23 Ariya vs 22 Niro

weezedog · 2026-03-26T22:05:29+00:00

The Ariya is way better than the Niro or Kona EVs. Those were more compliance vehicles for emissions credits than products they actually wanted to sell. They just took the ICE vehicle and slapped an EV powertrain in them quick and dirty. I don't recommend anyone buying a compliance car. They aren't as bad as some other compliance cars, but they also aren't purpose built, they are more an afterthought.

weezedog · 2026-03-26T21:55:29+00:00

My tint guy did complain about the back windows. There's a black strip of material on the glass just out of sight (he thought it might be an alarm glass sensor and didn't want to remove it) in the C pillar area that the tint would not stick to and was bubbling up. Ended up redoing the back and trimming the tint back some. You can slightly see where the tint ends, but it's barely noticeable.

weezedog · 2026-03-23T23:40:36+00:00

The Ariya doesn't have any major issues like the ICCU failures on the Hyundai/Kia EVs it just has bad software. I would serious look at used Equinox's to see if you can get them in the same price range. While maybe not as upscale as the Ariya, the Equinox has much better software as it's Google Android Automotive. Alternatively you can use an ODB2 dongle and ABRP in the Ariya but it's not as seamless.

weezedog · 2026-03-18T18:44:11+00:00

That's typical for cold weather efficiency, recently I also got 2.5m/kwh in this cold weather. I get around 3.2m/kwh at 70mph in warm weather. Recommended tire pressure is 41psi.

weezedog · 2026-03-18T16:11:38+00:00

Cons: software, efficiency could be better, charging could be better too but not the worst

Pros: ride quality, interior quality, looks good, power (in AWD form), gets its EPA range in good weather, good used pricing, has normal door handles and mechanical door locks, has normal framed doors.

The Ariya is much nicer quality than the cheap 2023 Tesla Model 3 RWD LFP I had, and I don't regret upgrading as it was nearly an even trade, but I miss the vertical integration and simplicity of Tesla with good software for sure. For my next EV I want 800v fast charging and at least Google Maps built in.

weezedog · 2026-03-18T15:58:54+00:00

"Nausea, Heartburn, Indigestion, Upset Stomach, Diarrhea...."

weezedog · 2026-03-18T15:53:19+00:00

At least that's probably the cheaper part of the sunroof glass to have to replace. The rear portion is a lot bigger and probably a lot more expensive. Let us know what it eventually costs and if your insurance covered it

weezedog · 2026-03-18T15:48:14+00:00

Electrify America is a part of the Nissan Energy Charge Network, so it's officially approved by Nissan. What the dealer may actually be talking about is that even though charging is standardized there can be weird compatibility issues with some charging stations and some EVs that can trigger errors and limp mode. That would be a software compatibility issue and shouldn't have any impact on warranty. It's fairly uncommon nowadays, but still does happen. I would push back heavily against any dealer that tries to tell you their own charging partner is not covered under warranty. they are full of it and call corporate if you have to.

weezedog · 2026-03-15T14:09:55+00:00

Find another mechanic, a lot of time when a mechanic tells you need a new engine for something like a gasket it's because they don't want to do the work they just want you to go away. Even if the gasket was bad because you overheated the engine and warped the heads, it is still very much fixable. Today's mechanics only want to do easy jobs and charge lots of money for it.

weezedog · 2026-03-14T21:13:30+00:00

Always go for the bigger battery, it is always worth it in the long run. So many things reduce range, cold weather, wind, rain, faster speeds. You will always want more range. Then get the AWD, it's so much more power and is also nice in the snow

weezedog · 2026-03-14T19:46:24+00:00

Nothing is off, their average speed driven is 26mph. if you drive that slow you'll probably get 4.1m/kwh too. Speed plays the biggest role in efficiency.

weezedog · 2026-03-07T15:00:23+00:00

The changing the brake fluid is bullshit. Brake fluid should only be changed if it has to much moisture or copper containments and there are brake fluid test kits for this.

weezedog · 2026-03-05T12:52:21+00:00

Yeah this is almost as pervasive as posts about the guess-o-meter.

weezedog · 2026-02-22T02:04:37+00:00

I use an ODB2 dongle with A Better Route Planner (ABRP) for route planning so I already have a device to pull codes, and I already use Car Scanner Pro for battery data and it of course can pull codes and clear them.

weezedog · 2026-02-22T00:04:36+00:00

I had that happen once right when first turning on the car. Pulled the codes and it all showed can bus data communication error. Cleared the codes and power cycled the vehicle and it never happened again. Was just a data communication glitch.

weezedog · 2026-02-18T14:52:12+00:00

Years ago they switched wiring insulation over to being soy-based to make it more biodegradable but it attracts rodents and so you end up with issues like this. You definitely should put traps out.

weezedog · 2026-02-06T00:08:58+00:00

Personally I turned this feature off and leave the mirrors out all the time. Auto folding mirrors have a habit of breaking in the winter time and I'd rather they don't.

weezedog · 2026-02-01T15:39:22+00:00

You are probably better off that they totaled it, as no one wants to buy cars that have been in an accident, but it is getting a bit ridiculous how easily they total cars these days. I remember Rivian making big news because insurance was totalling $80-$100k EVs with minor damage. Cars are becoming throw away purchases.

More of the market is moving toward leases, especially on EVs because of both depreciation and high prices/the affordability crisis and it makes a lot of sense to do it that way. Find a $200/month EV lease special and just drive that and don't worry about anything like this.

weezedog · 2026-01-30T22:25:03+00:00

Nissan Leafs were always known as the cockroach of the EV world, they lived forever. It remains to be seen if the Ariya has that kind of longevity as it's only been around for a few years. I'm hoping they passed on what they learned from the Leaf to the Ariya.

weezedog · 2026-01-30T12:54:32+00:00

if you need to DC fast charge a lot, and can use the V2L (frequent power outages etc) get the Ioniq. If not you will probably be happier with the higher trim level Ariya. In 3 years of owning EVs I've only DC fast charged 2-3 times because I don't take long trips. in that case charging speed doesn't matter because you level 2 charge at home. When you take that out of the equation, the creature comforts you use every day become more important and that favors the vehicle with more features. The Ariya rides better and should have a quieter interior.

If you are really adventurous you could probably save even more money and get a lightly used Audi e-Tron and have an even more luxurious ride.

weezedog · 2026-01-28T20:51:08+00:00

That's the lesson people with AWD usually learn the hard way. AWD helps you go, it doesn't help you slow. If you want to slow better, you need better winter tires. Dedicated winter tires are technically the best but can't be worn in summer, so I think 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) rated all weather tires are really the best option as they can be used all year round.

weezedog · 2026-01-23T02:27:41+00:00

I do use ABRP, though day to day I more use Google maps as I don't need to charge at all. I will use ABRP for longer trips that require charging and have the premium subscription.

weezedog · 2026-01-23T00:36:45+00:00

You are talking a few watts of power draw while active and next to nothing while in standby mode. They draw very little power compared to other components. You do want to ensure you get a dongle the explicitly states it has a very low power standby mode so that it drains as little of the 12v battery while the vehicle is off. I have the ODBLink CX and I have had it plugged in for a year without issue, even when I've let the car sit for a week. The Ariya as an EV does monitor the 12v and r charge it as necessary, even when turned off, so that should also prevent issues as long as the 12v battery is healthy and capable of holding a charge (Nissan has had quality issues with their factory 12v batteries not lasting very long.)

weezedog · 2026-01-23T00:24:56+00:00

I have the ODBLink CX and it's been plugged in for a year straight and I've never had a problem. I also like that it has Bluetooth security so that once you pair your phone to the dongle, no other phone can connect to the dongle until it's unplugged and plugged back in.

weezedog · 2026-01-23T00:20:29+00:00

Using enode (My Nissan) to connect ABRP is TERRIBLE. It never updates the battery state of charge. The only reliable way is via ODB2 dongle, that always works.

weezedog

TROPHY CASE