Compare the2024 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Lincoln Aviator

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 Plug-In Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Aviator doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and the Aviator 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 parking sensors.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Aviator’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro Plug-In Hybrid 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lincoln covers the Aviator. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Aviator ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 13 percent more Kia dealers than there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

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 Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated below average.

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 Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 13th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 1 place higher in reliability than Lincoln.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Aviator Grand Touring running on electricity (113 city/102 hwy vs. 54 city/58 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Aviator running its gasoline engine:

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 33 miles. The Aviator Grand Touring has to start its internal combustion engine after only 21 miles.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Aviator requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Aviator. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Lincoln Aviator (5 to 7). This means the Niro Plug-In Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Aviator every 15,000 miles.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Aviator doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better maneuverability, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 4.4 feet tighter than the Aviator’s (34.8 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1400 to 2350 pounds less than the Lincoln Aviator.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 2 feet, 1.3 inches shorter than the Aviator, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 7.8 inches narrower than the Aviator, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 8.4 inches shorter in height than the Aviator, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume than the Aviator with its rear seat up (19.4 vs. 18.3 cubic feet).

When the Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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 Aviator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Aviator Reserve/Grand Touring/Black Label offers wireless charging.

The Kia Niro outsold the Lincoln Aviator by 31% during 2022.