Compare the2024 Nissan AriyaVS 2024 Kia EV6

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Ariya 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 EV6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Nissan Ariya 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 EV6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Ariya Platinum+ has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The EV6 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Ariya and the EV6 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Nissan Ariya 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 EV6 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Ariya’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the EV6 runs out after 100,000 miles.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ariya for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Nissan will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EV6.

There are over 36 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Ariya’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ariya’s reliability 14 points higher than the EV6.

On the EPA test cycle the Ariya gets better mileage than the EV6:

The Ariya can travel longer on a full charge than the EV6 on a full charge:

The Ariya’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the EV6 are solid, not vented.

The Ariya stops much shorter than the EV6:

The Ariya has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The EV6 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Ariya Platinum+ handles at .86 G’s, while the EV6 Wind e-AWD pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Ariya’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the EV6’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The Ariya’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the EV6 GT’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Ariya has a greater minimum ground clearance than the EV6 (6.7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Ariya to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Ariya Platinum+ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The EV6 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ariya has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the EV6.

The Ariya has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the EV6 with its rear seat folded (59.7 vs. 50.2 cubic feet).

The Ariya’s cargo area is larger than the EV6’s in almost every dimension:

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the EV6 Light/Wind/GT-Line, the Ariya Platinum+ has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Ariya’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 EV6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Ariya’s standard Intelligent Key allows 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 EV6 doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Ariya has a standard rear wiper. The EV6 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Ariya’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the EV6’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Insurance will cost less for the Ariya owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Ariya will cost $635 less than the EV6 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Ariya will be $2329 to $5945 less than for the Kia EV6.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Ariya and the Kia EV6, based on reliability, safety and performance.