Compare the2022 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2022 Audi Q5

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 Plug-In Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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 Q5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’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 Q5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and the Q5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.

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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Audi Q5:

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

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q5’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro Plug-In Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 93 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, 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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Q5 55 TFSI e Electric Motor running on electricity (110 city/99 hwy vs. 60 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Q5 running its gasoline engine:

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 26 miles, 13% further than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s 23-mile range.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi Q5 (5 to 7). This means the Niro Plug-In Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 every 15,000 miles.

For better maneuverability, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Q5 45 TFSI’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (34.8 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 1150 pounds less than the Audi Q5.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 1 foot shorter than the Q5, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has .5 inches more front headroom and .8 inches more front legroom than the Q5.

The front step up height for the Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 2.8 inches lower than the Q5 (15.5” vs. 18.3”). The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the Q5’s (16.2” vs. 18”).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 with its rear seat folded (54.5 vs. 54 cubic feet).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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 Q5 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.