Once upon a time basic transportation was unexciting. Sometimes owners grew to hate a car they had loved when it was shiny, bright and new. Sadly, ownership became like a bad marriage, only the irreconcilable differences were shoddy workmanship. Displeasure created a self fulfilling prophecy. Those who didn’t like their car neglected critical maintenance, things like oil and filter changes. Soon the econo box began to burn oil making the owner hate it more. Even though the downward spiral was at least his or her fault in part. If you’ve ever sworn at your car, you know what I mean.Thankfully those days are gone. Today you can buy a really good car for not much money. A good example is the 2008 Kia Rio, one of the least expensive cars extant. The good news gets better. Not only is this subcompact car affordable, its mileage is eyebrow raising good.
So it comes as no surprise to learn that under the hood resides a diminutive four-cylinder motor. In this case, a 1.6-liter power plant with 110 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard equipment, with a four-speed automatic optional on all but the base sedan. I drove a Rio SX with the automatic. While hardly a tire scorcher, acceleration proved strong enough to suite most tastes. I timed a zero to 60 mph elapsed time of about ten seconds. Not bad. That’s quick enough for seamlessly merging into highway traffic. Add passengers though and acceleration wanes. Whenever I needed an immediate burst of speed, I manually downshifted into a lower gear. For those aficionados who prefer a little more zip, performance feels stronger with the manual transmission.
As mentioned early on, fuel economy is a Rio strong suite, with an EPA projection of 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway with the manual transmission and 25/35 mpg for the automatic. That translates into a range of 320 to 380 miles.
Handling manners are also good, especially considering the Kia’s short wheelbase. During testing I could feel pavement imperfections more than I would have with a bigger car. But that’s the price you pay for not paying a big price. Steering response is quick and precise. I found the ride to be smooth and stable even when tooling along at interstate speeds. Here’s one car where choice of tiers makes a big difference. Rio sedan is available in the base, the LX and SX models. The more expensive LX and SX boast wider tires with greater road grip.
I was particularly impressed by the relatively low noise levels. Don’t misunderstand. At high rpm the engine growls. I heard wind rush, and the tires were a little noisy. But for a car of this class, no problem. Keeping in mind adding sound proofing would have added weight, degraded mileage and acceleration, plus added to the sticker price.
For safety sake Rio includes front seat airbags and full length side curtain airbags. Anti lock brakes are optional. Good to know, Kia Rio scored four out of five stars for driver protection and five stars for passenger protection. While in side-impact tests Rio earned four stars for front-occupant protection and three stars for rear passengers.
The interior is nice and roomy. Front seat headroom and legroom are more than adequate for a car of this class. Seat comfort is impassively good, unless you are tall. A fold-down armrest is standard for the driver. In back, headroom is tight for 6-footers, but legroom is fully adequate. Cargo space is problematic, understandable with a small car. The sedans’ split folding rear seat doesn’t like flat and the trunk opening is cramped.
As for standard equipment, base Rio is undeniably Spartan and is limited to variable intermittent wipers a tachometer and automatic off headlights. Upholstery is cloth. Realistically, only a miser would buy the base model. Most drivers will be interested in spending a couple of thousand dollars more for the LX.
Moving up to the LX adds the previously mentioned wider tires, air-conditioning, power steering, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat, a tilt steering wheel and a CD player with an auxiliary audio jack.
Sporty SX adds fog lights, a rear spoiler, metallic interior accents, drilled metal pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a black-with-red-accents cabin theme, fog lights and alloy wheels for good looks and tauter handling. Rio SX is lots of fun to drive. My sole complaint about Kia Rio, base though SX models is that cruise control is unavailable.
Finally, Kia boasts a tantalizingly long powertrain warranty: Ten years or 100,000-miles.
So it comes as no surprise to learn that under the hood resides a diminutive four-cylinder motor. In this case, a 1.6-liter power plant with 110 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard equipment, with a four-speed automatic optional on all but the base sedan. I drove a Rio SX with the automatic. While hardly a tire scorcher, acceleration proved strong enough to suite most tastes. I timed a zero to 60 mph elapsed time of about ten seconds. Not bad. That’s quick enough for seamlessly merging into highway traffic. Add passengers though and acceleration wanes. Whenever I needed an immediate burst of speed, I manually downshifted into a lower gear. For those aficionados who prefer a little more zip, performance feels stronger with the manual transmission.
As mentioned early on, fuel economy is a Rio strong suite, with an EPA projection of 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway with the manual transmission and 25/35 mpg for the automatic. That translates into a range of 320 to 380 miles.
Handling manners are also good, especially considering the Kia’s short wheelbase. During testing I could feel pavement imperfections more than I would have with a bigger car. But that’s the price you pay for not paying a big price. Steering response is quick and precise. I found the ride to be smooth and stable even when tooling along at interstate speeds. Here’s one car where choice of tiers makes a big difference. Rio sedan is available in the base, the LX and SX models. The more expensive LX and SX boast wider tires with greater road grip.
I was particularly impressed by the relatively low noise levels. Don’t misunderstand. At high rpm the engine growls. I heard wind rush, and the tires were a little noisy. But for a car of this class, no problem. Keeping in mind adding sound proofing would have added weight, degraded mileage and acceleration, plus added to the sticker price.
For safety sake Rio includes front seat airbags and full length side curtain airbags. Anti lock brakes are optional. Good to know, Kia Rio scored four out of five stars for driver protection and five stars for passenger protection. While in side-impact tests Rio earned four stars for front-occupant protection and three stars for rear passengers.
The interior is nice and roomy. Front seat headroom and legroom are more than adequate for a car of this class. Seat comfort is impassively good, unless you are tall. A fold-down armrest is standard for the driver. In back, headroom is tight for 6-footers, but legroom is fully adequate. Cargo space is problematic, understandable with a small car. The sedans’ split folding rear seat doesn’t like flat and the trunk opening is cramped.
As for standard equipment, base Rio is undeniably Spartan and is limited to variable intermittent wipers a tachometer and automatic off headlights. Upholstery is cloth. Realistically, only a miser would buy the base model. Most drivers will be interested in spending a couple of thousand dollars more for the LX.
Moving up to the LX adds the previously mentioned wider tires, air-conditioning, power steering, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat, a tilt steering wheel and a CD player with an auxiliary audio jack.
Sporty SX adds fog lights, a rear spoiler, metallic interior accents, drilled metal pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a black-with-red-accents cabin theme, fog lights and alloy wheels for good looks and tauter handling. Rio SX is lots of fun to drive. My sole complaint about Kia Rio, base though SX models is that cruise control is unavailable.
Finally, Kia boasts a tantalizingly long powertrain warranty: Ten years or 100,000-miles.
Wheelbase - 98.4 inches
Engine - 1.6 L I-4
Horsepower - 110 @ 6000 rpm
Transmission - 5-spd automatic
Fuel capacity - 11.9 gallons
Curb weight - 2365 pounds
Mileage - 27/33
Base price- $14,465
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