The EV market is getting more and more crowded by the day. There are a few EVs that are underrated in comparison to the more popular cars. One of those underrated EVs is the 2022 Kia Niro EV, and while it seems like Kia will replace the Niro EV with the EV6, the Niro EV is a pretty good car. Here’s a look at four reasons car shoppers should buy a 2022 Kia Niro EV and not the brand-new 2022 Toyota bZ4X.

1. The 2022 Kia Niro EV is the more affordable car

Since both electric SUVs are affordable to the average person, their price tags matter a lot. According to Edmunds, the Niro EV is simply the cheaper option. The Niro EV has a starting price tag of about $40,000, while the bZ4X starts at about $42,000. This price difference is still there with the cars’ top trims. 

For example, a fully-loaded Niro EV will cost just under $48,000. In comparison, the top trim of the bZ4X starts at just under $49,000, without including options. That being said, both cars are eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, so their true price tags can be much lower.

2. Kia offers a better standard warranty for the Niro EV

Kia is well-known for having some generous warranties, which is still true for the Niro EV. According to Edmunds, Kia offers a 5-year or 60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year or 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty for the Niro EV. In comparison, the bZ4X has a 3-year or 36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year or 60,000-mile drivetrain warranty. 

Kia also offers a 5-year or 100,000-mile rust warranty and a 5-year or 60,0000-mile roadside warranty. Toyota’s warranty offering in those categories is an improvement, as Toyota offers a 5-year and unlimited mileage rust warranty and a 2-year and unlimited mileage roadside warranty. 

3. The 2022 Kia Niro EV has more torque than the 2022 Toyota bZ4X

In terms of power, both EVs get the same amount of horsepower from their electric motors, as they both get 201 hp. However, in terms of their torque, the Kia has a significant advantage over the Toyota. The standard bZ4X only gets about 196 lb-ft of torque, while the standard Niro EV gets 291 lb-ft of torque. Toyota offers an option that can boost the car’s output to 215 hp and 249 lb-ft of torque, but that’s still much less torque than what the Kia has.

That extra torque will allow the Niro EV to have some excellent driving dynamics, especially in acceleration. The Niro EV can go from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds, while the bZ4X will need about 7.7 seconds.

4. The Kia is a much lighter car than the Toyota is

On top of that, the Niro EV is a significantly lighter car than the bZ4X. Edmunds wrote that the Niro EV has a curb weight of 3,854 pounds, while the bZ4X has a curb weight of 4,266 pounds. That’s a weight difference of just over 400 pounds.

Plus, the Toyota EV has a slightly bigger payload capacity. As such, the Toyota can be over 500 pounds heavier in terms of its gross weight. This big weight difference hurts the Toyota’s driving dynamics, and when combined with the Kia’s superior torque, it also makes the Niro EV a funner car to drive.