2020 Kia Niro

Great Crossover for the money.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

I owned a sports car before buying my Niro, yeah it was a big change. I test drove it at the kia dealership and I was immediately impressed by it. The interior feels of premium materials, it is very comfortable. You really can not tell that you are driving a hybrid vehicle. It has plenty of leg room in the backseat and plenty of storage in the back. My gas mileage now is very impressive, I average around 47mpg on the highway and around 55mpg in the city.

Perfect Replacement for VW Jetta TDI wagon

Saturday, December 02, 2017

Id been waiting for a hybrid wagon/hatchback (with roof rails) to replace my 2004 Jetta TDI since VWs dieselgate scandal. Loved the Jetta, 42+ MPG on my daily hwy commute. But, hated diesel prices and resented VWs corrupt diesel program (even though my Jetta was not one that claimed to be a Green Diesel). Only 2 weeks into ownership. Niro has averaged 52 MPG in a 70/30 Hwy/City driving balance. Acceleration is on a par with the Jetta. If you want a boost, using sport mode for hwy entrance ramps is more than enough. Love the 6-speed transmission. Feels like a normal car. Im not sure if I could get used to the CVTs in Prius. Also love the looks. It looks like a normal hatchback/wagon/CUV. Inside room for passengers is far better than my Jetta. Interior space is 1 inch wider, front seats are wider, and back seat legroom and comfort left Jetta in the dust. With back seats folded flat the length of the cargo floor is 1 inch short than my Jetta. Thats acceptable given all the other advantages. Worried about the seats being too firm, because it was a frequent comment in reviews. They are fine. Wondered how the smart cruise control would work in heavy hwy traffic. You can select among 4 different distances for it to maintain between you and the car in front of you. Shortest is 80 feet. Yes, that is enough room for aggressive drivers to jump between you and the car in front of you. But, overall, it is so much more convenient than my old standard cruise control. Definitely a pleasant surprise. I havent seen how much mileage Ill lose when I install the crossbars to carry my kayak. But, that only happens about 5% of the time. The rest of the time I have a super efficient, comfortable, normal looking commuter. Just what I wanted. J.B. Powers and Consumer Reports listing it as a super reliable car was icing on the cake.

i gave up my countryman for this

Saturday, July 15, 2017

I think the Kia is a better value than my Countryman, theres a lot more usable tech, for less money, and the insurance is less. the mileage is obviously better. Around town this is a great quiet comfortable car, the ventilated seats are appreciated here in southern california, esp. sitting in traffic. I recently drove to the mountains, and honestly I thought I might not make it. The car roars trying to get up the hills at 70mph. Theres just not enough power. There were only two of us in the vehicle, and just a little luggage. It works really hard even on the flat sections of freeway, frequently having to downshift to maintain the 75 mph. Great for the city, but lousy for road trips. Made me miss my Countryman. That was a blast to drive.