Compare the2024 Lexus RZVS 2024 Kia Niro EV

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 Niro EV 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 Niro EV 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 Niro EV 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.

The RZ 450e has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro EV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The RZ has a standard Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro EV only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the RZ and the Niro EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Lexus RZ weighs 556 to 898 pounds more than the Kia Niro EV. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Lexus RZ achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Niro EV has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus first in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 10th.

The RZ 300e’s standard electric motor produces 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (196 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The RZ 450e’s optional electric motors produces 107 more horsepower (308 vs. 201) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (321 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor.

As tested in Consumer Reports the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the Kia Niro EV:

On the EPA test cycle the RZ 300e w/18" Wheels FWD gets better mileage than the Niro EV (112 city/125 hwy vs. 126 city/101 hwy MPGe).

The RZ 300e w/18" Wheels FWD can travel longer on a full charge than the Niro EV (266 miles vs. 253 miles).

For better stopping power the RZ’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro EV:

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

The RZ stops much shorter than the Niro EV:

For better traction, the RZ has larger tires than the Niro EV (F:235/60R18 & R:255/55R18 vs. 215/55R17).

The RZ’s optional 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro EV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RZ has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Niro EV. The RZ offers optional 20-inch wheels.

The RZ has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Niro EV doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RZ’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the Niro EV (112.2 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RZ is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than on the Niro EV.

The RZ 450e Luxury handles at .86 G’s, while the Niro EV Wave pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RZ 450e Luxury executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Niro EV Wave (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Niro EV (7.9 vs. 5.9 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The RZ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Niro EV doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The RZ has .6 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear legroom than the Niro EV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the RZ’s rear seats recline. The Niro EV’s rear seats don’t recline.

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the Niro EV with its rear seat up (34.9 vs. 22.8 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 Niro EV’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Niro EV Wave’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

The RZ’s standard Smart Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key standard on the Niro EV doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The RZ’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro EV’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 Niro EV 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 Niro EV offers 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 Niro EV.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the RZ has a standard Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Niro EV doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

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