Kia Rio (01-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
Medium-sized car for supermini money and there are some great special offers around. Simple, basic transport with a good aftersales package and plenty of equipment. Re-sale values are low, but most owners keep them for long enough not to mind.
2 out of 5

Other Kia reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

Engines are reasonably economical and five-year warranty is excellent. Cheap insurance, but horrific depreciation and tempting '£1 deposit' finance deal has high APR and might prove costly in the end.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

10,000 miles.

Warranty

Mechanical three years, bodywork six years.

Road tax (12 months)

£170.00 - £250.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    152
  • H
  • I
  • J
    191
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Rio performs well on the eco front. With an average of 164 g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are relatively low for a small family hatchback. It's worth noting that the line-up does not feature any diesel models, which typically produce less carbon dioxide than petrol engines with similar power outputs. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 1.3-litre petrol, which is one of the greenest models in the range. The range is also fairly economical, averaging 39 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2