Compare the2022 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2021 BMW X3 xDrive30e

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and the X3 xDrive30e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the BMW X3 xDrive30e:

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 X3 xDrive30e’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 BMW covers the X3 xDrive30e. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 xDrive30e ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are BMW 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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th, 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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the X3 xDrive30e running on electricity (110 city/99 hwy vs. 59 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the X3 xDrive30e running its gasoline engine (48 city/44 hwy vs. 21 city/27 hwy).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 26 miles, 53% further than the X3 xDrive30e’s 17-mile range.

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 X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better maneuverability, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the X3 xDrive30e’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 1150 to 1200 pounds less than the BMW X3 xDrive30e.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 1 foot, 2.4 inches shorter than the X3 xDrive30e, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has 1.4 inches more front legroom and 1 inch more rear legroom than the X3 xDrive30e.

The front step up height for the Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 3 inches lower than the X3 xDrive30e (15.5” vs. 18.5”). The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s rear step up height is 2.3 inches lower than the X3 xDrive30e’s (16.2” vs. 18.5”).

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 X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer an easy entry 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 X3 xDrive30e 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 X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.