Doug Smith Autoplex
523 Main Street American Fork, UT 84003Sales: 1-800-553-3099
- Service: 1-801-492-1110
Vehicle Reviews
2010 Kia Rio
Great value, roomy, efficient, fun to drive. edited by New Car Test Drive
Driving Impressions
We've driven most versions of the Kia Rio and have been impressed with all of them.
We spent time in an LX automatic sedan and a Rio5 SX manual. We enjoyed shifting the manual as it definitely makes for a more sporty experience. However, the LX with the automatic transmission was no slouch. Cars in this class traditionally suffer a big performance and fuel economy hit with an automatic, but the Rio confirms that modern transmissions have largely addressed these deficiencies.
The automatic rates slightly higher fuel efficiency on the highway, according to the EPA, with 36 mpg compared with the manual's 34 mpg. EPA estimates for city driving are 27 mpg for the automatic and 28 mpg for the manual. Remember, these numbers for the Rio or Rio5 equipped with either the manual or automatic transmission are very close, and individual driving habits could easily have either a negative or positive effect.
The Rio is more sporty and athletic than the Hyundai Accent, which uses the same basic structure. There's nothing exceptional about Rio's Macpherson strut front suspension or twist-beam rear axle, but Kia designed them for long wheel travel, a characteristic long favored by European automakers for combining a comfortable ride with responsive handling. The Rio is far from being a sporty car, but the SX handled nimbly without too much body lean or sloppy motion. The LX, with its smaller tires, did not feel quite as secure or responsive, though most drivers will likely not complain.
The power steering, which stiffens up as the engine speed increases, felt taught with just the right amount of feel dialed in. We did not try a base model, which comes without power steering.
Standard-issue brakes, on the base model, are 10.1-inch vented discs up front and 8.0-inch drums in the rear. But the ABS, which is standard on all LX and SX trim-level models, includes an upgrade of the rear brakes to 10.3-inch solid discs.
