Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2021 Mazda CX-3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Niro has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The CX-3 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Compared to metal, the Niro’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda CX-3 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Niro and the CX-3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Mazda CX-3:

	Niro	CX-3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	138	183
Abdominal Force	196 lbs.	199 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	170	241
Spine Acceleration	77 G’s	85 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
HIC	214	287
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	31 G’s

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 1.5% to 1.7% less likely to roll over than the CX-3.

Warranty

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 CX-3’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Mazda covers the CX-3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CX-3 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

There are over 39 percent more Kia dealers than there are Mazda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Niro’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 14th.

Engine

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 146) than the CX-3’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the CX-3:

			MPG
Niro
	FWD	LX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/48 hwy
		LXS/EX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	51 city/46 hwy
		Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	46 city/40 hwy
CX-3
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/32 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Niro’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The CX-3 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro higher (7 out of 10) than the Mazda CX-3 (3 to 7). This means the Niro produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-3 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Niro offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The CX-3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Niro Touring SE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-3 (225/45R18 vs. 215/60R16).

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 CX-3’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Niro Touring SE has standard 18-inch wheels. The CX-3’s largest wheels are only 16-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Niro has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-3 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Niro has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Niro has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Niro flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the CX-3 (106.3 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Niro is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the CX-3.

Passenger Space

The Niro has 13.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-3 (100.9 vs. 87.6).

The Niro has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear legroom and 4.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-3.

Cargo Capacity

The Niro has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-3 with its rear seat up (19.4 vs. 17.8 cubic feet). The Niro has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-3 with its rear seat folded (54.5 vs. 42.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Niro easier. The Niro’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the CX-3’s liftover is 30.6 inches.

The Niro’s cargo area is larger than the CX-3’s in every dimension:

	Niro	CX-3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	31.8”/64”	30.9”/58”
Max Width	48.2”	n/a
Min Width	41”	39.4”
Height	36”	26.6”

Ergonomics

The Niro LXS/Touring/Touring Special Edition/EX Premium has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Niro and the CX-3 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 CX-3 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Niro’s standard front power windows open with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CX-3’s front passenger window doesn’t open automatically. The Niro EX Premium’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and its driver’s window also automatically closes.

The Smart Key standard on the Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Mazda CX-3’s Pushbutton Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the cargo door.

The Niro’s power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-3’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Niro Touring SE/EX Premium’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The CX-3 doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

When the Niro with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The CX-3’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Niro EX Premium has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the CX-3.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CX-3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro EX Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Niro’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The CX-3 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Niro and the CX-3 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-3 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The CX-3 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Niro and the Mazda CX-3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Niro outsold the Mazda CX-3 by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.