2008 Kia Rio Review

Specifications

More for less. That might not be Kia’s official slogan, but they really should consider it, because it’s what all of its cars deliver on. The Rio might not be new, but as with any Kia it’s a compelling buy in its respective segment. Well-priced, well-equipped and complete with a solid warranty, this is one of the cars that’s driven Kia forward, and because of its affordable starting price I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the Rio that’s been changing the bulk of people’s opinions about the brand.

Neither the Rio nor the Accent, its mechanical twin from parent company Hyundai, break any ground in the subcompact category, other than value for money and feature content. They are, however, a bit bigger than the equivalent Yaris, Fit or Aveo, and with a surprisingly long wheelbase, the Rio offers roomy accommodations front and back. Kia’s smallest North American offering also gets standard 60/40 split folding rear seatbacks, and each occupant has their own three-point seatbelt and headrest (except the center occupant on the rear bench).

Providing that you discount the larger Nissan Versa and VW Rabbit/Jetta, the Rio is actually the most powerful car in the subcompact class. Its 1.6-liter inline-four has variable valve timing, which allows it to produce 110 horsepower. Its power champ status shouldn’t much of a persuader, mind you, given that most of its rivals are within five horsepower, and that the differences between weight and gearing make them all feel just about even in town and out on the highway. Buyers get a choice between a five-speed manual, with a weightless clutch pedal and a reasonably good shifter, or a simple, straightforward four-speed automatic. The auto strolls through the gears at an unhurried pace, making its shifts smooth enough for most people buying into the subcompact class.

The Rio’s suspension setup is tuned to be quite soft, for a nice, comfortable ride, which works most of the time, although its spring and damper rates seem to be tuned to cope better with smooth road surfaces. A pass over a poorly paved road caused Kia’s littlest sedan to become unsettled, bouncing a bit more than I like. But when the road’s reasonably good the Rio makes for a nice comfortable cruiser. In town, the Rio’s light steering makes it easy to place and thread through traffic. It isn’t particularly concerned with entertaining you while driving, as grip from its 175-width tires doesn’t promote high-speed handling. It’s fine if you keep your speed within the posted limits, however. Stepping up to the 185- or 205-width tires that wrap 14- or 16-inch wheels, respectively, should improve handling, and these can be chosen from Kia’s options list.

On the highway the Rio is composed, and because its profile is relatively low compared to others in this class it feels less prone to cross wind gusts and fast-passing trucks. This, combined with its quieter levels of road and wind noise, plus vastly more comfortable seats than the previous Rio (or just about any other subcompact), which also have an armrest at just the right height for comfortable cruising, makes this a subcompact to seriously consider if you’re racking up a lot of highway miles. Its 35 mpg highway fuel economy average with the automatic isn’t bad at all either.

Additionally, there are a few genuinely surprising items that really make the Rio feel upper class. I like the fact that every switch and button is backlit, which takes the guesswork out of finding exactly what you want in the dark - the only exception is the power mirror adjusters, but after setting their mirrors most people and don’t touch them often. Next up is the stereo system. It isn’t powerful, fancy, or capable of delivering heart-stopping power, but on the contrary the sound quality is not all that great and the headunit is tricky to operate due to its tiny size, but what’s nice is that it boasts a standard USB plug-in! It isn’t a standard USB plug, mind you, but rather is a 5-pin mini style USB connector more commonly found on PDAs and cellphones that requires an adapter for MP3 players. If you can’t find the right cable, or there are compatibility issues, the aux-in jack (also standard) should serve as a back up plan, but that too is smaller size than normal (mini-aux). Oh, and the Rio Convenience comes standard with heated cloth seats, almost exclusive to this car other than the Accent and Rabbit/Jetta.

What’s best is that much of this great content doesn’t take away from safety gear. In fact, all models comes standard with front, curtain and side seat-mounted airbags. And all models but the base could be had with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.

Cost is a big issue, however, and in this respect the Rio is hard to beat. A base car can be had for just $10,890 - only Chevrolet’s Korean-built Aveo (with less warranty), or a used car is cheaper. Stepping up to the Rio5 will set you back a bit more at $12,915, but that buys extra cargo space and the practicality of a taller cargo bay. The sportier-looking 5-door might be a bit more appealing too, depending on your tastes. And at $15,779 for this fully loaded, power-everything, automatic and air-conditioning equipped SX sedan, you could buy a bare-bones Yaris sedan with automatic and Power package, and you’d still need to spend a few hundred more for a similarly equipped Honda Fit. Toss in that five-year, 60,000-mile comprehensive warranty, and it all makes perfect sense. Clearly, money talks in the subcompact class and the Rio’s value proposition is a definitive persuader.

Specifications (Kia Rio Sedan):