Toyota RAV4 Prime vs. Kia Niro EV: The More Practical Choice Is Clear
The decision between the Toyota RAV4 Prime and the Kia Niro EV comes down to the powertrain. Which is best for you?
Written by Andrew Kidd
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
It was neck-and-neck for the 2022
Kia Niro Electric
and the 2022 Toyota
RAV4 Prime in Consumer Reports’ (CR) latest reviews of the two SUVs. So how do you decide between the two?As
CR’s ratings indicate
, the RAV4 Prime and the Niro have identical overall scores, with each vehicle showing minor tradeoffs in areas such as owner satisfaction, acceleration and braking. Based on that alone, it’s difficult to definitively recommend what you should buy. But there is another consideration to keep in mind if you’re selecting between the two.
How to tell if the all-electric Kia Niro is right fo ryou
The real deciding factor between these two SUVs is based on their powertrains; the RAV4 Prime is a plug-in hybrid, while the Kia is all-electric.
While going electric is all the rage lately, your mileage will literally vary depending on access to EV charging infrastructure in your area.
If you commute less than 200 miles a day and have plenty of
charging options
along the way, the Kia Niro is the obvious choice here. Range anxiety is very real, and it’s how automakers found out it was a bad move to suggest that drivers stick with lower-range EVs, citing the fact that the average vehicle in the U.S. travels less than 40 miles a day.And as
J.D. Power reports
, electric vehicles with lower ranges usually had lower-than-average customer satisfaction ratings. Not really a problem for the Kia Niro, with its 240-mile range.Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
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The Toyota RAV4 Prime has the perks of being a hybrid
But if that range rating or the availability of charging infrastructure in your area is giving you some second thoughts about going electric, the hybrid Toyota RAV4 Prime might be up your alley.
As a plug-in hybrid, you’re able to charge it where possible when you don’t want to tap into its gas reserves (especially important as gas prices have reached record levels), making short electric-powered trips within your city possible.
Where the RAV4 Prime really excels is its range. Fully fueled and charged, the RAV4 Prime can reach a cruising range of up to 540 miles, or nearly three times the range of the all-electric Kia Niro.
Not without its quirks
Hybrid cars also have some quirks that can make them more expensive to insure like their fully electric counterparts. That includes the upfront cost of the vehicle, their quietness (which can make them difficult to hear in pedestrian-dense areas) as well as the tendency of their owners to drive more since they’re saving on fuel costs.
And while they’re usually covered by many of the same discounts as all-electric vehicles, non-unionized manufacturers like Toyota and Honda are being excluded from these benefits.
Whether you choose a hybrid or an all-electric vehicle, it pays to shop around for insurance—and Jerry can help with that.
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customers save an average of $887 a year to insure their vehicle. If you’re deterred by the work of gathering quotes and you’d rather leave it to someone else, the Jerry app collects quotes from over 50 top insurance companies, like Nationwide, Allstate, Safeco, Progressive, and Travelers, in seconds Jerry even helps cancel your old policy once you’ve made your pick.Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan.
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