By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
To my disappointment the dealer (and every other one in Houston) were out of Cincos. With the employee discounting they had sold their stock on 2005. I could have waited 2 weeks for a 2006, but I don't like the re-styled Rio. To my surprise they had 2004 Cinco with 1,900 miles. A non smoker (lady) had bought 11 months ago and recentally got transfered to Spain and she sold back to the dealer. It looks brand new! I saved a bundle! When comparing it to my mom's 2002 Cinco they have correct a lot of things IE: multiple speed...as opposed to one...intermintent wiper, inside feul door release, better designed cup holders, slightly bigger engine, etc. It really looks like they may have listened to customer complaints I complain about the 2002 to Kia. If that's the case, good going Kia!!
By the way I also noticed the slighty off centered steering wheel on mine, Taking it in today to have them correct that. I have a very good dealer. When I take my car into be serviced. They not only wash it but WAX it too and detail the interior. Now that what I call service! Now if I could only get my grandmother to step out of her 1986 Caddy for an Amanti.......
It works just fine without the period.
"God, that interior color is horrid. What happened to the nice black or grey colors they used to have?"
Aside to KR06: Don't take my restated observations personally. I just found it interesting that someone independently came to a similar conclusion (albeit presented a bit less diplomatically) as myself.
I figured that the above quote was a good trigger to revisit my sentiments back in post #160
"The red exterior with the black interior looked good. The black interior is basically monochromatic though... thus it's a pretty dark place in there. That said, it still looks "higher rent" than the tan/beige interior to be sure. The seat cloth also has some extra accents woven in the cloth in the black interior. If you check out the http://www.kiario.com website, it is the black interior that is used for *all* of the interior shots. Coincidence?
The tu-tone tan interior looks "okay" in the Olive Beige model since it's tan/beige on a light green exterior. However........... the tan/beige interior in a Cashmere Beige exterior model clashes BIG time!
The Cashmere Beige is a *beautiful* color from the outside. It really is. But KIA's only offering two interior colors for the North American Rio. A tan/beige, and a black. The tan has an offbeat kind of "orangey" tinge to it. When you open the door the contrast/clashing between the "Cashmere Beige" exterior and "Beige" interior colors immediately jump out at you. KIA for 2007 needs to either lighten up the Beige interior a notch or two (to a yellow-tan vs. an orange-tan), or provide a third color such as a darker brown.
Nitpicky stuff.... I know. BUT the proper matching of interior to exterior color(s) should not be so prohibitively expensive that it is unobtainable in an automaker's lower-end models.
KIA needs to remember that color conscious buyers (aka: females) will more than likely make up a large percentage of purchasers of the Rio line. The importance of issues such as color matching should NEVER be underestimated when considering the success of an automobile model. Not in this day and age of global automobile hyper-competition."
Note: I sat in a sharp Sunset Orange Rio5 with the black interior this week! That interior with the aluminum accents definitely looks considerably more upscale!
-SM
"I've seen the black interior in person and think it looks great for a $12k car. Carmakers never get a beige/tan interior right in a low-end car and it ends up looking hideous. Then again, I tend to hate beige interiors overall."
Since I only paid $13,373 (minus tax/dest) for my loaded Spectra, I still consider it a "low-end" car. It's design and execution obviously isn't low end, but the price was.
I feel that the execution of "beige" (with accenting dark brown) was done extremely well on the Spectra. All the materials have a much higher-rent feel and texture, and the colors are much better coordinated with ALL of the exterior colors used on the Spectra family... not just the Sand Beige (gold) of my car.
-SM
I currently have 1500 miles on the car and nothing has begun squeeking, wearing, shaking etc. I think for the price and size it is going to be reliable in the structure department.
My biggest complaint is the engine noise at highway speed. I have the manual transmission and at 65 MPH it is just above 3200 RPM and it is too loud. If I dont have the radio on to drown out the noise it is unbearable for me.
My second complaint is the pick up performance. I am not asking for much. I understand it only has 104 HP but even with that understanding you really are slow off the block. To keep up with traffic off the light you need to almost floor the pedal. I want to mention that the lights in my neck of the woods has you accelerating to 45 or 55 MPH.
Everything else is great. This car would be absolutely perfect for the city driver that needs the room. Leg room is good for up to 4 people.
I must say that if they could fix the engine noise problem, I would go out and buy a second one (Im not kidding) just in case they stop making them or they go up in price. (I got mine with all the options for 13000). If this car becomes a 17-19 thousand dollar car I would buy other cars. To me you cant beat the awesome customer service, great warranty, fixed costs, and fuel mileage for the price.
I take great comfort in the fact that I have fixed operating costs for probably 5 years. And when you buy a car at this price range over 5 years the monthly costs to own and operate this car is slightly higher than your cable bill.
Of course if the thing falls apart in a years time I will be singing a different tune. I'll keep ya informed.
Same complaint about engine noise. I am trying to figure out how to sound proofing the interior. If that's possible.
I currently have 1500 miles on the car and nothing has begun squeaking, wearing, shaking etc. I think for the price and size it is going to be reliable in the structure department.
I can attest to the structure department. Last month I got sideswiped by a pickup exiting the freeway. He got me from the front fender all down to the rear bumper. It held up well....2 grand in damages.
My second complaint is the pick up performance. I am not asking for much. I understand it only has 104 HP but even with that understanding you really are slow off the block. To keep up with traffic off the light you need to almost floor the pedal. I want to mention that the lights in my neck of the woods has you accelerating to 45 or 55 MPH.
Ditto here. It does help to turn off A/C on take offs. A friend told me he heard the Kia dealerships offers a geniue Kia(fully warrentied)super or turbo charger(can't remember which)kit. Still need to check that out.
Mine is a gold 2004 Cinco automatic. Great car..3800 trouble free miles. Mom has a Forest green (rare color I've been told by Kia dealer)2002 Cinco 28,000 miles NEVER in shop except for routine maintanece.
I am 6'3 and have plenty of room, in fact I dont even put the seat all the way back. The styling is awesome, the 1.6L engine has ample power and the ride is more quiet then my brothers 2003 Optima!
I highly recommend this car, I had a 2001 Rio when it first came out, it was ok, nothing special but boy the Rio5 certainly is!
I finally got my 2006 Kia Rio sedan EX today and i drove it around all day.I showed it to one of my uncle's that bought a Honda accord coupe a few months ago and he payes 26000$ USED and after diving the Rio he was amazed by the car he tought take Kia was s***,so after diving around for 15 minutes he told me that the Kia Rio was as good or even better made inside(finishing)then is Honda and told me that my motor was as quiet as is Honda and that is true because i went in is accord and u can hardly hear the motor on my Kia Rio.
He showed me an article that he got in a car magazine and the guy says that in a few years Kia will be as good or even better then japanese car in all ways (motor,style,quality,etc...)
So time will tell if the car is reliable but as of looks and equipement i am very happy. bye
AM
Yep, those would be the heated mirrors!
As for beeping, try pressing the lock button twice. On many other Hyundai/Kias, there is a chirp on the 2nd press. Then you can lock them silently (like late at night, in a city) or confirm the lock action. Don't the marker lights flash on the first press of the lock button? That is how my Elantras work. I like the "stealth" lock mode in combination with the chirp.
Everything on the dash is well-lit at night too, making it very easy to operate. Kia put a lot of obvious thought into the ergonomics of this vehicle, and it shows. The heater is strong, and I have no doubts as to its abilities to hold up to Wisconsin's winters. I'll be interested to see how the air conditioning fares this summer.
So far, the more I drive this car, the more I like it. That's a good thing, I think..
This is definitely a car to check out if one is in the market for a car in this class.
Todd in Beerbratistan
I know 2 people that bought '06 Rio LX and 1 other guy that bought Rio5. So far all of us are very impressed. It's hard to say that a 1.6 Litre 110 hp engine is sporty, however the car really has a sporty feel to it. The leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter, the metal pedals and the metal trim really give the car that sporty look.
My friend Ally bought her Rio5 last weekend and she claims that the car is more fun to drive then her 2002 Mitsubishi Galant that she traded in. My buddy Dave also enjoys his Rio LX which he purchased after trading in his 2003 Hyundai Elantra.
Todd, anybody else out there that buys a Rio or Rio5, be prepared to be surprised by Kia, this car is great quality and a fun ride. It is fully loaded with features that are not always found in the mid-size segment. I dont think I have ever been as excited about any car as I have been about my Rio5. My wife feels the same way about her Rio5 BTW!
He told me that he was so amzed at the difference that he is going to go to the dealership this weekend and see what it will cost him to trade in for the Rio5. If he buys one that will be my third bird dog this month ($100 each customer).
Like I said, the car is a delight. There was a problem I was having with some pretty sad gas mileage, but upon checking the pressure in my tires it was almost 50lbs (another part of the great prep done on the car) After adjusting the pressure (30lbs), mileage seems to be more in line with what it should be AND the ride seems to have smoothed out some. I'm interested in seeing how durable it is, having been a satisfied Toyota owner for years.
I am very confident in my new Rio5 (my wife and I have 2). Considering that Kia quality is ten times better now then it was a few years back and I never had a problem back then, then I can assume I should have no problems whatsoever with our 2006 Rio5's!
Before my '98 switch to Kia I was also a Toyota consumer. I am glad I switched to Kia and dont plan on leaving. I am sure that despite the dealer screwing you around, you will be satisfied with your Rio5. Good luck!
Car did not have the power package (couldn't expect it for the price), so my son and I installed aftermarket power door locks. Installation was straight forward, but took most of a Saturday morning and afternoon.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with our Rio5 and feel fortunate that I lucked into such a great car.
Our thoughts are, rather than sell the car right away and pocket some quick cash(we are enjoying it too much for that), we could easily drive it for a few years and then sell it for what we originally paid.
face it, the Kia Rio has always had something about it which is a decade behind the competition.
for the first generation the interior was horrible. comfortable, but horrible. the layout was equal to a 1993 dodge shadow, and honestly the shadow didn't feel cheap. now, when it comes to reliabillity. kia is the first to here of any problems about thier cars. just as toyota, Nissan/Datsun, and Honda did in the 80s. the spectra was a very bad vehicle during its frist generation, but now look at it. it is a CR best buy. and before the spectra, we had the Sephia, and OMG, does anyone else remember the bashing that car recieved. its dateline or 20/20 special on brake failure? the sephia moves up market and became the spectra. the rio filled the hole not having the sephia created. and now...
even the rio is moving up market! i love the rio. i love kia!!! (except the spectra & sorento, i could never stand them) but the kia rio is still 10 years behind the competition. the new honda fit comes with electric paddle switches for its manual. the Toyota yaris is fast, roomier, and handles better than the rio, plus it is $3,500 cheaper! yes, the rio used to be the cheapest car sold in the states, but the yaris and aveo both beat the rio silly. now kia has vastly improved the interior of the rio. and it may still be an econ-box. but, its twn brother the hyundai accent is getting worse reviews, but more attention.
i am so proud of kia for all of its achievements in the past few years but the rio is still behind the competition, and it's no longer super cheap. suzuki has three cars cheaper than the rio. toyota has the yaris, honda the fit. nissan the versa (the versa is the worst vehicle i have ever driven TRUST ME). and chevy has the daewoo built aveo. rio is merely a small car with an eco-box heritage. like the civic, corolla, sentra, lancer, heck even the impreza.
if the price were to come back down, keeping its current options, and maybe adding a sunroof, leather (in the future), and a better stereo. younger buyers will actually consider the rio. also if production wre to be boosted a bit it would help get the name out more. here in iowa we have 100 sedonas for every rio.
likei said before, i love kia, and the rio cinco, or rio5 as iit is now called still rock. but it still isn't up to par with the rest.
oh-yeah, and it would help if kia were to get that god awful black plastic body cladding off it. MAN! that irritates the crap out of me. and is honestly the only reason i refuse to get one. i'm considering a reno, or even a used mitsu lancer sportback before i get close to that black cladding.
seriously! it fades in two years becoming a permenant eye-sore. not to mention. that was SO 1997. and even the cavalier knew it had to stop with the cladding back then.
from,
--Rob.
I have to admit I am attracted to the 2007 styling of the Aveo...but that center dash display has got to go. The Yaris is not for me period.
and a heads up on the warranty, in case you ever upgrade, or get another kia, the full 10-year/100,000 mile deal is only if you buy the car straight up brand new. it isn't transferable. also, that is the same warranty hyundai offers (because it is their warranty originally; kia started with only a 3-year/30,000 mile, remember the sephia and first generation sportage? kia only offered that when it was bought out by hyundai).
non-transferable warranties, may only be if it is bought used at a dealership, it might be different if from a private owner. and vice versa. however! Suzuki has a fully transferable warranty at 7-year/70,000 miles, and isuzu i think is at 9-year/90,000, again fully transferable regardless of how many owners.
a couple of my friends were trapped with only the original 36,000 mile/3-year warranty when they bought a sedona and an amanti both at less than 20,000 miles and only one owner. :mad:
Yes, I know it would be out of pocket. When I first saw it on the '06 I was wondering what were they thinking! :confuse:
the full 10-year/100,000 mile deal is only if you buy the car straight up brand new. it isn't transferable
The full warrenty is not transferable. However the REMAINDER or the 10/100,000 is. I am sure about this as my mom bought a low mileage '05 Rio sedan and it was transferred.
My 04 Cinco is my second...first one an 02 Cinco and yes you do tend to become very fond of them. So fond in fact I couldn't let go of my '02!
Don't miss your chance to chat with Ian Beavis, a veteran in the automotive industry the inside questions you want to know.
Please join us for this live chat with Ian Beavis – Vice President of Marketing of Kia Motors of America tonight from 6-7pm PT, 9-10pm ET