The 2019 Kia Niro is a competitor to the Toyota Prius in many ways. On top of similar fuel economy scores, the Niro’s starting price is about $500 less than the base Prius.

The two cars are similarly equipped, with two key exceptions: the Toyota gets a large, tablet-style touchscreen in top trims and every Prius gets automatic emergency braking.

We can live without the former, but the latter is literally life-saving stuff.

The Niro’s base touchscreen is nice, but it’s the only feature that’s worth a point above average. We land at a 6 for features. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

The Niro is offered in FE, LX, EX, S Touring, and Touring trim levels. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is available in LX, EX, and EX Premium trim levels that largely mirror the regular hybrid version.

The base 2019 Niro FE gets 16-inch wheels with hub caps, cloth upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, one USB plug and a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The base Niro costs $24,430, including destination.

Without automatic emergency braking, it’s hard to recommend that as a good value—particularly for a family-sized hatchback.

Instead, we see the EX as the better value for shoppers. The 2019 Niro EX gets largely the same equipment as the FE but adds upgraded cloth upholstery, heated seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear climate vents, a rear USB charger, and blind-spot monitors for $27,240. A $1,950 safety package adds forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and power-adjustable driver’s seat. A $5,300 premium package goes further with leather upholstery, sunroof, upgraded audio, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, navigation, wireless phone charger, cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and parking sensors. At less than the price of an average new car, a fully loaded Niro EX is a compelling value.

Touring trims add bigger wheels that ask for a sizable fuel economy compromise, which we cover below.

The 2019 Niro Plug-In Hybrid is largely similar in its trim levels, but offers automatic emergency braking on every model. The plug-in LX costs $4,200 more than a similarly equipped hybrid LX, the plug-in EX adds $5,500 to the cost of a hybrid version.

Top-of-the-line Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium versions cost $35,840 for all the goodies: 8.0-inch touchscreen, navigation, leather, heated and cooled seats, and a 7.0-inch digital cluster for the driver.

Niro Plug-In Hybrids are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $4,500 and applicable state incentives.

Review continues below