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This week we share our first impressions of the 2023 Kia Niro. We discuss the Niro’s hybrid and electric powertrains, its promising fuel economy estimates and how the 2023 redesign seems more like a refresh. We also answer an audience question about vehicle service— and whether it's better to visit a dealer or an independent repair shop.
SHOW NOTES:
0:00-15:30 – 2023 Kia Niro
15:31 – Question: Is it a good idea to bring a vehicle to an independent repair shop for routine maintenance?
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+1. .. The automotive brand KIA has been on the move . . . . Doing their homework has payed dividends … GM & VWAG take note …
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video looking forward to seeing this vehicle at the LA autoshow November 18 thanks for the presentation
There is some seriously unpleasant echo on the mikes. Not typical for CR. Hope it gets fixed next time.
Kia and its parent company are off limits to me unless and until they repair their defective cars. It’s nice to see the Niro coming back with better mileage.
Front wheel drive with good winter tires is more then enough for the winter, except if your driveway is going really up. AWD cost more, take more fuel and more maintenance. Never been stuck with my FWD even in deep snow.
Depends where you live and how deep of snow you’re talking about. Here in Chicago, there’s no way that an FWD vehicle (Even with winter tires) can get through the alleys after a heavy snow fall if you want to get to your garage. I spend half my time helping neighbors that get stuck.
Love the new Niro even like the weird aero thing on the side. Happy y’all are back in the same room!😊🚗
What is Kia’s long term reliability? Are their small turbo engines holding up after 100k miles?
Bet on it catching on fire.
They said the Niro was reliable through the 2022 model year.
Glad to have a diversified panel. Alex looks like he has been pumping iron! Be careful not to impede finger flexibility for guitar rifts 🙂 Kia Niro is excellent for young people who want to experience the quiet desperation of middle age.
Good discussion…insights I can actually use! 🙂
I strongly disagree with your take on dealerships. the dealerships have the lowest paid mechanics around some once they get experience they leave. And the people that you work with at the counter are generally paid commissions on what they get you to agree to so they are incentived to lie. The only time i would suggest a dealership is better is when you want someone with deep pockets to do the work so you have a backup if you have to sue them for destroying your engine by say doing a bad job on your timing belt. if its not free, competively priced, or worth the added cost due to convenience go somewhere else.
Please don’t keep your automate maintenance records in your car. They have your address on them among other information.
I keep a file folder for each car, in the house.
This is a helpful review, as usual. Could you also test the 2023 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid? (I know you’re planning to cover the Niro EV, but the plug-in might be the Goldilocks car for some of us.) I hope the PHEV’s more powerful engine/motor set-up (180 HP) would address the complaint about the Hybrid’s 139 HP. I also saw a review that said the windows on that model have better soundproofing, but you’ll know better. Thanks.
Love this panel group
7:09 it also breaks the hierarchy of usage. it takes 2 button presses to access the climate controls or radio knob, that should only ever be direct controls.
I will say I do like the innovative nature of idea, and for secondary controls it might work fine (like adjusting suspension, or adjusting cabin lighting), but for something so basic, it’s just not the tool to use.
21:23 I can second that, I literally just did mine. the cabin air filter was a bit of pain because I accidentally spilled the contents of the glove box (my fault), but engine air filter was probably the easiest change I’ve done.
Also, don’t worry about tools for these jobs. I got mine done with no tools, and that’s not an uncommon scenario.
Great discussion about the Niro! As far as the question – in the case of Hyundai/Kia vehicles specifically I would recommend that you do whatever it takes to get into an actual dealer. They are known to reject warranty claims when the service history hasn’t been done at their shops.
Then tell them about the federal law that says you’re not required to use the dealer.
But do keep all documentation.
Great panel! Nice to see it changed up a bit…the 3 grumpy men were getting a little grumpy! LOL…I owned a 2021 Kia Niro PHEV and now own a 2022 Kia Niro EV. I LOVE THE EV version. Much better than the PHEV. The DCT is a great tranny….normally, but not in this car…very clunky and too loud when the engine kicked in…I previously owned a Tesla Model Y and 3 which I loved. But, with teenagers starting to drive, they were not going to get the TESLA…the Niro EV is perfect for them. Plenty of room and the range is awesome! It’s rated at 239, but if I charge it to 100% I get close to 310! Everything in it works great. The UI is great, and the paddles are awesome. As for the complaint about the arm rest Emily, I’m 5’8” and just about every car I’ve ever owned falls short on the arm rest unless it’s a moveable/sliding arm rest (like my 2017 CRV)…not sure what it is…
Good looking car……it must be fun and novel to be able to drive new cars but major consumer issue is reliability and how long these super expensive cars will last over time so brand reliability should always be discussed. Just don’t trust KIA/Hyundai, am I wrong?
I remember the good ole days of Talking Cars videos where there was more than one viewer question.
There’s a reason I don’t mind at all about the double-panel function in the keys. The red and blue curved lights above the two knobs are extremely easy to see, when in climate mode.. even in peripheral vision. And those are the only areas where there are prominent red and blue lights that look like that. You just have to get used to quickly looking to see if those lights are on or off and then you know.
I digress a little though, because I don’t like the placement of the switch button, where it should be the exact first one after the volume knob. So you still need to look to make sure your finger is pressing the exact perfect place about a third of the way into the panel.
You’re not the only ones who have commented how noisy the new Niro is. I’ve seen two other YouTube reviewers say the same thing. Other than the noise, the Niro looks like a good car. And it’s the perfect size for a big city.