No difference in anything (though it must add some drag). I don't notice any sound or MPG difference... I also haven't even used the darn things yet...suppose I just like them as part of the car and want to be prepared. I believe the max load for this set up with the 'flush mount' KIA rails is 230lbs max for the Niro.

Hi, to be clear, if you set the climate controls to 80F and the blower on high (or whatever your climate choices) before you turn the car off, it will remember those settings and will heat the car when you turn it on with the key fob. The Niro won't remember the heated seats or steering wheel option you choose before shutting er down, but it will remember you climate settings.

Yes, I may make a short video on this. I had another commenter ask a question about how cabin air heating works in this car, here was answer : Yes, good questions. With the KIA connect app you can turn on your climate controls, your heated seat setting and your steering wheel (really nice) all remotely. There is an electric PTC (Positive Temp Coefficient) heater behind the traditional heater core which will condition the cabin air without the engine . This electric heater runs on high voltage battery power. This said, every morning in our Vermont Winter I was able to heat the car and turn on my heated seats and wheel without the gas engine coming on. I did this each morning with my phone while packing my lunch for 10 minutes. Now, if you turn all the heated seats (front and back) to high and have the heated seats on high, and the steering wheel this may cause the engine to kick on somewhere in your commute and run at 1400rpm to supplement the continues high voltage you need...then the traditional heater core would be active. The car has a HSG (Hybrid Starter Generator) that both starts the engine and generates a tun of high voltage power. Now, the batter is liquid cooled but I do not see evident of any heater in the pack. I have a 3600pg manual, and I just don't think they included a heater. The Battery Management System is tracking cell temps, but no clear heater present. Battery Conditioning is an excellent question. I don't know yet. I believe the slow nature of 1200watt home charging is good for the batteries and I am hoping the charger top is less then 90% as toping to 80% could extend the pack life for like 10 years. This is an area I'd like to get smarter about. Anywho, I really enjoy this car and good luck with your choice

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid Thanks for your detailed explanation. I was wondering if you can heat the car without the engine running ;))

Oh, forgot to ask. So can you just turn on the drivers seat to low and the heated steering wheel only?

@@beavon39 Yup, the heated seat has 3 levels of power, and the steering wheel has one. These features are so nice here in VT

@@beavon39 Yes. If you have the PHEV model you will have a high voltage electric heater that can heat the cabin and operate the heated steering wheel and seat. If your battery is charged, it is a system that works very well.

Yeah, great thoughts on this choice. Coincidentally my wife and I bought the 2007 Fit when it first came out. Man, that was the perfect car for us...totally a fan. Had a 4 speed stick 89 Civic hatch that beats the FIT and almost beats this Niro for MPG's :) . My goal is to get 10 years or more out of this battery and hopefully it can still retain 7 or 8 KWH of its original capacity. I have no plans of ever changing the battery, who knows where society and battery tech will be in 10 years. Good luck. Thanks for watching

Really enjoy the sound quality. When we first drove it, some of our music sounded a bit thin, but make sure you jump into your audio settings and you can bring the 'highs and lows' up to your liking. This was worth tinkering with. The interior is really sharp looking at night. You may even find yourself turning off the display or running it in clock mode, I tend to ride like this and between the music and simple lines, I think you will like :)

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid Awesome 👏 Thanks you

Roof rack has been quite with no issues... I've never actually used it though, so I can't actually review how rugged it really is. Max weight is 230 lbs I believe. Seems nice and solid

Thanks, I purchased a 3600 page manual for the Niro at www.factory-manuals.com . I have really enjoyed reading this repair manual and learning the nuts and bolts of all the on board systems.

power is more then adequate, the electric motor is a 80hp (60,000 watt) motor and does fine as long as you don't goose the throttle to hard. A lot of the higher end power is happening around 3500-5000 rpm, so the engine can get a little buzzy on occasion, but I am impressed with the power 95% of the time.

Just did this recently myself, climbing into Flagstaff from the north side. Battery was nearly empty at the start and the car was loaded up with ~800 lbs including people. Once the battery died, couldn't go faster than about 65 mph without really running the engine hard >5000 rpm. With the battery I was doing 75 mph no problem. To be honest, if you are doing long distance highway driving you shouldn't run electric basically at all so that you have the power needed for inclines like this. I knew that going in, but thought I had enough battery for the climb. Moved across country with this car loaded up with the heaviest stuff we owned, averaged 45 mpg. Had to dodge some tires on the road and the car handled like it wasn't even loaded up. The Kia Niro PHEV is incredible. Well made, efficient, roomy. Very happy with this car.

These are both helpful answers. @drradar, your example is more relevant to my concern as I live in the Rockies and have been wondering how the naturally aspirated 1.6 liter four-popper would handle mountain passes, after the battery is used up and in a loaded up car. It sounds like I should just be realistic and be patient!

@@acsmoothing2262 Keep the battery at ~50% and it will perform beautifully in the mountains if you have up and down. We visited Sequoia National park last year and that involves a 7000 ft climb. Having the battery at 50% we had enough electricity to supplement the gas on the climb and then could absorb all the energy with regen coming down out of the park again. Huge load off the brakes and far more efficient overall than what a hybrid can handle with the small battery they have.

I hear you. For me, it has been annoying a few times, but overall , it a nice clean look, and most people don't know that you can select either button (top climate / or bottom media) and it will flip screens. You don't have to think so much, just click it and make an option. I love the size of the car, so I get into the flow of driver operation and really love how it handles. Good luck with your choice, so far it checked all my boxes

Yes, good questions. With the KIA connect app you can turn on your climate controls, your heated seat setting and your steering wheel (really nice) all remotely. There is an electric PTC (Positive Temp Coefficient) heater behind the traditional heater core which will condition the cabin air without the engine . This electric heater runs on high voltage battery power. This said, every morning in our Vermont Winter I was able to heat the car and turn on my heated seats and wheel without the gas engine coming on. I did this each morning with my phone while packing my lunch for 10 minutes. Now, if you turn all the heated seats (front and back) to high and have the heated seats on high, and the steering wheel this may cause the engine to kick on somewhere in your commute and run at 1400rpm to supplement the continues high voltage you need...then the traditional heater core would be active. The car has a HSG (Hybrid Starter Generator) that both starts the engine and generates a tun of high voltage power. Now, the batter is liquid cooled but I do not see evident of any heater in the pack. I have a 3600pg manual, and I just don't think they included a heater. The Battery Management System is tracking cell temps, but no clear heater present. Battery Conditioning is an excellent question. I don't know yet. I believe the slow nature of 1200watt home charging is good for the batteries and I am hoping the charger top is less then 90% as toping to 80% could extend the pack life for like 10 years. This is an area I'd like to get smarter about. Anywho, I really enjoy this car and good luck with your choice

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid I suspect the battery is heated by the fluid that is also used for cooling but don't know for sure. It only makes sense that they'd have protection for recharging in sub freezing temperatures to protect the cells from damage. I have a 2024 with the PTC heater and it works well. I generally charge to about 80% unless I know I'm going to use the full capacity and then charge overnight to 100%.

@@chrisi1920 I sure wish heating this battery was possible through the 'battery cooling system', of which the High Voltage AC compressor can chill the coolant fluid, but the heater core which draws heat from the engine block is only active when the ICE engine is active and making heat. There is no high voltage electric heater except for the PTC (Positive Temp Coefficient) heater behind the traditional heater core which will condition the cabin air for the driving and passenger cabin. not cool for KIA, but other than Toyota, PHEV's rarely have battery heaters. ughh

Our channel host knows much more about this subject than I do (and especially how it applies to the Kia Niro), but, as a general matter, crankcase oil is supposed to be changed on a mileage OR calendar date basis, whichever comes first. That's because condensation, blow-by fuel, acids, impurities, etc. can build up in oil over time, and not just from intensive engine use. Minimal or sporadic use of ICE engines - while it minimizes use of fuel - is not particularly good for engines or engine oil (or starter batteries). As I recall, our channel host discusses this topic in an earlier video.

@@ttnyny Thanks for the info…my ICE comes on periodically and I do get oil changes every 6 months so hopefully that will be enough to protect against all those issues. I hope the electric drive motor is able to stand the wear and tear…only time will tell. So far, this car looks like the perfect vehicle for my situation.

@@ttnyny Yes, the oil change interval is a interesting topic, I'm going to cover the manufactures service schedule recommendations in the next video. When KIA outlines 'normal' and 'severe use' service maintenance schedule there are many driving conditions that may seem normal but KIA considers Severe and recommends 5,000 mile oil changes (regardless of whether the actual ICE engine only has only say 1000 miles of actual load to the transmission. Thanks, I will check out your channel :)

I heard a part of the reason for semi-annual oil changes is because of moisture buildup in the motor oil of a car that doesnt run the engine as often.

@@BoundlessParadise Makes sense to me. I just imagine leaving my car in the driveway for a week and then suddenly starting the engine at 60mph and she's up and running. How does the engine block deal with that immediate load and build up of heat? The engine block is made from high pressure diecast aluminum and so are the pistons heads and rods themselves. I just assume that this is harder on the oils and components and worth changing oil even though 5000-8000 is really not an accurate milage clocked on the combustion engine

yikes... what a slip up. Thanks! :) now I have to update the title

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid love your humor in the new title

@KiaNiroPluginHybrid, Running Nokians year round?

@@gilbrook Geez, I'm embarrassed to say yes, but yeah. I do not recommend it (should have made that clear in the video) of course (waste of money) but my work requires a heavy tread... saving for good all seasons.

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid For safety sake, I’m considering outfitting 2025 Kia Niro HEV SX with year round Michelin CrossClimate2 tires. Nothing to be embarrassed about.

Hi, thanks for the great comment and your insights. Yeah, geez, this car has been great for the family and me, but I wish they didn't go with a GDI design. Well, when you want to get every possible mile out of a 'drop of fuel' as was the ambition of the Niro and a quote from KIA's CEO, you end up with a GDI I suppose. Our Kappa II engine shoots that fuel in at about 280psi. I'm treating the tank with a LUCAS brand fuel treatment about once a month...every 3rd tank up or so. Using the AMSOIL hybrid OW-16 oil and have had 3 oil change samples tested with satisfactory results. Man I really like the way they layed out the power train. Thank 80hp electric motor is really perfect. I'm hoping at 80-100k miles there isn't a black crusty mess waiting for us on the back side of those intake valves. I run the car in sport mode occasionally and push it a little for say 15-20 miles on the way how from work. I believe it is higher temps that help the carbon release. I plan on getting a the endoscope on this piston heads soon for a comprehensive review on the channel soon. Thanks so much

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid Thank you for reply! My car is fine so far, getting ready to put some fuel in it and will for sure put some fuel treatment, even though they say it is not required if good fuel (Top Tier) is used. Double clutch solution is getting bit milky at close to 9000km so will replace it, your video on that is also very usefull. I've bought this car with 8700 km on it, Kia certified and inspected. Oil was replaced but they obviously didn't bother replacing clutch fluid as it was not due. I think we are really not sure if bit of residue in it is really that bad, but since it is not to expensive or complicated - why not. My biggest dissapointment is not the car itself, but the fact that I live in a building and strata refused me to use outlet that is just next to my car. Electricity is my profession and I've checked builiding panels and I know there is no any issue in doing so, especially as you can set charge current to lower value (say 8A). When weater is ok and there is no rain I can bike or walk to 2km L2 charing station, only one in vicinity where you don't have to pay addiitonal parking fee. You realize that those cars are not really practical if you don't have your own house. If driven in hybrid mode only, consumption can be so low that actually gasoline gets cheaper than public L2 charger especially as they charge by hour not kWh .. and charging Niro is rather slow, even on L2. cheers!

yup, sure do love this car... doing a 20k review soon. I'm at 21,111 after exactly one year of driving

Thanks for all the info. Yeah, I have really enjoyed this car, hope you do to. The size has been perfect for my 2 kids and myself. Thanks for the info on your Rondo 07... love the wagon style. Faint resemblance to the 1988 Civic Wagon which is on my list of all time coolest.

Hi I got it here www.factory-manuals.com/shop/2023-kia-niro-repair-manual/ This address should take you to the Factory Manuals correct listing for 2023 Niro Repair manual . This Download covers the PHEV model and is just over 3,600 pages of pictures and process illustrations . Hope this helps, I have found my copy very very useful in understanding how all the systems work and integrate.

Love the comment. Time will tell. I had .8% fuel dilution in my last crank case oil lab test. 3k sounds smart. I'm using AMSOIL hybrid OW-16, hoping its the best

Ok thanks