I have the honor of working with #DriveSTI to review vehicles! My 18yo, Jordan is such a car guy he actually put on Facebook last week, “…that moment when you realize your mom has your dream job…” made me feel great 🙂 I have been a mini-van mom for the last 15 years. My kids are grown now but we do often ride together to save on fuel costs. My current van is 14 years old and I have owned it for 8 years. It had a lot of fancy features, in 1999 but I had quite an eye opening experience driving the 2013 Kia Rio SX 5 door.
I drove the Kia Rio for a week and my absolute favorite feature was the gas mileage. I averaged 27mpg with mostly around town driving. That is just unheard of for us. The Kia Rio is an adorable little car and the Electric Blue color garnered compliments everywhere I drove it. The Kia Rio is a sub-compact and I don’t believe I have ever driven a car this small before. The front seat area had plenty of room and was comfortable to drive though the seats are rather low to the ground and I had to work to find a comfortable way to get in and out of the vehicle. The back seat is a bit small, especially since my kids are full sized. Aaron fit in the back seat but he was not comfortable.
The Kia Rio has a large trunk space under the hatch with plenty of room for groceries or luggage. Aaron made sure it had enough room to carry his cajon…and it did.
I was impressed with how comfortable the ride was, especially being so low to the ground. The suspension was just right. The Kia Rio is a nice driving car with enough get-up-and-go to get you through daily traffic.
Here is a brief tour of the Kia Rio:
My other favorite thing about the Kia Rio is the dash board. The layout, all of the information it gives you plus the navigation system and the bluetooth technology was great. It was simple to connect my iPhone to the car for hands free calling and for streaming my music from my phone. The sound system also has a CD player, AM/FM radio and Sirius Satellite Radio! The nav system worked great, much better than any of the apps I have used on my phone. The back-up camera is an awesome feature that is now on my list as a must-have for any vehicle I purchase.
In the end, the Kia Rio is a great little car. I think it would be a great first car or a car for a young couple with small kids. The gas mileage is fantastic and with Kia’s 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty you can’t go wrong. While it isn’t the car for me, it may be just right for you or someone you know. Please share this post with your friends using the buttons below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Kia Rio so leave me a comment.
Disclosure: I received the car to drive for 1 week. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% mine.
It sounds like it has all the bells and whistles for me. The color is awesome too.
This sounds like it would be a great car for me and my boyfriend. We need something that saves us money on gas but don’t require much space. This looks like a great ride.
Lindsay recently posted..Old El Paso Frozen Entrees for Two Are Perfect for a Quick Dinner
Cute little car and sounds like a great warranty. I love all the technology and the Sirius Satellite Radio.
Nanette ~ AMomBlog recently posted..Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes – Why We Will Walk
I’m impressed the trunk is so large. These cars are cute. Kia has come such a long way over the past few years.
MommaDJane recently posted..15 Thanksgiving Centerpieces for the Home
Love the idea of a backup camera! Great looking car!
Ellen Christian recently posted..Gluten Free Bread Recipe & Understanding Soy Lecithin
Looks great. I love backup cameras. I had one, and then my next car didn’t and I sorely missed it.
Jennifer Wagner recently posted..Teens, Parents and Teachers Connect at A Platform For Good
we reviewed this same car, it was so fun to drive and the kids loved its size, so different from my minivan
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