Whether you’re buying new or used, the Rio is good value for money, plus it is cheap to run. All the engines are economical, but the diesel is especially so, returning 63mpg. Insurance ratings are low with most models group 4 or 5, although the CRDI Sport is group 6 and the petrol variant group 7. Servicing is good value at Kia dealerships and parts are generally affordable.

The Rio performs pretty well on the eco front, with similar emissions to other similar sized cars. The CRDi engine is the cleanest. It emits 121g/km of CO2, however in 2008 this was tweaked to 119g/km making it cheaper to tax. Economy is excellent with the diesel able to average 63mpg while the 1.4-litre manages an impressive 46mpg.

Kia has a strong reputation for reliability and all the engines in the Rio have been used in several other Kia models. However, unlike many other Kia models, the Rio originally only came with a three-year warranty. This was changed in January 2010 when a seven-year warranty was introduced as standard on all new Kia models.