Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2022 Lexus UX

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The UX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Niro and the UX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Lexus UX:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Lexus UX:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 1.9% less likely to roll over than the UX.

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The UX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the UX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the UX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro’s warranty.

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 151) than the UX 200’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the UX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Niro uses regular unleaded gasoline. The UX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Niro has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (11.9 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus UX (6 to 7). This means the Niro produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the UX every 15,000 miles.

The Niro stops shorter than the UX:

The Niro Touring SE’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the UX’s 50 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the UX (106.3 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Niro Touring SE handles at .82 G’s, while the UX 200 pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro Touring SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the UX 200 (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Niro is 5.5 inches shorter than the UX, making the Niro easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Kia Niro amounts to more than styling. The Niro has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the UX (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Niro get better fuel mileage.

The Niro has 10.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (100.9 vs. 90.4).

The Niro has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 2.8 inches more rear headroom, 4.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

The Niro has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (19.4 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Niro has a higher standard payload capacity than the UX (962 vs. 890 lbs.).

The Niro has a higher maximum payload capacity than the UX (1089 vs. 890 lbs.).

The power windows standard on both the Niro and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Niro is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The UX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Niro and the Lexus UX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Niro outsold the Lexus UX by 22% during the 2021 model year.