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Is there anything you'd change?

39K views 87 replies 50 participants last post by  Docdaley 
#1 ·
I'm starting to car shop, and a Niro is high on my list. From everything I've read, it sounds great and I'd love to have one!

For you owners, is there anything about it you don't care for or would change? Everyone always is quick to list the things that they love, but I'm not looking for people to bash on it either.

Thanks in advance! :D
 
#2 ·
I like ours - just over 5500 miles. It's an EX. Post gas fill ups on Fuelly (something over 51 MPG average so far).

You can see some of the problems that people are having on this Forum.

I think at times I notice this stuttering - misfiring - surging - what ever to call it or whatever it is (misfiring, shifting of the dual clutch, what???).

I have not considered my extreme at this point, but some have had serious issue. I notice it more today when I left home to go to the gym (doing around 40MPH and felt it more than ever had before). Then not noticeable after that. Beats me???
 
#4 ·
I've had my Touring w/tech package for a month and a half and just past 3,000 miles today. The only thing I dislike about it is that I'm putting too many miles on it! But unfortunately, I had a 75 mile round trip commute to work every day and lots of my son's soccer games on weekends. I went from a 2012 Optima EX to this and I don't regret my decision at all. I've been averaging 46-47 MPG per tank, about 20 MPG more than my Optima.

The biggest annoyance are the lane departure and parking assist warning sounds. The lane departure can be turned off, but I haven't figured out if I can turn the parking assist off. It beeps like crazy if I get close to the car in front of me or the car behind me pulls up too close in traffic.

I would recommend this car to anyone. You sit up just high enough vs. sedan and you don't step up into it like many SUV's. Love the white pearl that I chose except it shows all the dead bugs on the front bumper.
 
#10 ·
That jerk it does is annoying. If I could I'd get the touring with tech w/o the sunroof or the 18 inch rims. I got the touring because it's the only one with front parking sensors which I wanted.



Parking assist turns off with the button next to the shifter.

Yes, do not get the tech package. Lane departure is more annoying than helpful. If it was active like Toyota then absolutely yes, but as it is, no.
I disagree the tech package is worth it for the HID lights, smart cruise control, and forward collision warning. The plug in will have better front lights.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Copied this last post on estewartDC3 's topic (guy that got the new car). Post is My NIRO is a Lemon (or something like that).

Hi, all,
Original poster here. We decided to replace our lemon (Niro LX) with an exact replica and today, we finally took ownership! Kia was great throughout the process. They threw in four years of the service plan and a free spare tire kit and a few other favors (dealer installed the cross rails for us for free).

Looking forward to finally enjoying the car that we first bought in March! Thanks for your replies.
 
#9 ·
Yes, do not get the tech package. Lane departure is more annoying than helpful. If it was active like Toyota then absolutely yes, but as it is, no.

I would have an auto dimmed rear view mirror.

I use sport mode when getting on the Freeway. I drive very economically, 55+mpg, 5000 miles on the clock. When I plop it over to sport mode it instantly just goes. I do not change my foot pedal and it simply goes.

I am not convinced that in sport mode it's 100% manual gear control. I have up shifted before while going 35ish because of engine buzz and it shifted once and not another time. But, it has always downshifted.
 
#11 ·
I disagree the tech package is worth it for the HID lights said:
I got the Adv.Tech package in the LX mostly for the AEB. I figure if it helps you avoid or lessen an accident once it's worth it's weight in gold. The FCW is good also. Smart cruise is OK, the HID lights I didn't get with the LX Tech package, and didn't want. Too expensive to replace and more fragile, not solid-state and the improvement in light not worth it, IMO. Halogens or LED are plenty bright. The HID's I've seen on other cars driving toward me are often really annoying.
 
#12 ·
The HID's might be annoying when coming towards you, but when you are in that vehicle, they are spectacular. That was my biggest surprise when driving my Niro home from the dealer. The regular HID lights are amazing. Best headlights I've ever had. I had to make sure I didn't have my brights on. They are well worth and will come in handy during the winter when I will drive a lot more at night.
 
#17 ·
QUOTE Stage 3: Active Lane Keep Assist (will almost continuously steer for you to keep you centred in lane and will work handsfree on the freeway for around 15 seconds before warning you to put your hands back on the wheel) - works like the 2007 Lexus LS460 although that only worked handsfree for 6 seconds. QUOTE

That must be what a friend has on his HONDA -- I think he did not know it had it, but discovered it does. He said he had the warning to "Make a Steering Input" one time.

Some folks do think Lane Departure 'beeps' are a nuisance, I can ignore the nuisance thinking it might keep me alert and from drifting off the road, etc. I wish it had it below 40MPH.

I have an EX --- I wish it had continuous front collision avoidance and not just when on cruise control.
 
#18 ·
You're saying your lane departure doesn't work below 40 MPH? Mine sure does on all the local roads around my house.

And what do you mean by continuous front collision avoidance only on cruise control? My car beeps when cars slow in front of me and I never use the cruise control.
 
#19 ·
A few things:

1. When slowing nearly to a stop, the car will switch from engine to electric (EV icon on the dash display will light), and it will jump, jerk, or lurch forward a bit. It's a bit disconcerting and annoying.
2. The lack of a Homelink integrated garage door opener. Considering all the other technology in the car, this omission is just cheap.
3. The lack of an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. And again, considering all the other technology in the car, this omission is just cheap.
4. Hydraulic auto-opening/closing rear door hatch.
5. AWD
6. I have a black interior, but I really liked the blue stitching and blue trim used on the grey interior. I would have loved all that blue on the black interior.

Otherwise, It's great for the price!
 
#20 ·
Just something aesthetic, but I think the car would look much better lower, more like a hatchback instead of being a crossover. The ride height is comfortable but from having a Suburban and also low profile sports cars, it just feels like it would be more naturally lower when I'm driving it or taking it through a turn.
 
#23 ·
trunk opening

hi

I have Niro EX.. I love it.. I can use in HOV in NY..I have 4500 miles on it...
Only think I dont understand is how trunk opens... I think with all the features it has they could have at least had a trunk button on fob and on door..Or even the foot sensor to open....
 
#24 ·
LX Purchase

After much research, I am getting a Niro LX (found a grey metal with lighter gray interior) without the tech package; having managed to drive successfully without having auto-braking or cross-path etc., the car still has more safety feature than my '09 Outback Wagon or nay car prior. Very excited to have a hybrid and really enjoyed my test drive in it today of this one in specific (I have driven the Touring and FE models too). Any last words before I sign on??? Thanks!
 
#25 ·
Got the Touring model. LOVE my car!! I especially love the parking alerts. SO helpful! I've used the cooled seats a time or two but not as often as i thought i would. The warmed steering wheel on the other hand? My hands are always cold, even in summer, so I use that quite often.

I only wish there wasn't such a drop in mpg's while using the AC.
 
#26 ·
If I had my druthers, the roof rails would be the 3-point style - (as on my former VW or even older Subarus). Thule footings already exist would make things soooo much easier. Still waiting for Thule or Yakima to come out with footings. Kia crossbars go on nicely but none of my existing Thule attachments come close to fitting on them. (yes there are other threads on the roof rack topic)
 
#28 ·
I love everything about this car but if I could add one thing, it would be a powered passenger seat with lumbar adjustment just like the driver's seat. My wife complained that the passenger seat is too firm. She has a bad back. Fortunately, I was able to find a good back cushion with lumbar support on Amazon for when she rides with me.
 
#33 ·
Easy fixes on the software side, which I really hope KIA could fix. (Does anybody know if car companies actually fix this kind of stuff for existing cars and only for new models etc?)

1. There should be the ability to turn off the welcome jingle (and maybe choose from a few alterantives or even better, upload your own from USB)
2. There should be the ability to adjust & turn off the welcome lights
3. Current consumption should be displayed in numerical format instead of the horizontal bar which is quiet useless and inaccurate
4. The A & B trip information screens should also display the average consumption (this is a real no-brainer)
5. After turning the engine off, the display shows the information for that trip for only maybe 2 seconds and there is no way to recall that screen. Really annoying.
6. The stereo keeps playing after I turn the engine off. There should be a possibility to set it to turn off at the same time as the engine.

Some other product development ideas:

- The trunk should be fully felted. It's ridiculous to have hard plastics where they are just waiting to get all scratched. Also they will create lots of noice when stuff is moving around.
- The rear seats should be able to slide forward to get a bit more cargo space when extra legroom is not needed. It's a very common feature in similar cars and especially in Niro, it would make it so much more versatile.
- The trunk organizer under the top floor is not very efficiently designed. I've been planning on getting rid of the styrofoam organizer and the styrofoam tire kit holder altogether and make a better storage space from plywood & felt.
- I find it a bit odd that the basic trim (LX here) features the Lane Assist but the side mirrors are not electronically foldable or even heated and they don't have blinkers on them.

Other gripes:

- The tailgate opening switch/handle is located very very badly. If the car is dirty, your fingers will get dirty as the gap is very low/narrow. But the worst thing is when you get snow & ice. I haven't experienced it yet (winter is coming) but I can guarantee it is going to be a problem as the recess in the bumper is going to be so full of snow&ice that it will be impossible to operate the tailgate.
 
#34 ·
The high gloss interior panels are stylish but they are not practical. They both show every speck of lint and reflect sunlight nearly perfectly. The one around the gear shift has blinded me several times on with reflections. This makes driving on sunny days annoying at best and dangerous at worst.
BunnyGirl
 
#36 ·
Just got the Niro a week ago, this after two Toyota Prius both of which were great cars that just kept going and going.



First thing I would change, take Toyota's stance and put the safety features on all models, including the adaptive cruise control.


Overall the Niro is a nice car and very comfortable, I was rather surprised to see a belt on the engine. I do hope the heat is better than the Prius - winter here gets cold and IMO that a flaw that Toyota never did resolve.
 
#37 ·
Like hakenfort, my previous car was a Prius, just one Gen 3 in my case.

One of Toyota's clever hybrid design features was to charge the small aux battery from the big hybrid battery.
I believe the Niro has a separate alternator for the aux battery which creates an extra load on the engine.
Meanwhile the Prius had NO belts under the bonnet - ( the water pump is electric).
It's a pity Kia didn't follow Toyota's example.

Also, on longer journeys you pretty much had free air-con; this is because Prius air-con runs off the hybrid battery.
On a long journey in a Prius, you'll always be regenerating more electrical power than can be captured by the battery through coasting and braking, i.e. the hybrid battery is usually full for most or all of a longer journey - especially at cruising speed. So the air-con can make use of this otherwise wasted energy.
Again it's a great idea.

Regarding heat; any hybrid I know of derives cabin heat from the engine, so the less the engine runs, the colder the cabin is. Are there hybrids with electric heaters I wonder?

My particular grouch is how dim all the button/switch illumination is at night:
Yes I know there's a rheostat but if set high enough to illuminate the various buttons, then the main display is way too bright as they are all adjusted together. The real mistake was to use red as the accent colour for all buttons; it simply doesn't show up well at night. Using plain white accent/backlighting for the buttons would have solved this.

Unfortunately Niros for the Irish market don't get keyless entry/go. I can live with this, but 'er indoors has to scramble in her handbag for the keys every time. Bit of a bummer after a keyless Prius!
 
#38 ·
One of Toyota's clever hybrid design features was to charge the small aux battery from the big hybrid battery.
I believe the Niro has a separate alternator for the aux battery which creates an extra load on the engine.
Meanwhile the Prius had NO belts under the bonnet - ( the water pump is electric).
It's a pity Kia didn't follow Toyota's example.
The gearboxes are very different, requiring different solutions, the results are surprisingly similar.
I have not seen a good description of the Niro hybrid system but assuming it to be similar to the Optima there is this document:
https://www.kiauniversity.com/cbtlib/sales/SLS-01-040-1/content/documents/pdf/Mod2_Overview.pdf
The belt driven alternator is charging the hybrid battery when the car is not moving. The graphics on the screen show one electric motor/generator but basically you have two ways of charging the hybrid battery.
The 12V battery is charged from the high voltage system, there is no separate alternator for that.
Kia Niro : Schematic diagrams : Low Voltage DC/DC Converter (LDC)

Also, on longer journeys you pretty much had free air-con; this is because Prius air-con runs off the hybrid battery.
On a long journey in a Prius, you'll always be regenerating more electrical power than can be captured by the battery through coasting and braking, i.e. the hybrid battery is usually full for most or all of a longer journey - especially at cruising speed. So the air-con can make use of this otherwise wasted energy.
The Niro has an electric A/C compressor, running of the hybrid battery.
Kia Niro : Components and components location : Power Cable
My Niro is discharging the battery when running uphill on highway, at speed. Consumption was even lower than what I expected at that speed. I would see it as very strange if the car would just charge the battery and not use it.

Regarding heat; any hybrid I know of derives cabin heat from the engine, so the less the engine runs, the colder the cabin is. Are there hybrids with electric heaters I wonder?
The Niro does have an electric PTC heater, apparently a very small one since I can't feel any difference.
Kia Niro : Heater Unit Components and components location : Heater

This is a simple resistor, better electric heaters are of HVAC heat pump type. The Niro has also a waste heat recovery system taking heat from the exhaust system. This seems to be one of the reasons for the relatively fast delivery of heat after a cold start. Obviously this requires running the engine which is bad for the PHEV users.
 
#39 ·
I love the active LKAS and the radar cruise control, the car basically drives itself on highway. I am impressed by the LKAS, how it identifies the lanes even when there is snow on the road. Great thing!

What I don't like is that the active LKAS drops off suddenly if the system feels that you are not paying attention (read: steer). I would like the car to slow down in a controlled manner if the driver is not responding. If the driver gets a stroke, the car will now continue at full speed until the LKAS will switch off at some point. :eek:
I know this is not an every day issue, I hope, but I am wondering a bit about the logic of these safety devices. The car could do it but someone has decided to implement this in a different way.

I start to dislike the info screen of the hybrid system.
-The tree is useless, too little feedback for the driver.
-The graph showing how the energy flows is wrong. We have two generators and one electric motor large enough to move the car. I know this is simplified and good enough for most purposes but I would be happy with more details.
-The fuel consumption bars have a very strange scale. It's from 0 to 30 litres per 100 km. Usually the consumption is between 4 to 6 liters and you can't really tell anything from the picture. Same goes for the electric motor. I want more frequent sampling and exact numbers in Excel format available when I stop the car :D
-a running average of the fuel consumption for the last 2 minutes, or so, would be nice. As having the latest yellow bar shown as a number.

I have coasting on, but I have not seen it do anything even when the navigator is in use. Should it do something I can see?
 
#43 ·
Well, I thought we were talking about self-regulating heaters with positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistors.
Something like this:
https://www.borgwarner.com/news-media/press-releases/2017/09/21/borgwarner-s-cabin-heater-extends-driving-range-for-new-ev

KIA has it on other cars, in the same location as shown in the Niro service manual:
Kia Forte: PTC Heater Description - Heater - Heating,Ventilation, Air Conditioning - Kia Forte TD 2014-2018 Service Manual
If the Niro has the same 12V unit as other models it would explain why it lacks power.

The Kia Niro service manual seems very consistent. Besides the previous picture we do have two relays for the 'ptc heater' in the Niro:
Kia Niro : Relay Box (Engine Compartment) Components and components location : Fuses And Relays
 
#45 ·
Well, I thought we were talking about self-regulating heaters with positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistors.
You were discussing them. I was being skeptical. While that is interesting, I'm still skeptical. I did find a picture of the PTC heater in the manual here: Kia Niro : Heater Unit Components and components location : Heater

I couldn't find a wiring diagram that might settle this issue, but like you, I cannot tell that there is any effect one might expect from a resistance heater. The heat does come on faster than other cars due to heat recovery from the exhaust system, but it takes over a mile before it is noticeable. That doesn't sound like a resistance heater working properly. I'm wondering if the relay is for water coming from the exhaust system recovery to open when temperature reaches some threshold. That picture linked above looks like it could be a small radiator rather than a resistance heater.
 
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