My husband purchased the 2004 Kia Rio as a quick replacement for our Suzuki Esteem, which was rear-ended, and declared a total loss by the at-fault driver’s insurance company. He chose the car based on price, availability and a cash-back offer. If we had more time, we would likely have looked into another Saturn, as our 1996 SL2 still runs quite well. Unfortunately, time and money were in short supply, so we ended up with a Cinnamon colored Kia Rio and I am its primary driver. As of today, I have 6100 miles on the car, which has been ours just over a year. Recently, a neighbor asked me how I liked the Rio, to which I responded “I don’t like it at all.” I did not feel like unrolling a laundry list of gripes, nor did I have the time, so I mentioned a few quick issues to demonstrate it is a piece of Kia-rap (sorry, I couldn't resist.)

The little engine that couldn't...

I am not even close to an expert on cars. I have no mechanical expertise whatsoever, so the specs mean very little to me. As I review my 2004 Rio four door sedan, I will include what Kia says followed by my "translation."

Engine 1.6L, 4 cylinders, Torque 104 @4700rpm
Translation: Noisy little engine, no pickup, I truly must floor it to merge with fast moving traffic. When the A/C is running, acceleration is ridiculously sluggish. Old ladies pass me, kids on bicycles too. The sound of the engine revving is annoyingly loud, and does not seem appropriate for a car moving in slow motion. I am extremely hesitant about turning if an approaching car is two blocks away. My children have been quoted as saying “I think I can...I think I can.... I think I can” unfortunately the chant never leads into “ I thought I could” because the Rio just can't

Miles per Gallon: 25/32
Translation: Maybe in a parallel universe? I drive in both city and highway traffic fairly equally and tend to average 21 miles per gallon.

Seating Capacity: 5
Translation: I agree that two average sized adults will fit in the front seats but there is no way that three adults can fit in the rear seat. Two small adults and a child, maybe. Keeping in mind that children should ride in booster car seats until age eight, families with three children under eight would be out of luck as three carseats would be a very tight squeeze. The maximum passenger load I've carried in the back seat was two rather petite 10 year olds and a 5 year old in a booster.

Cargo Capacity: 9 cubic feet
Translation: My six-foot tall husband is on crutches, and they simply can't fit in so that the trunk closes. Believe me, I have tried, and had no trouble fitting a wheelchair and crutches in my old Suzuki Esteem's trunk. The trunk works for average grocery trips, keeping in mind I no longer carry a stroller. With a stroller, I suspect carrying packages larger than a box of cereal would be tough. Road trip? Only if you pack very light.

Front Headroom 39.4" and Front Legroom 42.8"
Translation: I’m 5-foot-4 and have ample head and legroom, without cramping rear passengers, but whichever child is seated in the back behind my husband is “squished.” The crutches can just barely fit when laid down along the side length of the car.

“Dings and scratches and dents...Oh my!”

The Rio has not been involved in any accidents, but the dents and scratches sure seem extreme from an occasional shopping cart “ding.” I have owned a number of cars over the years, a Ford, a Chevy, two Oldsmobiles, a Suzuki and a Saturn. Not one of those cars looked like this one after a year, and many of the cars were pre-owned. Oddly, our Kia is garage-kept; the others were regularly parked in lots and on streets. The Kia isn’t driven much, the others were. Nonetheless, the Kia has several noticeable flaws, far worse than any other car I’ve had.

Let’s talk tires, shall we? Just avoid speed bumps, potholes, rough roads and such. Even a relatively small pothole can do some serious damage. Keeping in mind I have encountered my share of potholes, and haven’t had any serious problems, the Kia can’t handle them. One pothole damaged the tire and rim to the tune of $250. Bumps and rough roads will bounce you around more than you might expect. The traction is disappointing; I did not feel completely at ease driving in a Chicago winter.

But wait, there’s more!

The engine is noisy; the wipers make an irritating clicking sound, and even the smoothest pavement sounds like a rocky road. When the car is in motion, even at a slow speed, the stereo must be extremely loud to hear it. This is especially apparent when the car stops, and the stereo suddenly becomes deafening.

Its what’s on the inside that matters?

The interior is rather plain, but I am not terribly picky about what a car looks like. The cup holders in front are as handy as any other, there are some bigger cup holders built into the front doors. These work for the bigger cups, as they are not separated from the door panel’s pockets, but smaller containers may roll. It cracks me up that this ultra-compact, cheap car has a built in sunglass holder too.

I wish that the climate control was situated higher and the radio lower on the dash, but that’s just me. The gearshift is another pet peeve. When you put the car in gear, you have to look up near the dash to check whether you are in reverse or drive; only park is clear, simply because you can’t shift further up. I am used to glancing at the actual gearshift to clearly see when I’m in reverse, neutral, drive, etc.

”If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all...”

So, the car is cheap, noisy, flimsy and sluggish.... So the customer service at the local Kia dealer is laughable at best...Who really needs a “new car smell” (which this car gives that notion an entirely new meaning) anyway? That’s what car fresheners are for. I guess I should be glad that police could get the Rio unlocked with a slim-jim so fast that even they are surprised. I doubt anyone will steal this car anyway.

Surely there must be something truly positive about the 2004 Kia Rio. Perhaps even something impressive?
Ok, ok, I have to admit that I am happy that my 2004 Kia Rio came with a ten-year warranty.

Summing up...

I can’t recommend this car to anyone unless they are in a tough financial spot, and even then, someone who does a lot of driving might decide that even that is not worthwhile. Is it better than nothing? Just about. And I can rest assured that my sunglasses are safe and my Biggie drink will fit in the cupholder. I sincerely doubt that we will ever see the warranty expire, once our kids hit their teens, the back seat will be too tight a squeeze.

I can’t say whether or not I would consider a different Kia in the future, but every time I see (or hear) my Rio, I know that I would be a real tough sell.



UPDATE: May 2008
Still have the piece of Kia-rap. Another pothole. Bye bye economic stimulus tax rebate.....
Amount Paid (US$): 11000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: 4 door sedan automatic transmission A/C