Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

New Kia Rio Owners - Give Us Your Report

2»

Comments

  • kalisilatkalisilat Member Posts: 2
    I'm having a problem each time I allow the pump to shut down when refueling. The pump shuts down, and splashes gas over the handle, my hand, and the fender and wheel.

    I also don't know if I have a fuel low warning device, it's suppose to come on at 1.5 gallons left, but I've never seen it and don't know that it's really there. It doesn't light us as the other warning lights do. And the service department head at Gettle Kia in Bradenton Florida insists that it's there. And it will turn orange and blink too when I'm low on fuel. It's i the book too, but says it will light up on turning to the first position on the key. Anyone can help, much thanks, regards, Paul
  • cc51cc51 Member Posts: 1
    Its 2010...but was looking at a few 2009 "brand new cars".
    There are still many on the lots.

    In particular a Kio Rio SX 2009 with ABS.

    What is the best way to get the best price on this car and how does the 1.5 years effect the pricing?

    Edmunds considers a 2009 in Used when I look up their pricing. I type in 0 (or 12 actually) miles for the mileage.

    Another incentive on these 2009's was a cash discount, but they told me its either a cash discount or the low interest rate loan.

    I've done some homework, and the price seems to align to Edmunds Pricing calculator, but this 2009 new car , in 2010 is a first for me.

    Any inputs appreciated!
  • atxkiaatxkia Member Posts: 1
    I haven't had too many problems with my 06 Kia until recently. My airbag warning light came on so I took it in. They say it's a seatbelt part that needs to be replaced & low voltage on the battery. They quote me something like $160 for the battery so I only have them fix the seatbelt, which is under warranty. I take the car to O'Reilly's and get a new battery installed. The airbag light never goes away so I take the car back in to get it checked out. Now they are saying it's a whole new issue & supposedly O'Reilly's installed the battery wrong & short circuited the computer. They quoted me $800 to fix it because of course my warranty ran out in between & they blame the issue on an "outside source". Anyone know if this is even possible? The whole thing seems fishy to me...
  • phill1phill1 Member Posts: 319
    First of all, your Kia Dealer gave you a pant load of doo-doo with that crap about a faulty seatbelt part. My 2006 Kia Rio5 has the same airbag indictor problem TWICE! Both times it was a Airbag Sensor located in the bottom seat cushion. Both the drivers side and passenger side failed 4 years apart. Both were covered under the 5 year bumper to bumper warranty but in both cases, the entire bottom seat cushion needed to be replaced because the sensor is built into it and is not a separate part. My new 2012 Kia Rio5 just 3 months old with hardly 2000 miles driven just had the Airbag indicator stay on again. This time they had to replace the entire passenger side Airbag Curtain. Something odd about the Rio and its faulty Airbag systems. You don`t want to know what it would cost if the vehicle was no longer under warranty.
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    This board is dead. Is there no one who has bought a new 2012 Rio 5? It is among the three finalists for me (Fit and Yaris). I can't find a reason to remove the Rio from my list other than the less than stellar rear window visibility. I'm also disappointed that the rear headrests don't fold down out of the way, but I can easily remove them for better visibility. Come on... how about some action here.
  • conwelpicconwelpic Member Posts: 600
    unfortunately this forum is not very active due to its very poor and outdated format. Can't give you a link due to the forum requirements.

    However, what feedback are you looking for if you have narrowed it to three models, try them all out and decide for yourself.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    Since it sounds like you had a Maxx, I'm responding, even though I'm sure you pulled the trigger on your purchase months ago.

    I gave my Maxx to my daughter (actually sold it to her at about 1/3 the normal price) after her car unexpectedly died. Had hoped to get either the new Kia, Hyundai or Chrysler 100 compact hatches when they came out during the next year. Also would have looked at the Buick Encore. Fit (which I drove) and Sonic were also on my short list. Was waiting for more Sonic turbos to be available.

    I bought a dark blue 5 door EX (something that's not even supposed to be available). Back up camera, power folding mirrors, etc. Much nicer interior than the Fit IMO although (obviously) less space.

    Took it on a 2000+ plus trip last week and found it to be as good a road car as my Maxx (which was a favorite), more comfortable for long drives than an 07 Optima that I owned. Got 33 mpg in mostly highway (though some city) driving, with five tanks over 35 mpg. Best tank 37.89 mpg. Not bad considering the 100 degree plus temperatures and constant A/C use.

    Missed the Maxx's low end power-- if the Rio isn't reving it can be pretty dead. Think I'll like this car. Lots of kit for the $$$. Excellent build quality. Very composed for a sub-compact. Six hundred mile daily drives without undue tiredness-- not bad for a 67 year old. Car looks great IMO.
  • radar17radar17 Member Posts: 1
    Purchased my 2012 RIO 5 LX (with auto tx) last January and since then I put nearly 16,000 miles on it, including a cross-country trip, often at 70mph. Also a lot of city driving. So far the vehicle has performed as advertised and I've had zero problems. Been very impressed with the overall quality (particularly since it's on the low end of the price scale) and how quiet it is at highway speeds. The ride was a bit stiff at first (for my taste) but soften up adequately after a few thousand miles. The car did achieve the touted gas mileage. Historically I've had larger cars, and this is my first subcompact and first Kia. It deserves high marks across the board in my opinion.
  • aertaert Member Posts: 3
    Just purchased a '13 Rio hatchback the EX + Convenience Pkge . . . was what we wanted , but ended up with the demonstrator - 400 mi on clock + ECO Stop&Go + electric mirror + mats, wheel locks, etc. $17.4 seemed to good a deal to pass up. Kansas City. (300 of those miles were a transfer from another dealer - rather than tire-kickers, and its been on the dealers lot for 4 months.)

    So far so good! Now bear in mind the old drive was 91 Jeep - reliable but getting to rusty. Clearly the Rio AVO package is too intelligent for us, but we're learning.

    I'm not a total fan of the Stop&Go . . . my mechanical mind says just one more thing to go wrong - but I can see there are times (like a lot of stop/go traffic light driving - with long waits for the green) where it would be good - but when its lots of Stop signs (where , ah, one stops, looks, and then goes) that it would be engine stop and then almost immediately restart, and that I don't like. Wish the On/Off switch would remember the last setting, rather than having to turn it Off each time I get in .

    Only done 100mi so far - so actual mpg is unknown. However - clearly it will be better than the 16mpg of the jeep and one must remember there is a direct connection between mpg and the use of the right foot!!

    ONE PROBLEM : When you press the key to lock the car - on the 2nd press the horn toots. How do you turn that toot off? The manual does not seem to address this. (our 05 Town&Country had the same, and it could, and is, turned off)

    AERT
  • conwelpicconwelpic Member Posts: 600
    don't press it twice, it locks on the first press, that's just a reminder that its happened - does the same on my Soul. See page 4/8 in your owners manual.
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    edited November 2012
    This post is for those of you NOT getting the 40 MPG mileage you hoped you would get.

    It contains detailed information about the methods I am currently using to get between 37.5 and 41.5 miles per gallon measured by gallons used at the pump divided by miles driven.

    This Kia has been a challenge to get the mileage up but it is defintely designed to use the ECO in combination with the outstanding Kia cruise control to get you the high mpg numbers.

    Here is what you must do.

    1.Turn the ECO button on and leave it on.

    My heart goes out to you who have the engine off at lights feature and it is not working well for you-our Kia does not have that.

    2.Push on the gas pedal slowly and evenly.

    Sudden pushing on the gas pedal will immediately turn off the ECO software and it will stay off for minutes.

    The cruise control WILL NEVER turn off the ECO software even when it downshifts twice going up hills.

    Apparently,the engine computer knows when the cruise is engaged and locks the ECO software on all the time.

    3.Driving through the dead spot in acceleration that happens from 20 to 40 miles per hour going up a hill,you should simply push slowly and gently down on the throttle until the transmission downshifts once-and hold the throttle where it is at that point.

    The engine transmission computer will then hold the downshift and the car will climb the hill on it's own.

    Engage the cruise as soon as you reach the speed you want.

    4.USE THE CRUISE CONTROL-the Kia cruise control is a high quality unit but you must set it at the proper speeds to get the most out of it.

    5.Set the cruise control using the 2 AND 7 RULE.

    Never set your cruise control at a number ending in 0 or 5-the transmssion will downshift all the time if you do.

    Here are your cruise control miles per hour set points.

    22-27-32-37-42---( 47 my favorite)--- 52 -57---- ( 62 the best highway mileage miles per hour setting in the car)-( 67 my late for work but still o.k. mileage setting)-72-( 77 watch the mpg tumble).

    The very best highway gas mileage cruise control number is 62 miles per hour.

    6.I always use more psi cold in my tires then any car manufacturer recommends.

    I have not had a tire failure doing this in over thirty years.

    I run 40 psi cold in this Kia.

    My experience in using the higher psi cold number is that the car drives better,rolls on much easier,gets better mileage and the tires last longer.

    You will get slighty less wet weather traction but you will feel that sooner and much better through the steering wheel.

    When it snows I drop the cold inflation to between 36 and 38 psi cold.

    NOTE-IF YOU DO THIS,YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONDSIBLE -NOT ME,NOT KIA,NOT EDMUNDS,NOT KUMHO OR WHOEVER YOUR TIRE MANUFACTURER IS.

    If you have any doubts about this simply use the manufacturer recommended setting but make sure you keep that inflation maintained right at that number-do not let the air leak down as it will over several weeks in any tire.

    7.Set your speedometer display at the average miles per gallon setting.

    Press the button to miles driven A-then miles driven B-then Range-then avg mpg.

    Then you can get an updated average of your miles per gallon and see how your driving in affecting that.

    The miles per gallon setting that updates by the second is way-way too fast to be useful.

    8.Maintain your car.

    Check the tire air pressure weekly-change your oil and especially make sure you change your air filter when required.

    A dirty air filter will destroy your gas mileage.

    9.Drive in the right lane as much as possible.

    Especially on the interstates,you will be one of the slowest cars out there-just let the wasteful gas users get by you.

    Even at 62 mph setting though,I still come up on people driving at 55 mph doing the same thing I am.

    I simply early merge one lane left -go around them and get back into the right lane as soon as possible.

    10.Premium gas makes this car run slightly smoother and quieter,have a little more midrange power,slightly more high rev power,get maybe another mile per gallon or two and downshift slightly less but it is not necessary.

    You have to decide if that's worth another $4.00 a tank to you.

    I would say buy the premium gas before you put any octane booster in the car-they can destroy the emissions sensors in the car.

    If you want a less noisy motor-you would be well served by buying a name brand regular like Exxon or Sunoco whether whether you buy regular,midgrade or premium is what you are willing to spend.

    11.Keep as much weight out of the car as possible-it defintely makes a difference.

    I have 150 pounds of tools in the back of our Kia in two tool boxes and it costs me about a mile and a half a gallon. I wish I had a choice but I work with alot of thieves.

    O.k,to wrap this up.

    -Use the Eco button always-

    -Make sure you use the throttle very easily-

    -Use the cruise control as soon as you can as much as you can-Make sure you use the cruise control set points I told you ( obviously-not all Kia's will drive the same- experiment to find your best cruise set points)-

    -Drive in the right lane as much as possible,just to stay out of the way of the other speeding traffic to keep you from having to turn the cruise off-

    -Keep your tire inflation maintained as well as your car-

    -Keep the weight out of the car if possible-

    Kia engineers were tasked with giving us a way to get great gas mileage out of this Rio and here's what I found they put in the car to get that.

    I hope this helps you get much better gas mileage and I hope this let's you like the Kia more.

    The only problem we have had so far worth mentioning is the UVO radio died and that was changed for free by a dealership that did a great job and cleaned the car in the process.

    Good luck with your MPG numbers-let's stick it to the gas companies if we can.
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    Ha-Ha-make that miles driven divided by gallons of gas used.DUH.

    Brain fart.
  • aertaert Member Posts: 3
    Nice research worknman - all pretty sound advice - but I didn't understand #5
    So - 3 Rios side by side with cruise's set at 57, 60 and 62 - they're all in 6th but with different rpm's - but over the same stretch of road the one in the middle will downshift and the others won't ?

    Have you heard - Apparently the EPA thinks Kia has overstated their mpg figures - and Kia will be sending us rebates ! Google
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    aert,the key factor in all of this exact setting is the six speed transmission and the software that controls it.

    The Kia six speed auto is a wonderful transmission but as is with most foreign cars,it was designed in metric not imperial (kilometers per hour-not-miles per hour/miles per gallon) form.

    That's not a big deal in the wide spaced ratios of a four speed auto like some old Hondas had.

    The gear ratios are spread out enough between shift points where the motor is designed with enough torque to pull the car down the road.

    That is not the case with the tiny Kia four cylinder engine.

    It was designed with a horsepower over torque design as it is almost impossible to get alot of torque out of a very small four cylinder engine.

    The translation is the engine will downshift and rev to pull the car along.

    Add to that -that this car now has two more gears and the car has much closer spaced shift points.

    If you set your cruise control near one of those shift points-wa-la-you live in downshifty revomatic land.

    So it is vitally important that you set your cruise control nearer the metric kilometers per hour settings so that the car's transmission computer is not trying to deal with a car drving right on a shift point so as soon as the load on the motor increases due to going up a slight hill it does'nt start double down shifting.

    That's why my Kia gets it's very best mileage at 62 miles per hour which is exactly 100 kilometers per hour.

    I've owned two Honda's,a Nissan and a Toyota that got their best mileage at the very same miles per hour too.

    And it would be nice if Kia could just change the final drive ratio to bring the car more in line with miles per hour for the American market but they can't.

    The car was designed to run in a narrow performance window and dropping or raising the final drive ratio would just cause more problems then it would solve.

    As far as Kia paying us some rebates,I think it's the EPA that owes us the money.

    They flopped up the mileage test and did not do their job.

    But I would be a liar if I said I was'nt smoking hot when I first drove the car for a while and it got eight miles per gallon less then was advertised.

    Now our Kia is fully broke in-that took a full 14,000 miles to happen- and as long as I drive this thing like Grandad,I'm getting pretty good miles per gallon.

    That's probably a good thing.

    My old Echo and I got several warnings about shall we say,atheletic driving.

    You drive this Kia hard ,it will gulp down a tank of gas in just over two hundred miles.

    It's a blast to do it and our little red Kia will give traffic the finger but it's brutally expensive gas wise and I really don't need to lose my license.

    But,with the Kia set on a good cruise number and 90.9 classical on the radio,my daily 62 miles one way to work is a pretty laid back drive.

    I'm getting over 37 miles per gallon even if I have to gas past a few problem drivers closing up passing lanes.

    Although it's kind of distracting,people check out this car all the time it looks so good cleaned and polished up.

    This is a nice car.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    If you are a parent of young children (at least one under 12 years old) who owns the latest model Toyota Prius C or Kia Rio, a reporter would like for you to fill out a survey, due by December 1, 2012, for use in a print publication. Please email PR@edmunds.com no later than Friday, November 30, 2012 for a copy of the survey.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    edited November 2012
    aert,Thank you for the information about the Kia gas card mpg rebate.

    Those of you who own a Kia vehicle that qualifies can find out at www.Kia MPGinfo.com.

    You will need to input your Vehicle Identification number as well as answer a few questions.

    You will need to print out the verification form out that comes after you submit that information.

    Then you will need to drop by a Kia dealership for about five minutes to get you fully enrolled in the program.

    I have my car enrolled and expected to maybe get a gas card in two or three months.

    Thank You to the people of KIA for doing this.

    One note-setting your cruise control at 77 miles per hour won't work well-there is too much air resistence at the front of the car for the computer transmission controller to keep the car in sixth gear.

    I guess your best bet is over 72 miles per hour to simply use the foot throttle.

    Or simply stay below those speeds altogether.
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    edited November 2012
    The UVO radio in our Kia Rio 5 was recently replaced for free and done excellently by the dealership too.

    But today,I got the wits scared out of me because I terminated a call (using the steering wheel disconnect button) to my wife while using the UVO radio's bluetooth phone option and lost all function in the radio.

    I thought,darn it,back to the dealership.

    But what happened was that my wife was on our home phone which has call waiting and what must have happened is that she accidentally put me on a call waiting basis.

    That phone did not disconnect.

    But there is no indication in the car that the phone is still connected.

    The radio did go back to the radio screen but no sound came on and although I could scroll through the radio controls on the touch screen,none of my steering wheel controls would work and I had no volume on the radio.

    I turned the volume all the way up and all I could hear is the ignition electrical static very low.

    I even turned the car motor off at a stop light and turned it on and the radio came right back to the radio screen and no sound and no ability to get out of the radio screen.

    The radio would not go to cd-or any other screen.

    Then my wife came back on and asked me if I had called her again.

    I said no and described the radio workings which suddenly came back on right before she called me back.

    The phone on her side must have disconnected and let my radios bluetooth disconnect.

    The radio worked fine from then on.,

    I am just telling you folks this so you know what might be happening and not go to the dealership when all you might have to do is

    - take your cell phone out and cut it off -

    -to disconnect the bluetooth-

    ( who knows,maybe you could just hang the call up from your cell phone too to get the bluetooth to disconnect)

    from a phone number that has put you on call waiting basis and you want to hang up and get your radio back.

    Anyway,Happy Thanksgiving all and Happy Holidays.
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    Well,it's now the winter season and if you have'nt noticed-you might see your gas mileage is getting worse.

    That's not the fault of your Kia-that's because -at least in the Washington D.C. area,the gas companies say they have to add chemicals to the gas to make it burn 'more completely' in the cold environment.

    That was what was on a sticker placed in all Exxon gas pumps in this area about four years ago.

    Exxon said the EPA 'forced' them to do this.

    Pretty convenient that the chemical tears out four miles per gallon out of every car I've driven during the winter since so I have to buy more gas during the winter months-(when public gas consumption is usually way down).

    Anyway,still struggling to get near that fourty mpg mark-now just struggling to keep it above 35 miles per gallon thanks to the gas companies.

    This really sucks.
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    Just changed mine in my 2012 Kia Rio 5 after 20,100 miles.

    Way,way too long-it was really dirty and I don't drive in a dusty environment either-all urban asphalted roads pretty much.

    Changing it was about as easy as it could be.

    Inside the glove box there is a door that has a plastic latch on the right side-you squeeze that plastic latch and remove the door.

    The filter can be a bear to get out until you realize you can simply squeeze either side slightly to get a hold of it and pull it out.

    Be careful when you pull it out because there might be leaves and other dirt you don't want to get down in the venting system.

    Once you slide the new filter in ,being careful to match the flow arrow on the side to the one you took out,then you slide the tab on the left side into it's slot-you will probably have to be looking back into the glovebox to see this slot and then you can latch the plastic latch on the right side.

    Do not run the a/c filter without a filter if it has had one-that filter acts to stop anything from getting into the important parts of the a/c-heater system plus if you do not change that filter-it will clog and could help burn out the a/c blower motor in your dash-a much more expensive repair.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited January 2013
    I've been reading and enjoying all your posts, worknman. I especially appreciate some of the details you touch on and your astute observations and understandings of software related eng/tran management with relation to limited torque avail at certain speeds in top cog.

    They interest me in particular also because I know my next vehicle will be an automatic due to some health reasons that are around the corner for me. I have driven mostly sticks all my life but not always. As you will know, the issues you described about finding a good working speed in cruise so that the auto isn't shifting itself on the cusp of speeds/revs, has never been an issue with a stick. Your posts drew attention to something I had not considered, but then I also had not been previously considering a small engined subcompact. Also considering a micro maybe, but only ones with 5 doors. They all have relatively small displacements and get their torque from revs.

    The one thing you mention which I am skeptical about but do believe your findings as you indicate being quite in touch with your vehicle's behaviour, is the perks that you claimed with premium gas. I know premium can and does make a difference in some vehicles..talking about ones in which the owner's manual still claims 87 is fine, but more and more the mfrgs are designing the engines to utilize the cost savings of 87. IMO, the vast majority gain no benefit, and as I suspect you also know, in some cars, premium is actually not even a good idea in some cars that calls for 87 only. Especially engines with lower CR's. The ones who might benefit though are turboed or supercharged ones in the summer in high heat/stop and go type traffic or a lot of hill-climbing in similar conditions.

    Please continue to keep us posted with your new Rio. (everyone)

    Also..has everyone here had any bad experiences with Kia or Hyundai auto transmissions? I have read that Kia makes their own 6 speeds. But i have also read about more than a few issues with the auto that Hyundai used in their previous generation 4 sp auto in the Elantra and also the 5? speed auto in both the Sorrento and Santa Fe. .
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2013
    gimmestdtranny-first off,let me say that this Kia transmission-the six speed auto is probably as nice a six speed as you will ever find in a small car.

    The entire car feels and looks like quality to me.

    But I grew up driving manual transmissions in my small cars and also having no more then four speeds in the automatic transmissions in the cars I drove.

    I admit,I was excited at getting a six speed transmission in this Kia but I am now worn out by it.

    The combination of a what feels to me to be a relatively heavy small car,a small four cylinder that depends on revs to move the car and a transmission that downshifts at the slightest hill has made me start looking for a new car.

    I never thought I'd ever buy a car with a cvt (single speed variable ratio drive transmission) but I am seriously looking at Nissan's small cars as a replacement for this car.

    Ideally,I'd like to buy a Toyota Prius C because of the incredibly high gas mileage but the price with what's going to -upside down-from this Kia simply will not let us get that car.

    One other thing as well-I have never seen an uglier interior color combination or interior as I just saw in the new Prius C's -I can't put myself into something that expensive that is that ugly inside.

    The outside of the Prius is designed to cheat the wind-I find it acceptably advanced looking but the inside of that car is positively hideous.

    Honda Civic's are out because of the high starting price.

    The gas mileage on my Kia has gone so low I am now driving it no more then 57 miles per hour on I-95 in the right lane.

    This car,if you wanted to just drive the guts out of it and put premium in it would be a blast to drive but you'd probably get about 25 miles per gallon doing that.

    Premium in this car provides a small boost in midrange power-enough between gear changes to be noticed especially when the car is climbing a hill and the motor is slightly quieter.

    I wished I'd have got a manual transmission,cheapest trim version if this car.

    Maybe we'd be able to find a way to live with it.

    I'm looking at Nissan Versa's (with cvt transmissions) and brand new year old Sentra's right now with manual transmissions-Nissan just introduced a brand new Sentra but they still have alot of the brand new old one's they'll want to deal on.

    I don't hate this Kia and I would never say it was anything other then extremely well built -had it been sold with a larger engine that could push the car without endless downshifting I might be keeping it but I'm toast.

    Using the cruise control over 57 miles per hour now means the car is constantly downshifting-even using the 2 and 7 rule like I said before.

    I don't know if it's the winter gas or what's happened but I need to at least be able to relax driving the car home-it's just nerve racking to have the car downshift on every hill no matter how steep the grade is.

    If I still need to keep this Kia-I'll be easy to see on the interstate-I'll be in the right lane going 57 miles per hour.

    I am totally done on a six speed automatic transmission in anything though.

    I'm not enthusiastic about a cvt but after 22,500 miles of relatively constant downshifting-i'll see if I can live with a one speed transmission.

    This Kia is a great looking well built car-it's just got some really irritating performance characteristics that I would never care about if I was running the guts out it everyday.

    But I simply don't drive like that anymore.

    Ha-ha-ha-me in a cvt transmission car-I'd never have seen that coming.

    Something I'd wished someone had told me about this Kia is-the valve rattling engine noise is normal-that pinging sound is a characteristic of a high efficiency direct injection fuel delivery system on this particular brand car.

    The car was inspected at the dealership as an investigation for poor gas mileage- the engine is fine.

    I found out what that noise was from a comment made in an issue of Automobile magazine I read.

    And I will never again buy a new car without a jack and a spare tire in it.

    Thankfully,Kia put a air pump in the spare tire well of the car so I could get the car to a tire sales place to get the tire properly plugged.

    So on we go-crawling down the interstate-I just put my center inside mirror up at the ceiling and use my side mirror to drive with.

    Even in the right lane people want to push you down the road.

    Have a good one.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    edited January 2013
    I've averaged about 29 mpg mixed on my '13 EX. I switched smart phones and don't have the actual average at hand, although I can use a spreadsheet for averaging. Best mileage was 37+ mpg.

    I've owned Kias before and this is about what I expected. Throw in the money from Kia for the mileage difference and I'm a happy camper.

    I guess you can't argue with success, but the Versa is the ugliest car in its class IMO. Looks like some kind of beached porpoise. Hopefully the Versa hatch will be better, but if they bring over the same interior it would be a stopper for me. The Sentra looks better than the Versa, but that's not saying much.

    Oh, and I did drive a rental last gen Sentra last summer and thought it was very unpleasant, although it had about 40K miles and probably had the hell kicked out of it.
  • btatrbtatr Member Posts: 75
    I've been listening to and reading articles from Master Mechanics (especially Pat Goss from Motorweek) on this subject over the years and there's unanimous agreement. Most modern cars are designed to run on Regular, 87 octane. Today's vehicles are computer programmed to run on regular and there is no advantage period to using higher octane gasoline.
  • worknmanworknman Member Posts: 10
    (Just so you know,I did'nt get a damn dime for writing this-I'm just too tired to hate any more)

    It's been a hell of a week around here.

    I got the flu and a stomach issue all at the same time right in the middle of checking out some Nissan's out to replace our little red Kia Rio 5.

    I had to take some time off of work and thought I'd have enough health to maybe work out a deal on my time off.

    Well,the upside down part of my car's worth slammed the door on that.

    I had a good talk with a decent salesman at a Nissan place who worked with me and understated what the Kia was worth by two grand but the bottom line is best case,I'd be adding seven grand to any car I bought right now so our little red gas hog is here to stay.

    But that's certainly not all bad.

    I was washing it off in fourty degree weather in a heavy overcoat and my beanie when it dawned on me why we bought the car.

    My wife was working herself into her first stroke,at a government job where they load up the long term experience workers who give a shxt about their jobs and have been there for decades while the new people sit on their hands and surf the internet.

    She hated our 2008 Sonata that we had bought used.

    Man,I loved that car.

    One of the finest four cylinder family cars I have ever driven or owned.

    We just went to the Kia dealership to check one out.

    By the time we left there,we had signed for it.

    My wife denies it but she really likes the car-even today.

    That was the main reason we bought the car.

    It's appearance and quality always bring a smile to her face.

    I remember thinking before we ever went to the Kia dealership how the South Korean people who worked for Hyundai had picked their company up off the floor and started building some truly world class vehicles and they went to help Kia and then the people at Kia started doing the same.

    I was at the Kia dealership because of that too.

    I wanted a well built car built all in the same country it was supposed to be from.

    A very rare thing these days.

    Kia,like Hyundai has put alot of pride into what they've done in just the last few years,it seems.

    And it shows.

    My dad was a Korean war vet,and part of the reason that Kia is even there is because he was,well as millions of other Americans and South Koreans,fought back those who would take away the ability of the South Koreans to compete on the world stage.

    So you know,I get a twinge about good Old pop too-God rest his Soul-whenever I look at the car.

    As I washed our Kia,I found myself not really worrying about the mileage as much anymore-hell,what can I do about that now-I've done everything I can.

    And that let me appreciate the car for what a great car it is all over again.

    I really was and still am drawn to the exterior design.

    It is it's own and not a direct copy of anything before it.

    The paint job as well as the exterior trim on ours is simply beautiful even after 24,000 miles but we have been extremely careful where and how we park it too.

    We did'nt get the car with the pie plate alloys-we got the fan style alloys and as I cleaned those rims they just shined right up-for just silver painted alloys-they really shine.

    The car looks really stunning when it's totally cleaned.

    Inside,I cannot find one item I don't like.

    From design of the dash and gauges,to the leather wrapped steering wheel to the -now replaced Uvo radio- I am pretty happy.

    Yes,I'd like more bass but would'nt we all in our radios.

    It would be a real challenge to get a subwoofer in this car without a space penalty,'maybe under the drivers and passengers seats?

    The one thing Kia should do though is add a handle on the passenger seat so it can be jacked up higher for short passengers.

    My wife is not very tall and I've added a seat cushion to get her view over the dash better.

    But really,this is a deluxe car.

    Not a stripper model.

    When we finish paying for it-it will still be a deluxe model car.

    I've turned off the eco button and simply stopped using the cruise control for the most part.

    The motor seems to be less choked and the transmission seems to shift more smoothly.

    I'll just drive the car gently to make it last and enjoy it.

    I'm just glad it's a quality built car like it is.

    The gas mileage thing?

    That issue came up because of a few Americans,working for Kia-----in America-in the marketing department influenced the gas mileage tests----not because of the people designing,engineering or building the car.

    She might burn more gas then I like but she sure is pretty when she's shined up and she don't give up nothing on the interstates either.

    She'll get you a ticket right now if you don't watch your speed.

    Handles well too,very very solid through the car.

    Yea,I made a mistake but it's not the end of the world.

    And who knows,if I get 250,000 miles of great service out of her-this might not be a mistake after all.

    So I guess,I am finally learning to like the car for what she is.

    A small,quality built five door sports car.

    Pretty as hell when I wax her up too.

    Put's a smile on my wife's face when I do that.

    And that's good enough for me.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    Another enjoyable post there, worknman. I'd say you have your priorities in line pretty well..keeping the better half happy and all...any smart man knows that's important. It's just a bonus that you both appreciate your Rio for what it is.

    Not sure if I missed it, but what color is it?
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    Just realized...got it..bright red. Yes red can look pretty good when all shined up and they get the shade right (keeping the orange out of the equation). Of course color is personal taste. I wonder if anyone could have predicted the longevity of silver's popularity over the decades. I think that, next to black, it must be the next longest lasting consistently popular car color, and gets number one for resale value over the vast majority of models. Of course, this excludes certain exotics like Ferraris etc. were red is number one I think.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    A reporter is looking for a subcompact car owner or shopper to weigh in on what kind of impact a sleeker design, like the "Furia" concept released in Detroit, would have on their purchase decision. If you own or are looking for a subcompact car, and think a sleeker design would impact which car you buy, please send your daytime contact info to pr@edmunds.com no later than Monday, January 21, 2013 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited January 2013
    Sleeker often means you bang your head into the roof line where it meets the sunvisor as you get your butt positioned in the seat just right. This happened to me in a new Hyundai Elantra GT 5 dr last week. Reminded me of my 89 XT6...except the XT6 had so much more to offer and made the forehead bump a little easier to take, haha.
    And ya know..the very first profile shot I had seen of the new Elantra had me thinking that'd be a potential issue. But when I sat in it I had forgotten that notion until......ya...it impacted me. :(
  • willhixwillhix Member Posts: 3
    I just purchased a new 2013 KIA RIO Hatchback. Four weeks in. Buyer Beware!!!! The six speed was an option in 2012. My vehicle has a high frequency vibration in 6th gear at highway speeds. I am being told that all of them have this hiccup. No help from the smarmy corporate snots. They evidently arent warning consumers. And essentially they are denying the issue. So here is a warning....Think twice on this car. I am having buyers remorse. Customer service is horrible. not happy at all. Inherrant to design is what Im getting. Better Business Bureau is my next stop. Think twice on this car !!!
  • aertaert Member Posts: 3
    Auto or Stick ?
    I'm guessing stick - we've had a '13 auto for 3 months and not noticed that issue.
    Dealer hasn't suggested turning the radio up a bit?
    Angus
  • willhixwillhix Member Posts: 3
    More calls to KIA Motors America and still no resolution. 2013 Kia Rio has 6 Speed Manual Transmission Problems. Re: KIA Transmission Vibration in sixth gear. Kia Motors America Customer Service is Bad. I dont trust KIA Warranty. Very unhappy with my decision to buy the 2013 KIA Rio. A 2013 Kia Rio should Not Vibrate. Bad 2013 KIA Rio Transmission and this car is new!!! 2013 Kia Rio!!! The 2013 KIA Rio has design flaws. The 2013 KIA Rio Manual Six Speed Transmission has Design Flaws and Problems.Notice all these key words???They make internet search algorithms chew the information. This makes internet searches more effective. Im so mad about this purchase, So mad at how Bad KIA Motors America has treated me that I think its only fitting that I warn potential buyers of The 2013 KIA Rio that the 2013 KIA Rio has Transmission Problems. The automatic may be fine, but The 2013 KIA Rio has Transmission Problems. I am referring to The 2013 KIA Rio with The Six Speed Manual Transmission. The 2013 KIA Rio has a Transmission Problem. Why should a brand new 2013 KIA Rio Vibrate in sixth gear at 60/70? Kia Customer Service is Bad. I am very Unhappy with my 2013 KIA Rio.
  • willhixwillhix Member Posts: 3
    Advice for potential KIA Customers;
    I buy a new KIA Rio. 2013. The car vibrates in sixth gear only, at only between 60 to 70. KIA Motors America Treats me like sh1%. Kia of Bedford treats me like sh1%. A month later, the car hasnt been fixed! I get no response from KIA of Bedford. I get no response from KIA Motors America. Advice....DONT BUY A KIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These people do NOT VALUE THEIR CUSTOMERS. For those of you that are happy little campers. You will get your opportunity to deal with these creeps as soon as you have a warranty issue. The warranty is useless. You will see.
  • 1_ctcarguy1_ctcarguy Member Posts: 3
    So my wife has had the car 12 days and it already left her stranded. I don't think she even has 500 miles on it yet. Nature of the problem - car won't shift out of park and has dash 'malfunction' light on. Had it towed to dealer after three hours of waiting in frigid, dark parking lot at night.

    Dealership hasn't shown us much after sale love to up to this point. Sure they give us a loaner, one on empty. I asked for one WITH gas and they said just bring it back with what you started with. Thanks. Waiting till we have one more interaction and get the car back to give final report.

    I'm not a Kia hater by any stretch - had a nice 07 Rondo EX and we loved it.....almost sorry we just didn't do the maintenance on it instead of trading.

    More to follow.
  • 1_ctcarguy1_ctcarguy Member Posts: 3
    Dealer had car for two days and had to contact Kia Techline for support. Problem isolated to instrument cluster - disconnected and reconnected and problem cleared. Still waiting for plastic trim piece to replace one tow truck driver jimmied with screw driver to override the 'locked in park' interlock.
  • 1_ctcarguy1_ctcarguy Member Posts: 3
    So although I was not blown away by Kia dealer's response to our issue we did recieve nice follow up from Kia corp. They reached out to my wife two times to ensure she was fixed and satisfied and even sent her a $50 debit card for her troubles. Feeling better now.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Just brought home a signal red/beige 2013 Rio5 LX with automatic, power package, and mats, 3-year lease for $170/month with only the first payment up front. (Those in the military could get $159/month with nothing up front!) I thought it was a good deal. MSRP was just over $16.7k.

    I was looking for a good small car for my daughter, to take her through college and beyond. The lease was up on my 2010 Sentra 2.0S, so I could either buy it off lease or get something else. I decided to go with a new car for lower payments, lower maintenance costs over the next several years, and a little lower insurance cost. I figure I could save ~$2800 over the next 3 years with the Rio5. Of course, then I'll need to either buy it ($9891 residual) or get something else. We'll cross that bridge in 3 years. The dealer took the Sentra and will do the payoff to NMAC; it had only 27k miles but some minor exterior damage I estimate would cost me about $500 to repair.

    Other factors in favor of the Rio5 are that it's a hatchback (better for going to/from college), more nimble (and more fun to drive), ESC/traction (good in winter weather), honest-to-goodness 6-speed manumatic tranny (vs. the Sentra's sluggish CVT), better fuel economy, the long warranty (only the remaining 5-year powertrain warranty left on the Sentra), 5-year roadside assistance, auto-off lights, Sirius, and folding heated mirrors. The Sentra was a comfortable car but no fun to drive. It did have a few features the Rio5 lacks, such as center console, rear center armrest, padded armrests, telescopic steering column, cruise control, and a spare tire.

    My wife saw the car when we drove up from the dealer and cried, "I want one, it's so cute!" (and she has a 2013 Sonata, very close to the same color)
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    edited June 2013
    all right! Nice car you chose there, the Kia Rio 5. Welcome to the Kia family. I have owned a 1999 Kia Sephia and a 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4. Both were solid vehicles. My wife likes the new Kia Souls in that Volcano Red color. I should price one of those in a 5 or 6-speed transmission. I don't know which one Kia offers for the Soul, the 5-speed or the 6-speed.

    I've been looking at a 1967 VW bug in white with a 4-speed manual tranny for only $3,000. It's right here in Alamogordo at a dealer lot. I figure I would offer him $2,500 and if it has a strong engine then I'm basically getting a steal. I miss a manual tranny really bad. The synchro's can go out on these early VW standard transmissions but it's not an expensive repair. The body is straight, it's tires are new and it's wheels are not old - they're the Porsche style and look as cute as a bug on this Bug. I am probably going to pull the trigger on this one unless we get a new Kia Soul. I'd say we'll get the '67 VW Bug instead if I were forced to make a wager on it right now.

    Anyhow, we may be getting a deal here in the iluv household here in a little while, too. Congratulations on your Kia purchase and make sure and let us know how you like your Kia Rio5, backy! :D Good job! I like Kia better than Hyundai, though for a while I was this close ta getting a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. Good thing I didn't get one - they've had a lot of problems with their clutches, t/o bearings and flywheels with the 2003 Tibby's.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The Soul has a 6MT or AT. Same dealer where I got the Rio5 is offering a base Soul with MT for only $159/month lease.

    But I've decided to drive the Rio5 and let my daughter drive my relatively new (for me) 2005 Mazda6i Sport hatch. I've learned she doesn't appreciate what it means to have a new car, and take care of it. The Mazda6 is a great car but 8 years old, and has a black interior (vs. light beige on the Rio5), so if she trashes it, no big deal. I think most teens would be tickled to get a car like that Mazda6. Actually I like it too, but the Rio5 is fun to toss around, and it will be a good around-town car for me, can park it anywhere. In a year, before she goes off to college, we'll see if she's learned anything about taking care of a car (and see how she does in school this year) and decide if she gets to drive the Rio5 for college or not.

    Topped off the tank on the Rio5 today so I can do a proper FE measurement. Seems to be getting around 30 in town on its first 100 miles, so that's encouraging.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    Topped off the tank on the Rio5 today so I can do a proper FE measurement. Seems to be getting around 30 in town on its first 100 miles, so that's encouraging.

    I'll say thats good ghastly mileage. The '08 Lancer GTS with 107,211 miles is still getting 24 in the city and 29 on the highway. Just had her serviced - tuneup, oil change, air filter. We may not get a new or different rig at all!

    Enjoy your Rio5!

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

Sign In or Register to comment.