Acceleration

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
3	2	3.4

Adequate around town with either transmission, but wants for highway passing power. Manual transmission shifts easily, has light clutch action; test sedan did 9.4 sec 0-60 mph. Smooth automatic kicks down quickly enough to summon what power is available, but similar test Hyundai Accent sedan took a lengthy 11.1 sec 0-60.

Fuel Economy

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
7	6	7

Test manual-transmission LX sedans averaged 27.2-28.4 mpg, including gas-eating performance runs. Automatic-transmission Rio5 averaged 23 mpg in a test heavy on urban commuting.

Ride Quality

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
5	5	5

Rios are solidly built and generally comfortable subcompacts. Still, some jouncing on wavy pavement, thumping on smaller bumps, occasional jolts on larger disturbances.

Steering/Handling/Braking

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
4	5	5.1

Urban-friendly size abetted by quick, accurate steering. Rio5 feels almost sporty, helped by standard 15-inch and optional 16-inch tires. All have moderate cornering lean. Rio5 has adequate grip, but sedans tend to noseplow. Gusty crosswinds affect straightline stability. Available ABS furnishes good stopping control, pedal feel. But a test LX without ABS suffered early rear-wheel lockup in rapid braking on wet roads.

Quietness

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
4	4	3.9

Engine noisy at higher rpm. Cruising less noisy with automatic transmission vs. manual. Moderate wind rush. Lots of tire thrum over coarse pavement, some thumping over bumps.

Controls

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
6	6	5.7

Clear gauges. Large, handy audio and climate controls angled toward driver. Most cabin surfaces are hard plastic, but Rio equals some costlier cars for materials, assembly quality.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
5	5	5.4

Good head and leg room. Firm, comfortable seats, though larger drivers may want wider cushions. Driver seat adjusts for height, has fold-down right armrest. Standard tilt steering wheel save base sedan. Poor visibility to rear corners in Rio5.

Room/Comfort (rear)

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
3	3	3.7

Quite good for a subcompact. Head and toe room adequate, leg room tight only with front seat well back. Fairly easy ingress/egress. Seat nicely contoured. Rio5's reclining seatbacks a rarity in this class.

Cargo Room

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
2	6	4.6

All but base sedan have split folding rear seatback. Sedan's doesn't lie flat, rests above level of trunk floor, and opening is cramped. Release awkwardly placed toward center of seats. Trunklid hinges dip into load area. Rio5 has more total volume, handy backrest releases, and a flip-forward seat bottom that lets seatbacks lie nearly flat. Interior storage includes five small bins, but only a small glovebox and no console cubby.

Value within Class

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
9	9	7.1

These smallest Kias are best suited to undemanding, low-speed work. That's not unexpected in the subcompact class. What makes Rio a Best Buy is that it's a surprisingly well-built low-price car with a strong warranty. It also delivers a lot for the money, notably standard front side airbags and curtain side airbags. The base sedan offers no options, so you must move up to a costlier LX or SX to get such features as air conditioning, automatic transmission, and ABS.

Total Score

LX, man.	Rio5 SX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
48	51	50.9

Scores for all Subcompact Cars

Low Score		45
Average Score		50
High Score		57