Compare the2024 Kia Niro EVVS 2023 Nissan Ariya

Both the Niro EV and Ariya have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Niro EV has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ariya’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Niro EV and the Ariya 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, 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 parking sensors.

The Niro EV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro EV 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Ariya. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Ariya ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is rated lower.

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 60 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 6 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Niro EV is faster than the Ariya + electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the Niro EV gets better mileage than the Ariya:

The Niro EV can travel longer on a full charge than the Ariya on a full charge:

The Niro EV stops shorter than the Ariya:

The Niro EV Wave handles at .87 G’s, while the Ariya Empower+ pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Niro EV’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Ariya’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

The Kia Niro EV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 1350 pounds less than the Nissan Ariya.

The Niro EV is 8.9 inches shorter than the Ariya, making the Niro EV easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Niro EV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Ariya doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Niro EV has .9 inches more front headroom and .2 inches more rear hip room than the Ariya.

The Niro EV has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Ariya with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 59.7 cubic feet).

The Niro EV uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Ariya 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 EV 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 Ariya doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Niro EV’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro EV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ offers wireless charging.

The Niro EV Wave 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 Ariya doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Niro EV Wave’s Smart Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Ariya Empower+/Platinum+’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Niro EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Niro outsold the Nissan Ariya by over 143 to one during 2022.