Compare the2024 Kia Niro EVVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro EV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model Y doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Niro EV’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model Y doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Niro EV’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Niro EV’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Niro EV has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y 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 Niro EV and the Model Y 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 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 Model Y’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro EV 2 years longer than Tesla covers the Model Y. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Model Y ends after only 8 years.

There are over 5 times as many Kia dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro EV’s warranty.

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 Niro EV’s reliability 12 points higher than the Model Y.

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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 87 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro EV gets better mileage than the Model Y Performance (126 city/101 hwy vs. 115 city/106 hwy MPGe).

The Niro EV has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Niro EV flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Niro EV’s turning circle is 5 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (34.8 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

The Kia Niro EV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 700 pounds less than the Tesla Model Y.

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

The Niro EV has 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

The Niro EV has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (22.8 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro EV’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Niro EV to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

The Niro EV offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro EV has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Niro EV’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Model Y’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Niro EV’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Niro EV has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

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 Model Y doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Niro EV, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Tesla Model Y isn't recommended.