2007 Kia Rio Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the first generation, second generation and third generation Kia Rio, from 2001, 2007 and 2012, as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 2000-2013 Kia Rio.

Kia Rio is a small-medium South Korean car that has picked up significantly in Australia since the launch of the all-new model of September 2011. After two generations of Rios with conservative shapes, the 2011 Rio came with stunning styling that pushes it ahead of many competitors from Japan and Europe from a visual point of view. Build quality wasn’t too bad on the first generation Rios, sold from July 2000, improved significantly in the gen-two cars from August 2005 and is impressive from 2011 onwards. The bodies of the older models were generally better assembled than their interiors, though we do see the occasional rough one inside and out.Tip: Don’t forget that professional inspection.The Kia Rio is sold as either a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback and has good interior space that can seat four adults, though two grownups and two or three kids is a more practical load.On-road dynamics and build quality have improved over the years and the latest models provide a fair degree of enjoyment for the keen driver. However, some may find the ride a little too firm on rough roads. Try it for yourself during your private road test.A good set of tyres can work wonders for the handling and steering feel of older Kia Rios.Kia Rio is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine in the pre-2005 series. If worked moderately it will sound and feel fine, but drive it hard and it gets noisy and can be harsh. Engine performance is generally fine as this is a relatively light car. But it can struggle a bit on hills, so it's smart to find a hilly area to do some of your pre-purchase road testing.The newer, from 2005, Rios have a more modern 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that’s significantly more powerful, smoother and significantly better in the refinement stakes. The engine was further improved in the 2011 series Rios.A lower cost 1.4-litre engine was added to the range in March 2007, its performance is OK if you’re willing to work at getting the best from the car.Transmission options are five-speed manual and four-speed automatic in the first two Rio ranges. Six-speed units, both manual and automatic were a big feature of the all-new model that arrived in 2011, putting the car ahead of many of its rivals.The four-speed auto takes the edge of what performance the older engines do deliver. It’s smooth enough and obviously makes life simpler in the suburbs, the natural habitat of a vehicle like this.The experienced home mechanic can do a fair bit on a Kia Rio. Underbonnet access is good and these cars have old and tried technology. A workshop manual is a low-cost investment that can save you lots of hassles. Don’t do any safety-related work yourself, leave that to the professionals.Insurance is normally towards the lower area of mid-range, but seems to vary more than usual from one company to another. So it pays to shop around, as always make sure you understand what you get, and don’t get, for your premium.Poorly repaired crash damage will show as paint which doesn’t match from panel to panel; and/or a ripply finish in a panel. Check for tiny specks of paint on non-painted parts such as glass and badges. Look at the interior and boot for signs of general wear and tear.The engine should fire up within a second or so of the key being turned, even when it’s cold. As soon as it starts it should settle into a steady idle. There should be no smoke from the exhaust pipe even if the engine is worked hard. Letting it idle for about a minute, then flooring the throttle in a quick takeoff will aggravate the problem.A manual gearbox should be moderately light in its action and not crunch on any of the downchanges, no matter how fast they are made. The third-to-second gearchange is usually the first to give trouble. If the automatic transmission is slow at picking up a drive gear from Park or Neutral it may be because it’s due for a major overhaul.Check the brakes pull the Rio up squarely and that ABS, if fitted, operates when you push the pedal hard.Cars that have spent all their lives in the open air are far less desirable than those that have generally been kept under cover. Faded paint and dried out dashtops are the easiest way to pick ‘outdoor’ cars.

For the next week; the Kia Rio is the cheapest car on the market.Kia is offering several discounts and incentives in a marketing campaign that expires at the end of this month.The five-door manual 1.4-litre model is reduced $2000 to $12,990, while the 2006 1.6 EX hatch without ABS and the 2007 model with ABS are discounted $1500 to $14,490.The Sports hatch, EX sedan and EX-L sedan are not discounted, but Kia Motors Australia is giving away $1000 worth of petrol on all Rios sold before the end of the financial year.These are fine incentives, but so is driving the car.I recently tested the base model LX hatch with five-speed manual transmission and a 1.4-litre engine, as well as the top-of-the-range EX Luxury sedan with four-speed automatic transmission and a 1.6-litre engine.It is surprising how well budget cars run these days.Both these models are well built, with a good array of creature features, well-mannered road behaviour, a comfortable cabin, frugal fuel economy and satisfactory safety features.Kia Rio scores a four-star adult occupant crash rating in the Euro Ncap tests; as well as two stars for pedestrian safety and a three-star child protection rating.So the discounts and petrol incentive are simply icing on quite a palatable little cake.The 1.4 gets along quite well for such a small engine.Mated to the manual gearbox, it needs a bit of stirring off the line, but then picks up nicely.The gearbox is on the rubbery side, but easy to use with a light clutch feel and well-placed ratios. At full belt, there isn't much noise at all. The cabin is very quiet and the little engine doesn't sound like it's screaming its double overhead cam head off.The 1.6 has more oomph, but I had the auto, so it wasn't easy to compare. The four-speeder is smooth, without flaring or hunting, although it revs out a bit much in first.Brakes are on the spongy side and need a good push to get maximum stopping power. The EX-L and Sports come with ABS, while it is an $850 option on all other models.Steering is too heavily weighted to the centre and too light away from the centre. It points into corners a bit slow and gets light in the middle of the corner when pushed hard.A tight 10.1m turning circle makes it very manoeuvrable in shopping centre car parks.Surprisingly, there is not a lot of body roll from the McPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension; and the ride is very good for a light car.Inside there is plenty of hard plastic as you would expect from the budget model, but the build quality is high and nothing rattled or squeaked. It has powered front windows, but doesn't have powered door mirrors, which can be a nuisance.Controls all fall to hand in a natural manner. You can immediately operate the sound, air conditioning and other controls without having to check the owner's manual.The 1.6 interior has slightly classier trim, power rear windows and mirrors and that's about it. Cruise control would have been a nice addition.Seats in both models lacked support and can get uncomfortable on a long drive.Cabin room is good for five adults with plenty of legroom and wide door access.The front floor mats need fasteners because they slide dangerously under the pedals. This is almost inexcusable, despite the price.The boot in the hatch is small, but has a flat floor with no suspension intrusion and is fully carpeted, unlike some competitors. And surprise, surprise, it has a full-size spare wheel under the floor, again unlike some of its opposition.While the rear seats fold down to provide a large cargo area, they don't fold down totally flat. The cargo privacy cover is also on the flimsy side.Boot space in the sedan is big enough for a couple of large suitcases and a few other bags and the floor is again flat with carpeting throughout. However, there is no boot release.The Rio lives up to the high quality standards of its brother Korean company, Hyundai. Panel gaps are close and consistent and paint quality is lustrous with some vibrant colour options available.The LX hatch and EX hatch and sedan come with 14-inch steel wheels, while the Sports has 16-inch alloys, and the EX-L has attractive 15-inch alloys.Making the free petrol offer even more attractive is how far that $1000 will go.At today's prices that will get you a little more than 800 litres.According to Kia, the LX manual uses 6.7 litres every 100km, so that is almost 12,000km of “free” motoring.By my calculations, it was thirstier than that, but that was mainly due to my over-eager driving.Because the 1.6 auto didn't need to be revved quite as hard to get moving, it returned closer to the manufacturer's claims of 7L/100km.As fuel prices remain volatile, light cars will continue to enjoy strong sales.The Rio fits the bill with a tick in every box — economy, safety, comfort and handling.   Kia Rio LX Hatch and EX-L Sedan$12,990 (LX), $18,990 (EX-L)Engine: 3 stars1.4 and 1.6 are lively, smooth and quiet.Handling: 3 starsSmooth ride and little body roll, but vague steering.Safety: 3 starsBut two stars for the LX without ABS standardValue: 4 starsEconomical driving without having to cut too many corners on featuresTech specsBody: 5-door hatch, 4-door sedanEngines: 1.4 Litre DOHC (LX); 1.6 litre DOHC CVVT (EX-L)Power: 70kW @ 6000rpm (LX); 82kW @ 6000rpm (EX-L)Torque: 125Nm @ 4700rpm (LX); 145Nm @ 4500rpm (EX-L)Bore x Stroke: 75.5x78.1mm (LX); 76.5x87mm (EX-L)Compression: 10:1Economy: (COMBINED L/100KM): 6.7 (manual) 6.8 (auto) LX; 6.8 (manual) 7.0 (auto) EX-LEmissions: Euro IIIFuel: 45-litre tank, ULPTransmission: 5 speed manual, 4 speed automatic ($2000 option)Brakes: ventilated front disc, rear drumSuspension: McPherson strut (front), torsion beam (rear)Wheels: 14" (LX), 15" (EX-L.6), full-size spareTyres: 175/70 R14 (LX); 195/55 R15(EX-L)Dimensions (MM): 3990 (hatch length), 4240 (sedan length), 1695 (w), 1470 (h), 2500 (wheelbase)Weight: 1193kg (LX), 1181 (EX-L), (auto adds 22kg)Turning Circle: 10.1mWarranty: 3 year/100,000kmVerdict: for economy, safety, comfort and handlingAgainst: boot space, steeringOverall rating: 3 starsA practical package