Compare the2024 Kia Niro EVVS 2024 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 EV 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 EV’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 EV 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 EV 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 EV 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 EV 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.

The Niro EV’s electric motor produces 19 more horsepower (201 vs. 182) than the Mirai’s electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Niro EV is faster than the Toyota Mirai:

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

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

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

The Kia Niro EV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 600 pounds less than the Toyota Mirai.

The Niro EV is 1 foot, 9.8 inches shorter than the Mirai, 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 Mirai doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Niro EV has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Mirai.

The Niro EV’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 EV Wave’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Niro EV’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 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. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Mirai.

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 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 EV has a standard rear wiper. The Mirai doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro EV’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 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 Mirai Limited’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 Toyota Mirai by over 13 to one during 2023.