IIHS Crash Test
Good
MPG (up to)
46 City / 46 HWY
Horsepower
139
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle David T
I love the gas mileage with this car.
I like my car because of the good gas mileage I am getting, 50 miles to the gallon in the summer and about 38 miles per gallon in the winter. The GPS system has been a life saver for myself a few times. I love the back up camera on it, you have a better chance to see in back of you.
accountCircle Kayla S
The Kia Niro, 60 mpg on every trip you take!
The car is absolutely amazing. The seats are extremely comfortable and the screen feature is very convenient. The back up camera is also a very nice touch. The mileage for the gas is incredible as well. The only complaint I have is the sizing of the trunk being a little small.
accountCircle Cassandra S
The Kia Niro is so awesome!
I have had the Kia Niro for almost 2 years now and it has not given us any problems. It is a great car for a 4 person family. My husband, our 2 daughters, and me. It fits the stuff we need and we will not need a bigger car until we have another baby. It fits our car seats, the stroller, diaper bag, boppy. The gas mileage is absolutely phenomenal!
accountCircle Jessica C
The Kia Niro is not a zero!
I absolutely love my Niro. It saves on gas money and it is super comfortable and reliable. I drive over 100 miles a day and the Niro makes my commute fun! I love the features like the blind spot detection, fog lights and seat warmers. If you need some extra “get up and go” there is a sport mode that makes this possible. I love my Niro!
accountCircle Kim P
The interior is beautiful and the backup camera is great!
The mileage has been amazing. I fill up every two weeks and I work approximately 43 miles one way to work six days per week.
accountCircle Christopher W
Great gas mileage from a battery/fuel hybrid vehicle.
Love the gas mileage from the hybrid model. The interior looks nice and it's very comfortable. The outside of the car is also nice as well and the color of the vehicle always has people asking me for Its name. Nothing much to dislike about the car at this point, so I have no complaints.
accountCircle Rebecca J
Quick gas efficient reliable ride.
I love how my car handles. I get great gas mileage, about 46 mpg. The car accelerated and goes when needed and has been a very reliable car. Only complaints, it can be noisy inside the car. The sensors can also be a bit sensitive. When stopped closely behind a car at a light it can set off the warning beeps which can be annoying.
accountCircle Crystal E
Excellent gas mileage! This car averages over 50 miles per gallon on every tank!
I like that it has super gas mileage, averaging over 50 mpg. I like that it has sport mode that I use when merging into traffic for easy acceleration. I love the color as well. The air conditioner cools the car quickly.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Judie
Undrivable
My car has been in the shop 7 times for jerking, surging, failure to accelerate, clunking upon acceleration, poor gas mileage, revving, burning odor and now it’s back with the “transmission Temp is high” warning light coming on while driving.
accountCircle Walker, P
Anti theft features might backfire
First off, Im in a fix. Because the charge cable will not uncouple from its charging socket I cannot drive the car to the dealer but must have it towed by flatbed. It wont start until the charge cable is unplugged from the car. I can unplug it from the house, but it is the car that wont release the plug. And the car will not drive with the plug attached. Hopefully this is a once in a lifetime catch-22. I’ve had the car for almost a year and its been reliable until now. It does have little shifting issues and acceleration is occasionally jerky and surprising especially in bumper to bumper traffic and lately the proximity alarm has become frequent and unexpected. There are unexpected and unidentifiable beeps from the dashboard daily. The seat and steering wheel are too hot and i notice the cold more at the edges. Occasionally I try to let the gas run out to try to see how well it would work on only electricity. The UI constantly nags me to go to a nearby gas station, eventually my wife gets sick of it and fills up the tank. A bit frustrating to work it back down from the lofty 500 plus miles per tank. Thats most of it so far. Hopefully this current large annoyance will go away permanently so that I can continue to enjoy this pretty good car. ?
accountCircle Alexis F
The Kia Niro is small and compact, has a decent sound system.
Multiple issues with the car. The hybrid system has failed twice, there is a lack of pick up when stepping on the gas, delay in reaction time. The car itself is difficult to drive and it the overall hybrid system is not the best. I would not recommend this car to anyone for the future.

Kia Niro Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
LX Hybrid
139 HP 46 MPG 5 Seats
car
EX Hybrid
139 HP 46 MPG 5 Seats
car
EX Premium Hybrid
139 HP 46 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2018 Kia Niro Owner Reviews

4.71
121 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 75%
4 stars 22%
3 stars 2%
2 stars 0%
1 star 1%
accountCircle Judie on June 5, 2021
Undrivable
My car has been in the shop 7 times for jerking, surging, failure to accelerate, clunking upon acceleration, poor gas mileage, revving, burning odor and now it’s back with the “transmission Temp is high” warning light coming on while driving.
accountCircle Kerry P on June 2, 2021
Kia Niro, fun & environmentally friendly.
I love my Kia Niro. Not only does it get great mileage, it is zippy and fun to drive. I live on a very curvy, hilly road, and I feel safe and in control in all kinds of weather. I highly recommend adding the technology package because the blind spot indicator is super helpful. I really like the adaptive cruise control too, especially for long trips.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Vicky S.

The gas mileage is excellent. Has all the bells and whistles on it, including a large GPS. Also has heated and cool seats. Driver and Passenger get to set their seating preferences. 16" Wheels and ample leg room in the back seat. Spacious travel storage.

likeFilled Karinda W.

Great fuel efficiency- it is a hybrid plug-in so I save a ton of money driving this car. It has a really nice interior, small SUV but fits a lot and back seats do go down, very comfortable, easy to drive, back-up camera, tells you how well you are driving, and lots of other really great features. I think it is a great Hybrid-Plug-In which there are not many out there. So great option if you can't go all electric but still want the fuel efficiency. I love the trim and color of my car.

likeFilled Rebecca O.

Plug in efficiency allows me to rarely have to purchase gas. It took almost 2 whole months for me to have to fill gas tank. It is roomy enough for a small family to run errands and not be packed in too tightly. It handles well in snow and ice. I love the new technology that allows us to be hands free and safer in general.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Vicky S.

My only con is I wish it was just a little higher vehicle. Even though it has the 16" Wheels, it is a lower profile SUV. I miss my higher profile vehicle. Sometimes when you stop it sounds like the engine is not running, when indeed, it is.

dislikeFilled Karinda W.

You cannot program a garage remote into the car (like the mirror)- it is apparently an extra feature. It is a small SUV. And when I bought the car it didn't come with a truck cover which is something I need living in the Bay Area. Otherwise no complaints.

dislikeFilled Rebecca O.

None really. I love this vehicle. If I had to choose one I guess it does not warm up especially quickly, maybe because of the EV option saves on fuel. Also because it is hybrid sometimes the pick up is slower than a traditional gas vehicle, but not so that it is worth the difference in costs and environmental impact.

Ranks #1 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2018 Kia Niro has an average owner rating of 4.71 out of 5 which ranks it #1 of 29 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
4.71
2
Tie
car
4.69
2
Tie
car
4.69

Ranks #1 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2018 Kia Niro has a combined MPG of 46 which ranks it #1 of 29 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
46 MPG
2
car
38 MPG
3
car
36 MPG

Is The 2018 Kia Niro A Good Car?

Yes. It has good gas mileage, is comfortable, quiet. It has a backup camera and a really easy-to-use interface for both car information and entertainment. I really like this vehicle.
Kayleigh M.

How Reliable Is The 2018 Kia Niro?

I have not run into any problems with reliability. Most things are caught in recalls when I take the car in for maintenance.
Kayleigh M.

Is The 2018 Kia Niro A Good Value?

It is a really good value. It was really inexpensive compared to other hybrids and ran about the same price as Nissan rogues. It is not a plug in but still has really great gas mileage, around 40-50... Read More
Kayleigh M.

Related Articles for 2018 Kia Niro

From the Vehicle History blog

car
Used 2018 Jeep Cherokee Buyer’s Guide
car
Kia Niro Safety Rating: Worth Your Time?

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test
(Not Rated)
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety