Compare the2022 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2022 Lincoln Aviator

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 Aviator doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and the Aviator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, driver alert monitors 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 Lincoln Aviator:

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 Aviator’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 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lincoln covers the Aviator. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Aviator ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

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 Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 15th, 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 Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 9th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 11 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Aviator Grand Touring Electric Motor AWD running on electricity (110 city/99 hwy vs. 54 city/58 hwy MPGe).

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

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 26 miles, 24% further than the Aviator Grand Touring’s 21-mile range.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Aviator 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 Lincoln Aviator (5 to 7). This means the Niro Plug-In Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Aviator every 15,000 miles.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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 Aviator doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better maneuverability, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 4.4 feet tighter than the Aviator’s (34.8 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 2200 pounds less than the Lincoln Aviator.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 2 feet, 3.8 inches shorter than the Aviator, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 8.5 inches narrower than the Aviator, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 8.6 inches shorter in height than the Aviator, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume than the Aviator with its rear seat up (19.4 vs. 18.3 cubic feet).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard locking fuel and charge port door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Aviator doesn’t offer a locking fuel/charge port door.

When the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium 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 Aviator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.