The Kia Rio is a small hatchback that’s often overlooked in favour of more stylish or well known makes. But the Rio has plenty going for it, especially as a good value and cheap to run town car. It’s robustly built with a neat interior, the majority of models are well equipped and it’s also easy to drive with light steering. It doesn’t feel especially modern inside, nor on the move where it lacks refinement and can be quite noisy at higher speeds.

But both engines in the range are more than capable and return decent economy, making the Rio cheap to run. All models from January 2010 come with an unrivalled seven-year warranty as standard, replacing the previous three year scheme.

Parkers top buying tips

As with all used purchases, do remember to get a car history check. It might just save you from an unpleasant surprise later down the line. Also, don’t forget you can use our valuation tool to get an idea of how much you should be paying for a car. You can also check our reviews section for more information about the cars you are interested in.