2012 Kia Rio 5-Door Review

[supercooled]

Hey Dan, disregard my question in the other video. I just found the review ;)

[necessaryevil101]

hyundai needs to abomb the competition and match this car up to a new 8 speed auto transmission. they would pull 45-50 mpg easily. 

[alexmatt94]

THANKS AGAIN...!

[alexmatt94]

THANKS FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEW VIDEOS ! DOES THE BASIC 2012 KIA RIO COME WITH AIR CONDITIONING OR IS IT EXTRA COST ?, I NEED THE BASIC MODEL....,

[mpgomatic]

@alexmatt94 Best bet is to check the Kia website.

[IrishChris1979]

I guess the 6 speed transmission doesn't improve performance that much on this application LOL.

Hey, for a grocery getter that gets awesome MPG's, this does the trick for some people I guess...

If I were buying a car like this, I'd personally go with the new Ford Focus Titanium. I sat in one with navigation at the dealer and I couldn't believe how nice this car was for the $. My wife loved it too. I may surprise her with a fully loaded titanuim model on her birthday this coming May =D

[petuniacar]

Great review. I was wondering if you are planning to review the 2012 Subaru Impreza especially if the mileage is really improved over the 2011 model.

[chunhaylee]

So the bigger Elantra, with the bigger 1.8l engine, actually got better combined mpg than the Rio5?

[mpgomatic]

@chunhaylee We test at the limit of our current resources. There are a number of factors to consider in the 2.6 MPG difference, including summer gas (Elantra) vs winter gas (Rio), environmental conditions, route, and traffic. Our highway testing is usually on an exact route - as controlled as can be on public roads. Combined MPGs encompass a variety of conditions - one or two nasty traffic jams can skew the numbers.

[hikari94122]

I just got the same bright silver sx one but with the premium package yesterday. Drove 500 miles in it today non stop and I have to say WOW. I'm 6'4" 220lbs and i fit great. I could extend me left leg out straight in the drivers seat and could only touch the back behind the pedals with my toes extend out. I could never do that with my civic which I thought had a lot of leg room. With the premium package you get the nav. That thing Rocks. It has lane assist in it. Help so much on the freeway.

[joeguard78]

Did Kia follow through the Start/Stop Technology in the Rio?

[hikari94122]

@joeguard78 I heard it was delayed for a bit till they tweek it out.

[joeguard78]

@hikari94122 Thanks!

[alijalab]

Thanks!

[godwhomismike]

Hey Dan, awesome review. I really like the little Rio, and wish I would spend a week or two behind the wheel of one. I am driving a 2011 Kia Sportage SX (AWD), which shares the same turbochaged engine as the Optima/Sonata - although tuned slightly different. It makes 260 hp and a really nice 269 lb ft of torque at just 1850 rpm. I am getting good fuel economy in the mid 20s on the highway - sometimes getting 27+ mpg. You should try to get one for a review. :)

[mpgomatic]

@godwhomismike Thanks, Mike ... good stuff! We reviewed the 2011 Sportage EX last January, about to hop into a Soul this afternoon. Kia and Hyundai are delivering a ton of value for the dollar these days.

[AFL489]

This will be my next car. Preferably a white SX model

[goodson305]

Hey can u sometime show us big or full size car with good mpg it's always them too small cars u showin by the way nice vid

[mpgomatic]

@goodson305 Thanks! Big car with good MPG? Have you seen our review of the Dodge Charger R/T? We got some great numbers from the HEMI out on the highway. Watch for a video on the 8-speed/V-6 Charger in the coming weeks ... awesome car ...

[aarikc17]

@goodson305 you must not watch his show very often

[90Mrknowitall]

Looks like a VW rabbit kinda

[AFL489]

@90Mrknowitall The person who designed the new Rio5 was the former designer of Audi/VW

[WretchedDrake]

I love your reviews Dan! You always address the key things I'd want to know in a car that other reviewers tend to shy away from.

Combined mpg

Rear seat room

0-60

etc.

Keep up the great work!

[mpgomatic]

@WretchedDrake Thanks for the support! :)

[samsacre]

Starting at $13,600 for the LX w/manual is right there with the Toyota Yaris!

When it comes to these small cars give me the stick shift. 

[MrVynder]

Was waiting for you to review this one, thanks!

[Underpantsniper]

this thing looks pretty slick to be honest

[MrSirgiggidy]

Usually the Kia Rio is an ugly car. Props to Kia for making this one look incredibly sporty

[urbex2007]

I love that car, it's definitely a strong rival to a ford focus and vauxhall astra here in the UK.

[soylentgreeneater]

damn a Kia Rio that looks better than any car in it''s class. I remember seeing the first gen Rio and cursing it's existence.

[DrClawman4]

it seems that every kia has the same grill style

[05Forenza]

@DrClawman4 Well of course. I would say most companies pick a specific design idea for the grille, and put it across their lineup. It ties the companies products together.

[zuljalalkhan]

what does ''combined'' 33.8 mpg mean? Is it a mix of highway and city driving? if so, it would be nice to know what kind of city only mpg numbers you guys got. keep em coming :)

[mpgomatic]

@zuljalalkhan It's a mix, based on tank fills. City only testing has far too many variables. We simply do not have the time and resources to do it right. One day, hopefully ...

[Stet17]

manual transmissions are bought by enthusiasts in the north american market, not as a low cost option to automatics, which i see even on the plainest of cheap cars today. wouldnt it make more sense to have the lx and ex automatic only and give the sx the mt option?

[mpgomatic]

@Stet17 Interesting idea. Anything with a Sport Suspension should be available with a MT, IMHO. :)

[flatblackstrat]

@Stet17 In this segment of car I don't think that logic holds true. An enthusiast most likely isn't shopping for a Kia or any of the current sub compacts. That may change however when the Fiesta ST and maybe a tweaked version of the Chevy Sonic come out. The MT is used as a means of cost reduction to get the base as low as possible. They wouldn't be a able to offer the car at it's low 13.6K base with an Auto. It jumps nearly 1 grand with the auto.

[Stet17]

@flatblackstrat

Maybe 1 in a hundred of them will be equipped as manuals. I guess they just had the manual for the LX as a disposable option to make the starting price lower to draw attention. Even buyers in that price range are more than willing enough to fork out an extra $1000 for the automatic.

[zuljalalkhan]

please use an hd camera :)

[mpgomatic]

@zuljalalkhan All of our cameras are currently HD, except for one. It takes too long to cut and process these videos in HD with the hardware we have. We'll be upgrading as our budget permits ...

[yellowcow13]

@mpgomatic Thanks for the stereo info! A thumpin stereo is very important for modern cars and a review of the system should be included in every review

[crimsoninred]

it looks like the car has a wide body kit. it looks great! id get one and lower it IMHO!

[mak450]

awesome iphone case

[starksy17]

What is your take on the small car wars right now Dan? Is this car better then that of the sonic, fiesta, etc? what was your all round favourite

[mpgomatic]

@starksy17 It's tough to pick one as the best. It's a rapidly changing field and they're all solid cars. Maybe the Sonic turbo from a drivability standpoint? The Rio packs a whole a lot of features ... they've really upped the ante. I don't have one favorite in this class at the moment, but I'm looking forward to the new Dart. The Fiesta will benefit from an EcoBoost engine, but the back seat will still be tight. I swap into a Soul after the Veloster. An Accent's on the list, too.

[XscXps3]

The rear is driving me nuts, it looks like a seat!!!

[talldude123]

That's awesome that you guys matched the "estimated" MPG ratings, and surpassed them! That probably doesn't happen often! That's also a good 0-60 time for a small 4-banger too! I thought using an Apple USB cable on the Hyundai/Kia radio's didn't work? Unless this car is an exception. I also like the fact that you guys use the old-school Apple USB cable, the kind that actually locks into the iPod's connector!

[mpgomatic]

@talldude123 Kias and Hyundais tend to be estimated on the edge. With some other manufacturers, I've had great results with a light-footed driving style.

Not sure about the cable. The Veloster that's here until Monday has a factory cable. I'll test the Apple cable tomorrow.

[computergames5]

Boy's that car have an EXCELLENT value.