Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2022 Kia Niro

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Payload
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Kia Niro has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The Buick Encore has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Niro doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Encore offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Encore offers optional Ultrasonic Park Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Niro doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Encore has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Niro doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Encore and the Niro 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 collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Encore	Niro
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	122	139
Neck Injury Risk	26%	27%
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	37 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	207	224
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	80%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	207 lbs.

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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Kia Niro:

	Encore	Niro
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	138
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	196 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	170
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	77 G’s
Hip Force	672 lbs.	993 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	707 lbs.	712 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Encore’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Niro’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

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

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Encore’s reliability 37 points higher than the Niro.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Kia is ranked 15th.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 16 more horsepower (155 vs. 139) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Encore has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (14 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Encore has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Niro doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Encore’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro:

	Encore	Niro
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.6 inches	10.3 inches

The Encore stops much shorter than the Niro:

	Encore	Niro
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	138 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	152 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore has larger tires than the Niro (215/55R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The Encore’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro LX/LXS/EX Premium’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Niro LX/LXS/EX Premium.

The Encore has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Niro; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Encore has vehicle speed-sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Niro doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Encore AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Niro LXS (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

The Encore is 3.1 inches shorter than the Niro, making the Encore easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Niro doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Payload

The Encore has a higher standard payload capacity than the Niro (1018 vs. 962 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Encore’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Niro’s power windows’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

The Encore’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Niro’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Encore’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Niro’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium.

The Encore offers an optional 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 Niro doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Encore	Niro
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a

The Buick Encore outsold the Kia Niro by over four to one during the 2021 model year.