Compare the2023 Lexus RZVS 2023 Kia EV6

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RZ 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 EV6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Lexus RZ 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 EV6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The RZ 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 EV6 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the RZ. But it costs extra on the EV6.

Both the RZ and the EV6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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.

The RZ’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the EV6’s (6/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

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

The RZ’s electric motors produces 141 more horsepower (308 vs. 167) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (321 vs. 258) than the EV6 Light’s standard electric motor. The RZ’s electric motors produces 83 more horsepower (308 vs. 225) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (321 vs. 258) than the EV6 Wind/GT-Line’s standard electric motor.

On the EPA test cycle the RZ gets better mileage than the EV6:

The RZ 450e w/18" Wheels can travel longer on a full charge than the EV6 GT (220 miles vs. 206 miles).

The RZ’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the EV6 are solid, not vented.

The RZ stops much shorter than the EV6:

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the EV6 (255/55R18 vs. 235/45R20).

For better maneuverability, the RZ’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the EV6’s (36.8 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The RZ’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the EV6 GT’s (36.8 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the EV6 (7.8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The RZ has .9 inches more front headroom and 1.7 inches more rear headroom than the EV6.

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the EV6 with its rear seat up (34.9 vs. 24.4 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 63% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

The RZ’s 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 EV6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The EV6 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The RZ’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The EV6 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The RZ 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 costs extra on the EV6.