OK, the Lexus is out, I want an EV. New contest:
2019 Kia Niro EV with 25k miles for $20k after tax rebate
or
2018 Tesla Model 3 with 25k miles for $20k after tax rebate
Does anybody have experience with both of these vehicles?
I've heard the Teslas can be unreliable, but are they still way more reliable than ICE cars? Looks like a much more fun car, but how will it affect my mustache?
I own both, will share thoughts tonight. OK, here goes.
We bought a Kia Niro EV in February of 2022. It was our only car. We like(d) the car a lot; so much that we decided to get an EV for our 2nd car when we needed one. We stayed away from Tesla because of what we had "heard". December 2022, we test drove a M3. Minds blown. After experiencing driving and DC fast charging in the Kia Niro for almost a year, a Tesla is just on a totally different level. We got into the M3 and the Tesla dude told us to push the charge icon on the screen. All Tesla chargers within range of the vehicle based on current state of charge lit up in red, while those out of range showed but were in grey. There were dozens. Hundreds. Too many to count. The integration of Tesla SC's with the car is amazing, user friendly, and flawless. Click on a charge location and it shows how many stalls, how many are open, charger speed i.e. 150 kW or 250 kW, and nearby attractions i.e. food, drink, etc.
With Tesla, you can literally just jump in the car and drive with no planning needed. Just voice command where you want to go and the car plots the route along with any charging stops needed. The car will automatically precondition the battery while en-route to the charger to allow the fastest charging(a cold battery can't take as fast of a charge). Obviously, some planning will be beneficial such as charging to full the night before a trip, and maybe picking a hotel with a destination charger where you can top off while you sleep, etc. But you can actually just get in the car and go anywhere, anytime.
Not so in the Kia. The CCS network is not in the same universe as Tesla SC. If you take a trip in the Kia, you should have three different locations to choose from for charging, minimum. The reliability is really hit or miss. If the station isn't completely out of order, there will probably be some stalls that aren't working. Or you can't get the credit card reader to work. Or it won't communicate with your car. As I said, have a backup, and a backup to the backup. With Tesla, you just back up to the charger, grab the handle, plug it in, done. Over 99% uptime on their chargers.
Our Kia's *MAX* charge speed is 75 kW, so it often only charges at maybe 50 kW after maybe 50%, I forget exactly as we don't really drive long distance in it anymore. The Tesla will charge at 250 kW at low state of charge.
Ok, maybe you don't want to road trip frequently. Tesla will be more efficient for local driving. My car has averaged about 4.1 miles/kWh vs our Niro at around 3.5. 17% more efficient over the lifetime of the car will add up, IMO.
Range. Our Kia does really quite good around town, but on the highway, the larger battery and higher efficiency REALLY add up.
Lets talk worst case scenario.
Kia, 239 mile range. Highway 70+ constant speed, you are down to about 190-200, but you don't want to drive to 0%. Throw in really cold weather, you are under 150 miles. Wait, you charged to 80% at your last stop, because it takes forever to charge past 80%. OK, <120 miles now. Better hope there's a functional charger in range.
With Tesla in this worst case scenario, you will still have a good 200 miles range.
We like the Kia a lot. If we had to do it over again, we would have bought a Tesla from the start. It's just a *drastically* better EV when you consider the total package. If we get access to Tesla's network in 2025, it will be a big improvement but still won't have Tesla's flawless, user friendly integration.
Disclaimer. Our 2023 build quality/QC/panel alignment etc is very very good. Road/wind/tire noise is very good. Not a single squeak or rattle in 18k miles. I've been told 2018-2023 is totally different in terms of build quality, so I'd be sure to do a good test drive and look over the car carefully to make sure your ok with any potential cosmetic build quality issues, and that you are happy with the ride and NVH aspects of the car as I can't speak to them.
We bought the Kia when Tesla prices were much higher so new would have been out of the question but we'd buy a used Tesla over a new KIA if we could go back. Again, we still like the car and will keep it for a long time.
The Tesla offers much better one pedal driving than the Kia. It's tricky to not *have* to use the brake from time to time in the Kia.....you really have to carefully time when to pull the paddle on the steering wheel to bring the car to a complete stop...then if you let off a bit because you are stopping to short, it rolls too much and won't stop in time with the paddle and you have to press the break. It's just not smooth, easy, and intuitive like the Tesla.
The VESS sound is too loud on the Kia. Depending on year, the backup sound on the Kia is obnoxious...like a dump truck backing up. Do you back out of your driveway with close neighbors early in the morning? If so, they might hate you.
