the second EV I've owned, after a 2019 Chevy Bolt. (GM repurchased my Bolt late last summer after I had applied for a repurchase in the height of the battery-fire scare.)

To answer some of your questions:

1. There is no engine in an EV. There are no motor bearings of which I am aware. As far as I can tell from a search of the cars.com recall database, the Niro EV has never been recalled for any reason. Don't confuse the gasoline hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions of the Niro with the Niro EV. You may have heard about a recall on a Niro hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

2. Drive batteries in just about all EVs are somewhat low under the car. I have a lot of speed bumps in the neighborhoods around where I live. I slow down when I come to them, and thus, I have no worries about battery damage. I guess if you take a speed bump at 40+ mph, you might damage your battery. You might also be perceived as driving like a maniac in the parking lot or residential street where the speed bump is installed. I also have always avoided driving over curbs in every car I've ever owned. You could damage the battery if you drove carelessly, I guess, but I am not worried about battery damage.

3. Handling is great. I do not use Sport mode. I find that the car handles comfortably both in-town and on the interstate.

5. I have heard nothing at all about Kia fires. The Hyundai Kona EV had a recall based on some battery fires. To my knowledge, the Kia Niro uses a different supplier for its drive battery than the Kona EV did. I would not have moved from a Bolt EV to a Niro EV if I were concerned about battery fires. As I mentioned above, cars.com says that the Kia Niro EV has never been recalled for any reason.

I'm in the Washington, DC suburbs and, alas, can't help you with Bay Area dealers. I will just say that I love my Niro EV and plan to keep it for years and years.

 

Short answer: YES.

Long Answer:
I have a 2019 Niro EV EX Premium. I looked a several EV's, but loved the Niro for exactly what you said: "small, user friendly car with physical buttons and decent cargo space".
I don't need a giant screen glaring at me in a car.

1) I do have a low-speed clicking noise from the gearbox that came on after 10,000 miles, but it's barely noticeable and only at very low speed.
2) Never had any issues with battery bottoming out.
3) Handling is great, but the tires are the weak point when I hit the twisty country roads. I only use Sport Mode when I'm showing off the Electric Torque to a new passenger. Standard mode is plenty quick.
4) Don't limit yourself to local dealers. Most will deliver anywhere. I bought mine from the other side of the state (WA) and the delivery charge was minimal.
5) EV power train is totally different from the Hybrid/PHEV. I'm really impressed by the build quality of Kia. A couple of guys a work have other recent Kia models and they also look top notch.

 

I have the 2019...was and still is Consumer Reports choice for EVs. Handling is fantastic.
Suggestion on purchase. Use, for example, Costco Auto, for a discount quote. When I told the local dealer that I had the Costco quote and had been contacted by the Costco designated dealer, boy, howdy, they dropped their $ big time. If you approach the dealer at the end of the month/end of fiscal quarter, they may have an additional incentive to deal. Many get bonuses based on monthly/quarterly results.

 

I've owned a Kona EV rather than a Niro for nearly 4 years but I think I can provided accurate answers to some of your questions.
1. Myself and around 20 other Kona owners with one or two Niros have been chasing an issue for about 6 months which I think is triggering the noise problem. I won't going into the gory details here but the answer is actually simple. I believe your chances of incurring the noise can be significantly reduced or probably eliminated if you have an aftermarket magnetic plug fitted to the gear reducer pre-delivery, specifically the model we have vetted. It can be placed in the fill position to avoid having to disturb the oil. If you delay that you will need to include an oil change because the oil becomes polluted very quickly. It's not clear if this is fixed yet on the latest cars but I wouldn't hold my breath.
2. No reports that I'm aware of but you don't want to be careless over speed bumps.
3. You're paying good attention to note the significant torque loss in the 2023 Niro and probably the 2023 Kona as well. They say it's to make the car more comfortable to drive but that could have been done without a hard limit on torque, so I'm skeptical and think it's more about them struggling to fix question 1. You'll quickly learn to drive it without any loss of traction.
5. No such issues with the Niro as far as I know.

 

I now own a 2019 Niro EV (ex premium with ventilated seats) after buying out the lease. After 30,000 miles in just over 18 months - it's fine. No mechanical failures, warning lights or lockups.

It has all the personality of a toaster.

I *strongly* recommend leasing EVs - the coming wave of excellent Chinese products will increase choices and reduce costs. If you love your Niro (and can tolerate the KIA dealer network) - KMFUSA permits a lease buyout at any time without penalty.

(Old link below, anticipate higher pricing.)
http://kauaiev.org/2020/02/11/how-to-purchase-a-kia-niro-ev-ex-premium/

 

I have had a 2019 Nero Ev for well over two years, and have not had the first problem. I briefly considered the EV6 but other than looks, I see no advantage for me, and it has a shorter range in real use. The battery position has never been a problem, but it does add to better handling.

I think the KIA fire problem was with ICE cars and involved the engine. No engine, no problem.

 

You may want to check out "Transportation Evolved" on YouTube. They have had a Niro for years. They have not had any significant issues and are very happy with it. It's not an exciting car, but it is a very practical one.

 

I have had the 2022 Niro EV since March.
I love the car for what I use it for (back and forth to work, 44 miles a day).
Even in Normal mode you have to be careful with stabbing the throttle too hard, especially if you are turning at an intersection or you will spin a tire.
Otherwise it is great, much more nimble than my Ford Flex Turbo, and almost as quick.

 

Love my 2019 Niro EV EX Premium. Personally don't think it is boring as it is very comfortable and has practically every option I want as well as being plenty powerful. Even has a heated steering wheel which I didn't think it came with without the winter package. Haven't had any issues yet (knock on wood) after 2.5 years. Brought it in for "maintenance" once per year but they didn't do much as not much was required. First year was free. Charging speed is fast enough for me and takes about 40 mins from 15-80%. With just over 10,000 miles due to the pandemic, I think I will be keeping it for a long time!

 

I've had a 2020 Niro EV since January 2021. About 19,000 miles on it. I installed a Chargepoint home charger in my garage near the door so I could use it with the car in the garage or outside it (the door will shut on the cable with the rubber seal cushioning it). Winter range 235, summer 265. There's hardly anything I'd change about the car. Regarding clearance, it might have 4-5", and yes if you ran over rocks or something you might be able to damage the battery. The bottom of the battery appears to be some kind of aluminum plate, so hopefully that will serve as some protection. Hasn't been an issue. Per the charge point app, it costs me about $23 / month to drive - but electricity in my area is really cheap and there is a discount program for overnight EV charging - so I pay ~$0.08/KWH. If I was in California I'd definitely consider solar and a power storage system.

I agree with your thoughts regarding physical buttons. I like being able to activate functions by touch, keeping my eyes on the road.

It's probably not advised, but I've even put a hitch on this car and pull a light trailer with it. I'd never dare to put a heavy load in that trailer though. It's useful for hauling a sheet of plywood or something bulky though. Since this car has ICE roots and shares the same body, it has all of the factory mounting points for the hitch. There's a youtube video of some guy towing a race car with his, but again I'd worry about damage to the reduction gear / rear bearings.

So far it doesn't look like the battery has lost much or any capacity over the two years and 19,000 miles - which was my main concern when I bought it.

I'd definitely buy it again.

 

If your mind is made up, go ahead and order the Niro; however, if you need to ask the forum about handling, my suggestion would be to take one for an extended test drive... and also do the same for any other car you're considering. When I did that, in 2019, I liked the Kona much better than the Niro -- strictly a subjective judgement -- but there weren't any available and the dealers were demanding unreasonable premiums. There are a lot of new EV's coming out: if they're in your price range, you should test them. Also, some of the older models, such as the Nissan Leaf, might meet your requirements.

FWIW, I'm happy with my choice at the time (Tesla Model 3), although it's not to everybody's taste. I didn't like the interface at first, but the value proposition was very convincing: For the same money I could have the Tesla or a Leaf. Also: no haggling over price, favorable financing and, for me at least, no problems whatsoever on the Model 3 or on the new Model Y.

Finally, for driving in the Bay Area, slow down for speed bumps and pot holes no matter what you're driving and your tires and rims will last longer.

 

We have a Kona EV and like it. Rides and handles nicely.
Buttons, like the Niro.
Drove it over a curb and scraped bottom, but no damage.
The battery is well protected by a metal cover and frame.
We are able to get a 290 mile range in 70 degree weather without a/c...although that is charged at 100% which is only done on long trips. Keep it at 20-80% for best battery longevity. Battery warranty is 10 yrs/100,000 mi.
From late 2020 on, there was no battery recall for the Kona EV, so you might save by buying one off-lease...if you can find one at a decent price.
In our experience, the biggest danger for EV drivers: The dealer.
Rotate tires every 5K. Nothing to change or drain for around 100,000 miles.
Just check tires and brakes, cabin filter and wiper blades.
Couldn't be cheaper to maintain.

 

I test drove a Kia Niro and was very impressed with it, but for me, it was too big, so I got the 2022 Kona Limited and just love it. I urge you to test drive several cars before making a final decision. I drove a Nissan Leaf, the Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, sat in a Chevy Bolt and was interested in the Chevy EUV, but Chevrolet had trouble getting stock and they had a battery recall which made it difficult. Good luck!!

 

We have a 2019 Niro and had the noise problem you describe. After they replaced the gear reduction unit the noise was still there so they replaced the motor and all good now. We leased it and ended up buying the car after the lease ended in May simply because there was nothing else available. My biggest gripes are lack of cargo space for road trips, torque + OEM tires suck (peeling out from a stop on wet roads), the car feels a little flighty when accelerating quickly, and KIA! KIA is the worst and I can’t wait until we get our Model Y so we can sell this thing and never have to deal with KIA again. From the dealership experience to multiple service interactions at 3 different dealerships in TN and CO, we have not been happy with customer service or communication. Plus the software is buggy. I think for a first EV it’s a good choice though.

 

Regarding your low-speed clicking sound, that someone mentioned sounds like the wheel of fortune. I heard the same on my 2020 Kona EV at 8000 miles. Took the car into the dealer, they promptly replaced the Gear Drive Unit Assembly under warrantee. No more more clicking sound!

 

I've had a 2019 EV EX Premium since 12/19 and have 19K miles on it and I really like the car. I'm retired and because of Covid have only recently been driving on longer trips. There are lots of posts on this forum about the noise you refer to in question 1 so I would search around here to educate yourself. I've never had an issue. Also, no issue with the low battery damage question. I find the handling to be good, however, I drive in Eco mode all the time and find I have plenty of acceleration. I bought my car at Kia Marin in Novato and, so far, have found their service department to be good. The only problem I've had so far was a noise in the steering column which was fixed under warranty by replacing the worm gear assembly. The only thing I wish was better is the speed of fast charging.

 

Les problèmes de réducteurs en 2018 2019 sont bien remontés par les membres fRANCE.
https://forums.automobile-propre.com/topic/probl%C3%A8me-moteur-kona-%C3%A9électrique-18326/?&page=5#comments

Il y a pas mal de cas que ça soit e niro, Kona EV ou ioniq EV mais plus de remontés sur modeles 2020 2021

a la lecture du forum , Il y a plusieurs problèmes : la fixation du groupe moteur électrique / boîte pas assez rigide, avec de la boulonnerie sous dimensionnée et/ou un couple de serrage insuffisant.
Plusieurs phénomènes peuvent intervenir ;

Le moteur électrique (très fort en couple immédiatement disponible de surcroît) qui est accouplé au réducteur (qui n'est rien d'autre qu'une boîte 1 vitesse sans synchro) se désaxent l'un de l'autre (ça joue à quelques microns) à cause des forces mécaniques considérables. Le jeu aussi infime soit il fait fonctionner l'axe du moteur électrique et la pignonerie du réducteur hors côte, usure prématurée des roulements et/ou roues crantées, avec parfois le différentiel dans le réducteur qui se désolidarise avec arrachement des boutons de fixations (ça se passe dans le réducteur) .
Ce sont les bruits de roulement que l'on entend.
Entre les roues de nos voitures et le moteur électrique on ne retrouve que le réducteur et les cardans qui entraînent les roues. L'ensemble doit être fixé et assemblé avec le plus grand soin.
Le moteur électrique tournant beaucoup plus vite, le rapport de réduction est de 7.4 sur la ioniq en particulier.
Parfois, quand le problème de bruit de roulement est installé, seul le changement du réducteur suffit mais dans certains cas, l'axe du moteur électrique peut aussi avoir été endommagé durant le fonctionnement "hors cote" avec le réducteur et le changement avec un réducteur neuf fera quand même réapparaître le défaut et un changement du groupe complet moteur / réducteur est nécessaire. Ce qui a été le cas pour certains.
Concernant les incendies chez Hyundai kONA 2019 cela concerne un certain nombre de voitures et de batteries la campagne de remplacement des batteries sur toutes les voitures a couté très cher au constructeur de batterie et a Hyundai, a mon avis cela nous préserve pour les futurs voitures

En France, J'ai commandé un kia Niro EV nouvelle génération pour juillet 2022, après avoir conduit depuis 2016 kia Soul et KONA 64KW, le problème me semble être du passé et résolu.