Thinking of buying an eNiro

[clivech]

Hello everyone:
I'm the current owner of a 2014 Nissan Leaf. It's been reliable enough, but the range is laughable. I can manage less than 40 miles at this time of year with the heater on! So I'm in the market for a used EV. Which? magazine recommended the Niro above all others during the years I can afford (2018-22), so it's my top choice. But I want to know what the main faults are that owners have had to deal with, particularly once the vehicle is more than 4 years old. Would anyone like to pitch in? What should I look for? What have been the main causes of problems? Are there any reasons not to buy one of this age? Many thanks to all who contribute.

 

[shepdave]

I have a 2022 Niro EV that I bought new in October 2021, so mine is over four years old. It has relatively low mileage for a four-year-old car, about 34,000 miles. (I'm retired, and I was still somewhat in "pandemic mode" the first year I had it.)

I have very few complaints. I have taken it on a number of longer road trips up and down the east cost of the U.S. I wish its battery range were bigger, but I think my chief complaint is with the lack of fast-charging infrastructure rather than the car's capabilities. In warm weather at 100% charge, the guess-o-meter tends to display about 300 miles, but I generally count on driving much less than that on a charge when out on the open road. At my age, I need to stop for a biology break every 120-150 miles or so anyway, so it's not the car's fault that I can't drive for hours and hours. (I don't really take that 300-mile figure very seriously.)

I had one issue last summer that I had to have fixed at the dealer that does my (infrequent) service: For awhile it was tough to get the charge port door to pop open. The dealer ordered some part and replaced it, and that problem has not recurred. From surfing the various EV and Kia forums, I don't think that's something that I've ever seen anyone else talk about.

My wife just mentioned the "silver strip" issue. On the dashboard, there is a silver-colored trim strip that can cause a glare at certain times of the year in the early afternoon, if you're headed in the right/wrong direction with respect to the sun. I have seen a lot of people mention that in forums. It's a relatively minor annoyance, but folks have devised various fixes for it (involving matte-finish tape and such). I've never felt a need to do anything about it, but your mileage may vary.

In summary, I have to say the 2022 Niro EV is one of my favorites among cars I've owned, if not the outright winner. In the past 20 years or so I've driven a series of Toyota Priuses, and my wife currently drives a plug-in Prius Prime. Range is nice with the ICE engine on the Prius, but she agrees with me that the Niro EV is the nicer car.

I'd say go for it!

 

[clivech]

I have a 2022 Niro EV that I bought new in October 2021, so mine is over four years old. It has relatively low mileage for a four-year-old car, about 34,000 miles. (I'm retired, and I was still somewhat in "pandemic mode" the first year I had it.)

I have very few complaints. I have taken it on a number of longer road trips up and down the east cost of the U.S. I wish its battery range were bigger, but I think my chief complaint is with the lack of fast-charging infrastructure rather than the car's capabilities. In warm weather at 100% charge, the guess-o-meter tends to display about 300 miles, but I generally count on driving much less than that on a charge when out on the open road. At my age, I need to stop for a biology break every 120-150 miles or so anyway, so it's not the car's fault that I can't drive for hours and hours. (I don't really take that 300-mile figure very seriously.)

I had one issue last summer that I had to have fixed at the dealer that does my (infrequent) service: For awhile it was tough to get the charge port door to pop open. The dealer ordered some part and replaced it, and that problem has not recurred. From surfing the various EV and Kia forums, I don't think that's something that I've ever seen anyone else talk about.

My wife just mentioned the "silver strip" issue. On the dashboard, there is a silver-colored trim strip that can cause a glare at certain times of the year n the early afternoon, if you're headed in the right/wrong direction with respect to the sun. I have seen a lot of people mention that in forums. It's a relatively minor annoyance, but folks have devised various fixes for it (involving matte-finish tape and such). I've never felt a need to do anything about it, but your mileage may vary.

In summary, I have to say the 2022 Niro EV is one of my favorites among cars I've owned, if not the outright winner. In the past 20 years or so I've driven a series of Toyota Priuses, and my wife currently drives a plug-in Prius Prime. Range is nice with the ICE engine on the Prius, but she agrees with me that the Niro EV is the nicer car.

I'd say go for it!

Thanks so much, shepdave! This is really useful. I too am retired and only driving about 6,000 a year (although it would be more if I could drive more than 60 miles without charging up!). I'm glad you and your wife like it so much and that it drives well. I haven't test driven one yet, and buying used doesn't give you much opportunity to do so. I can get a 2021 in the UK with reasonable mileage (under 50k) for about £13,500 ($17,500), which is probably a lot more than you'd pay in the States, but cars are generally more expensive over here. Thanks again for your input and the time you put into passing it on.