Compare the2025 Kia NiroVS 2025 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Niro’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Niro has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Rav4 Hybrid’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Niro has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Toyota charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Rav4 Hybrid.

Both the Niro and the Rav4 Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors and available front and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

	Niro	Rav4 Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	29%	29.3%
Neck Stress	201 lbs.	306 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	106/154 lbs.	400/388 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

	Niro	Rav4 Hybrid
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	692 lbs.	835 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 3.7% less likely to roll over than the Rav4 Hybrid.

Warranty

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rav4 Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Rav4 Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th.

Engine

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 32 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 163) than the Rav4 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Rav4 Hybrid:

		MPG
Niro
	1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/54 hwy
	Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/45 hwy
Rav4 Hybrid
	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/38 hwy
	Woodland 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	38 city/35 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Niro stops much shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

	Niro	Rav4 Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	143 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	144 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Niro’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 Hybrid LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Niro Touring’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Rav4 Hybrid’s optional 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Niro has standard front gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rav4 Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Niro has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Rav4 Hybrid (107.1 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Niro SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Rav4 Hybrid XSE pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro SX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Rav4 Hybrid XSE (27.9 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Niro’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Niro may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 600 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid.

The Niro is 6.9 inches shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid, making the Niro easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Niro has 6.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 Hybrid (105.1 vs. 98.9).

The Niro has 1 inch more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom and 5.3 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Hybrid.

Servicing Ease

The Niro uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 Hybrid uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Niro SX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Niro’s standard variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 Hybrid LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Niro’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4 Hybrid.

When the Niro SX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Rav4 Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Kia Niro and Toyota Rav4 Hybrid offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Niro offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Rav4 Hybrid’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Niro and the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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