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Kia Rio Test Drive - What Did You Think?

25 messages,  Last post on Sep 28, 2006 at 6:47 PM

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#16 of 25 Re: I saw the new Rio too [spmrebel] by doohickie Sep 10, 2005 (8:50 am)
Replying to: spmrebel (Sep 09, 2005 8:31 pm) Thanks! I'll look into it. I'm a little closer to buying.... sold my old Ford Aspire today. It was a good car for me.
#17 of 25 by spectraman Sep 30, 2005 (6:22 am)
Nice, matter-of-fact, test drive and review of the new Rio.   http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/northwest/drivingnw/stories/NW_092405DNWkiaEL.88dc966d.- html   Excerpt:   The Rio is a cute, tidy and Spartan package. There are plenty of people out there looking for the simple luxury of transportation to and from work or school. This car fills that niche well. When you stop and think about it, vehicles like this are all most of us really need. Cars in this class are plentiful in Asia and Europe. Honda and Nissan are bringing cars in this class to the U.S. soon.   Obviously, Americans are accustomed to much more car powered by cheap gas. Recent pump prices have people re-thinking their driving choices. Will the gas crunch of 2005 vault the Korean brands into the minds of consumers the way the energy crisis of the 70’s propelled the Japanese? The next few years will be interesting.
#18 of 25 I got to drive the sucker... by idrankwhat Oct 07, 2005 (5:26 pm)
...And I'm happy. I am 6'3". It's not easy for me to find a car in which I actually fit. I drove it, and it was relatively smooth with a pep that I remember from my old '87 Civic.   The dealer's going to let a friend of mine know when the Rio5 gets in, which they estimated about 3 weeks. Then I will get that sucker and drive it till the warranty runs out.   Well laid-out vehicle.
#19 of 25 idrankwhat... by iluvmysephia1 Oct 08, 2005 (5:44 am)
did you drive a 2006 Kia Rio 4-door sedan with the automatic tranny or a manual tranny? Good for you to get a test drive in one. Report more as you go so we can all learn along with you, OK? Replies to this message: idrankwhat (Oct 08, 2005 10:02 am)
#20 of 25 Re: idrankwhat... [iluvmysephia1] by idrankwhat Oct 08, 2005 (10:02 am)
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Oct 08, 2005 5:44 am) I test-drove the a/t 4-door. I didn't have to slam my foot to the floor (and hold it) to get it up to merge with traffic.   It felt very roomy, and the meters weren't strangely placed like the Scion's. It most definitely had MUCH better pickup than a Scion Xb a/t.   Again, I was shocked that I fit in the thing.
#21 of 25 Test drive by backy Oct 08, 2005 (5:46 pm)
I finally got to drive the new Rio today! Here are my impressions:   backy, "The Forums Test Drive Team" #171, 8 Oct 2005 9:41 pm
#22 of 25 Rio5 impressions by backy Jan 29, 2006 (11:35 am)
I finally got to see and drive the Rio5 yesterday. I had driven a '06 Rio LX weeks ago, but my local dealer didn't keep a Rio5 in stock long enough for me to see it, until last week. The dealer had two blue Rio5s in stock, both with automatic and power package. I drove one of them and it was similar in feel to the LX--solid structure, acceptable but not brisk acceleration, lively but not harsh ride, tossable handling. Interior-wise, the blue/black sport cloth interior was much more interesting than the cloth in the LX. There was also metallic trim around the center stack that looked sharp. The driving position is easy to tailor using the dual-knob height adjuster, and the arm rest attached to the right side of the driver's seat sits at just the right angle for shifting (not really an issue with the automatic). In the back, foot room was generous under the driver's seat and knee room was just sufficient for me (5'10"). Not much room in the rear center, naturally. The seat bottom folds forward (not a snap to do) and the rear seat backrest folds down to create a level floor, but there is about a 2" step where the seat backs hinge. There's enough room in the back for a few bags of groceries with the rear seats up.   I think the Rio5 is a good little car, but I am still struggling over the value proposition. The Rio5 equipped as I want it with automatic, ABS, and power package is just under $16k. A loaded Elantra GLS 5-door with that same equipment plus cruise control, traction control, and power moonroof (and a lot more interior and cargo room) is $16.7k. But the Elantra has $1500 in rebates; there are no rebates I qualify for on the Rio5. Which means the Elantra costs less than the Rio5. The Rio5 has alloys, side curtains, and better fuel economy than the Elantra. But the Rio did worse on the NHTSA crash tests than the Elantra (IIHS results not out yet for the Rio/Rio5). I don't need alloys (I need traction control much more, and I like having a moonroof and cruise.) And I don't put enough miles on a car to make the mpg differences a big deal.   So the bottom line for me is, unless Kia adds some general rebates to the Rio5, it won't be finding its way into my garage.
#23 of 25 Surprised by the Rio5 by b3nut Feb 07, 2006 (3:38 pm)
I'm going to be replacing my Escort ZX2 in 2 or 3 months, and I've been shopping around. The Rio5 surprised me when I took it for a spin...they've come a long way. The dealer told me that they're holding off on the aftermarket cruise though, until the local shop that installs them gets the new Rio procedures dialed in. They installed one, and it took 3 returns to get it right. Hopefully they'll get whatever issues there are ironed out, as I believe the lack of a factory cruise option to be a glaring omission on any car.   But the hatch handiness, ride quality, gas mileage, and price are making the Rio5 look really attractive, and that Sapphire Blue doesn't hurt either! There's a lot of room in that little car, and the interior is logically laid-out (though a regular center armrest would be nice, not just the little fold-out one for the driver). I could see this car rocking for my 15-20 mile commute back and forth to work, and occasional trips to boot.   So far, I've tried the Focus ZX5, Rio5, and Elantra 5-door...I love the Focus road manners but the fuel econ is only so-so...the Rio5's 29/38 with the slushbox (I'm under orders to get an auto, my wife can't drive my stick 'scort) looks *really* good in light of where gas prices are going.   Todd in Beerbratistan
#24 of 25 Drove a Rio one day after an Aveo LT by csandste Sep 28, 2006 (6:26 pm)
Gotta say the LT was much more upscale feeling, despite my general fear of all things Daewoo. The Aveo was a lot more pleasant than the Cobalt I drove.   The Rio had crank windows for about the same price as a fully dressed and much more attractive LT. (I had posted that the exterior of the Aveo was too ham fisted than the 06, but I think I'm getting used to it.)   Was really disturbed that the list price of the Rio was $3K more than I paid for an Elantra five years ago. What's going on with the low end of Hyundai/Kia anyway? You can get a Honda Fit or a Nissan Versa with a lot more kit for less money than the stripper Kia. Replies to this message: backy (Sep 28, 2006 6:47 pm)
#25 of 25 Re: Drove a Rio one day after an Aveo LT [csandste] by backy Sep 28, 2006 (6:47 pm)
Replying to: csandste (Sep 28, 2006 6:26 pm) Prices they are a changin'. Wait until you see the prices on the '07 Elantra! Still, the Edmunds TMV for a Rio5 with power package and ABS is just about the same as that of the base Fit, and the Rio5 has alloys on it. But I don't think Kia has reached the point yet where they can garner the same price as a comparable Honda. Kia'a historical depreciation is below that of Honda, for one thing.

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