Compare the2024 Subaru ImprezaVS 2024 Kia Niro

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Impreza 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 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Impreza has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Niro doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the Impreza and the Niro have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Subaru Impreza 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 has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Impreza’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Niro runs out after 100,000 miles.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 4 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The Impreza’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (152 vs. 139) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Impreza RS’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 43 more horsepower (182 vs. 139) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Impreza RS 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder is faster than the Kia Niro:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Niro doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Both the Impreza and Niro have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Impreza has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Impreza has 5.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (16.6 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Impreza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Niro doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The Impreza’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 are solid, not vented.

The Impreza stops shorter than the Niro:

The Impreza’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro’s standard 60 series tires. The Impreza Sport/RS’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Niro Touring’s 45 series tires.

The Impreza has 1.4 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear hip room than the Niro.

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Niro. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Impreza’s front power windows 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’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Niro SX’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Impreza has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Niro doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Impreza’s optional 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 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Impreza and the Kia Niro, based on reliability, safety and performance.