2001-2005 Kia Rio: Road Test

Rios cope adequately with city/suburban traffic, but struggle to reach highway speed, even at full throttle. The automatic transmission hunts annoyingly between gears, to maintain a pace on even moderate grades. One test car took a slow 11.5 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph, with an automatic transmission. The Rio feels little faster with manual shift, but the automatic wagon is more sluggish than the sedan. Fuel economy is unimpressive, given the car's light weight and mediocre power. Test Rios have averaged 25.2 mpg with an automatic transmission, 22.9 mpg with manual. Ride quality benefited from the switch to 14-inch tires for 2002. Around town, the Rio's suspension is absorbent enough to avoid jarring on broken and patchy surfaces. It's choppy on scalloped freeways, though mild bounce occurs over only the largest bumps and dips. Steering has a troublingly rubbery feel, and there's plenty of body lean and front-end plowing in turns. Poor directional stability at highway speeds occurs with any crosswind. Simulated emergency stops were no problem, with or without optional ABS. The engine moans and drones in hard acceleration, or when cruising above 55 mph or so. Wind rush is tolerably low, but tires are noisy even on fairly smooth pavement. Instruments and controls are part of an uninspired design, but logical and convenient, except for smallish audio controls. Sedans lack a tachometer and a trunklid release, but intermittent wipers have been standard. Cabin materials are slightly better than entry-level pricing would suggest. One test sedan's rear parcel shelf vibrated loudly when a rear door or the trunklid was slammed. Front-headroom is good, because seats are low to the floor. A height-adjustable driver's seat has been standard, though the optional tilt wheel does not lift that high and larger drivers may feel confined. A standard fold-down driver's armrest is a nice touch. Rearward visibility is poor on both body styles. Back seats are very tight for adult legs, unless front passengers move well ahead; even then, toe space is minimal. Wagons seem to have slightly more head room than the sedan's bare minimum. No rear cupholders are supplied. Entry/exit is tight because doors have narrow bottoms and do not open wide. Sedan trunk space is good for such a small car, but the opening won't swallow large boxes, and no fold-down rear seatback has been offered. Wagons have a split-folding rear seat, roomy cargo hold, and convenient pull-down tailgate handle, but a high floor lip hinders easy loading.

Value for the Money
Rios offer "cheap wheels" economy and a generous warranty, but Kia's resale values are low, partly due to its unproven record of reliability and low ratings on independent surveys of customer satisfaction. Toyota's Echo might be more desirable, but low resale values on a Kia translate to more appealing used-car prices.