Faults:

I have had this car for only six months now and already have made several trips to the service department. There is a serious problem with all of the 2003 Kia Rios. I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and here we use reformulated gas. Well, the cars computer chip (which is the brain of the car) cannot read the reformulated gas. Every morning it takes me about 15-20 minutes just to get the car going, then it runs really rough until the car is totally warmed up. Of course Kia knows of the problem, but they do not have a fix for it. So what's the point of a 100,000 mile warranty if you are unable to use it and all the dealership is totally clueless on what needs to be done. I am really upset about this problem because it only has 6,000 miles... what problems are down the road?

Faults:

There hasn't been a thing wrong so far.

General Comments:

The car is VERY advanced for the price. I love the little extras, like the adjustable drivers seat, the auto off headlights when you take out the key, the 'smart' ventilation system. The dealership was also the very best I have ever dealt with.

Faults:

Check engine light (because of fuel overfill).

General Comments:

Exceptional value for the money in this model with power locks, power windows remote key-less entry, power mirrors, and adjustable seat.

Underpowered, but performs well when driven aggressively.

Hatchback is very convenient, especially with 60/40 split seats.

Faults:

Thus far, nothing, although the clutch is a little sticky.

General Comments:

When I sold my 1988 Toyota Camry and bought a Kia Rio, I was a little concerned because I'd heard wildly varying opinions about Rios... people either loved them or hated them. After reaching the 2,500-mile mark, I decided to toss in my two cents' worth here.

I'm VERY happy with my Rio so far. It gets me a consistent 32-33 miles per gallon, handles corners tightly, and can it ever get out and go on the open road. I decided one afternoon to see how fast I could get it going (after the break-in period), and had it up to 112 miles per hour before backing off heading into a corner. That's cooking along in my league!

Comfort-wise, it's quite adequate. A lot more leg room up front than I'd expected, although it can get a little tight for those in the back seat. It's unfortunate that the front passenger's sweat doesn't have the same amenities as the driver's seat, but so be it. Cruise control would've been excellent.

The only thing I've felt compelled to buy was a stereo, since base models come without one. I got a cheapo $45 in-dash AM/FM/cassette deck for the time being, and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the four stock speakers. I may get a spoiler, but that's strictly cosmetic... the car looks just fine without one.

All things considered, I think I got a great deal for $6,995. I expected a huge drop off from my Camry (a good car, but with 225K miles on the odometer it was time for a change), but any differences between the two cars have been fairly negligible. Two thumbs up!

Faults:

To date, the only problems I had with this have been minor new car glitches.

My left turn signal and passenger side door latch were a little sticky at first, but not anything that a little spray of WD40 wouldn't fix.

General Comments:

My first Kia was a 2001 Rio RS that I purchased in the 2000 season. I didn't plan to, but I ended up racking over 100,000kms on it within 2 years. I unfortunately didn't have great luck with the car (but it was largely due to the dealership that I purchased it from). Once I identified this problem, I switched dealerships and it was smooth sailing from that point forward. However, because it was the first production year of the vehicle, there were a few little details I would've that couldn't have been thought out better.

I purchased a my new Rio RX-V Convenience about 1.5 months ago now and I absolutely love it! It looks great (I got the Rally Blue colour), it handles better (larger rims and the slightly more powerful engine is noticeable), but the most important difference for me was that everything I didn't like about my first Rio was changed in my new one. It was like the engineers/designers listened to feedback to produce a truly well thoughout vehicle - for a great price!

First off, the additional space of the wagon was greatly appreciated for packing gear (I wished the 60/40 rear folding seats lay flat when folded, but that's a little thing).

I like the little details like usable cup holders (in the doors too!), heated side-view mirrors, sunglasses storage compartment, fog-lamps and my favorite - adjustable lumbar support. I found this feature after 3 weeks of driving. Small things... but things you would expect with a vehicle in this class.