[briloop]

Former Prius owner (2007-2014) turned Honda Accord owner very much interested in a 2019 Kia Niro.

I have not test drove this vehicle yet, but I am impressed with all the videos on the Niro on YouTube. I am also impressed with its gas mileage.

Call me a tree-hugger; I don't want to burn fossil fuels any more than I have to. That's why I am currently focused on the Niro. I would go the all-EV route, but, for a variety of reasons, an EV for me is not practical at this time (2018).

If I buy the Niro, I plan to keep it for seven years. Hopefully in the year 2025 or so, owning an EV will be practical for me.

 

[Kleen]

Welcome to the forum, glad to hear that the Niro has piqued your interest. A lot of people are still on the fence about buying into a full EV, but the PHEV model looks very promising.

 

[FiddlingNiro]

We love our PHEV. Almost all our miles are in EV mode but the ability to run in hybrid mode for those occasional 300-mile trips is great. No range anxiety here.

 

[Dave]

Welcome! I lived in ABQ for about 7 years from '02 to '09, enjoyed my time there for the most part (we got burglarized while there, didn't dig that very much)-- and my background is geology so that part of the world is like Disneyland for me. Plus I really miss the incredible New Mexican cuisine, just nothing like it anywhere else. Especially this time of year when the roasting chile would be wafting on the breeze... sigh.

Had my Niro for about five months now and absolutely love it. Averaging just under 50 mpg and the creature comforts are also very nice. Great combo of modern conveniences and tree-hugging goodness!

 

[Alex]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[brandent]

In that high altitude along with the rolling hills, you probably will appreciate the electric motor helping out the gas engine that's wheezing for air that high up. You should also be able to get plenty of regen.

Discover a little thing called sport mode for hill climbing. No need to actually shift the gears yourself (which is fun) but just slapping it over into S wakes the whole thing up and it makes a gigantic difference in performance....at the expense of fuel economy of course. Nonetheless it is indispensable in certain situations.