Compare the2023 Kia NiroVS 2022 Toyota Venza

Both the Niro and the Venza 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 front and rear parking sensors.

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 Venza’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 Toyota covers the Venza. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Venza ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 14th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Venza:

The Niro Touring’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venza XLE/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Venza (107.1 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Niro’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Venza LE’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Niro’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Venza XLE/Limited’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Kia Niro may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 800 pounds less than the Toyota Venza.

The Niro is 1 foot shorter than the Venza, making the Niro easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro has 1.9 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom and 7.8 inches more rear hip room than the Venza.

The Niro has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

The Niro uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Niro offers a 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 Venza doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When the Niro SX 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 Venza’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Niro has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Venza Limited.

The Kia Niro outsold the Toyota Venza by 33% during 2020.