Compare the2023 Toyota PriusVS 2023 Kia Niro

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Niro doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Prius has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Niro doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

The Prius Limited offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Prius and the Niro have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 driver alert monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Niro has not been tested, yet.

The Prius’ 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Niro runs out after 100,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Niro.

There are over 59 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius’ warranty.

The battery on the Prius is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Prius’ battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Niro’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 Prius’ reliability 20 points higher than the Niro.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

The Prius’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 55 more horsepower (194 vs. 139) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Prius’ optional 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 57 more horsepower (196 vs. 139) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

The Prius has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Niro doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Prius AWD-e’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Prius LE has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Niro. The Prius XLE/Limited’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Niro Touring.

The Prius LE has a standard space-saver spare (not available on XLE/Limited) 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius’ wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Niro (108.3 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

The design of the Toyota Prius amounts to more than styling. The Prius has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the Niro (.29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius get better fuel mileage.

The Prius has 1.7 inches more front legroom and 9.3 inches more front hip room than the Niro.

The Prius has a larger cargo volume than the Niro with its rear seat up (23.8 vs. 22.8 cubic feet).

The Prius’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Niro’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Niro SX’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Prius the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Niro can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prius LE’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Niro’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Prius’ LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Both the Prius and the Niro offer available heated front seats. The Prius Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Niro.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Prius Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Niro doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Toyota Prius outsold the Kia Niro by 28% during 2022.