Compare the2024 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Toyota Mirai

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 Mirai doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Mirai.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and the Mirai 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 Mirai’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Mirai. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Mirai 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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota 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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid is faster than the Toyota Mirai:

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Mirai:

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 513 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Mirai’s range is only 357 to 402 miles, after which it can only refill at a pressurized hydrogen station, presently only available in 55 retail locations in the United States.

For better maneuverability, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the Mirai’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.5 feet).

The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1000 pounds less than the Toyota Mirai.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 1 foot, 9.8 inches shorter than the Mirai, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more rear headroom, 6.7 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Mirai.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Mirai doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid SX’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Mirai doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Mirai.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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 Mirai doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’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 Mirai XLE’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear wiper. The Mirai doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Mirai doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Kia Niro outsold the Toyota Mirai by almost 14 to one during 2022.