2006 Kia Rio Zapp review from UK and Ireland
"A good car let down by small niggles"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The day after the car was delivered (brand new) I had to call out the RAC and have it towed back to the garage as the radiator had a huge crack in it (missed on the pre-delivery inspection) and the car lost all its water.
The front tyres wore very quickly, 6000 miles only.
General comments?
On the whole, I was pleased with my Kia Rio. 5 doors, power steering, air con, ABS and CD player for £9000 is seriously good value.
The car on the outside is fairly bland, doesn't really stand out. Many people mistake it for a Ford Fiesta although I see a lot of Toyota Corolla in the design.
On the inside everything is fairly durable, some cheap plastics particularly on the steering wheel, but what do you expect at the price?
The driving position is extremely comfortable, I am well over 6ft and never had a problem in this car, even on very long journeys.
The driving experience in a Kia Rio is surprisingly good. The diesel engine is extremely fast and smooth and the brakes steering and gears all have a light easy to use motion. However, the tyres are a bit narrow so lose grip easily.
That's the good bits - now the negatives. Firstly the CD player is appalling, cheaply fitted rubbish. The slightest ripple in the road and that's it, its skipped. Infuriating to say the least.
Fuel economy was another problem. 60mpg mixed and 69 on extra urban was claimed. Sorry Kia, but just not true! I drove the car extremely gently on a long motorway trip and didn't get more than 52mpg. My average for daily use was 48mpg. The dealers response was to blame my driving style.
The dealer service was another problem. They took £8 to change a bulb, then didn't do the work, then also failed to look at the front steering set up to see why the car was eating tyres.
Kia are trying hard to make it with the big boys and this is not a bad car by any manner of means. I enjoyed using it in the time I had it and would recommend it. As long as you like listening to the radio and not CD's and don't believe their economy figures!
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Recommended Reviews:
  | 2006 - Rio CVVT 1.6 litre petrol A big improvement on the old model, and a nice little car in its own right |
  | Buy a Honda Fit instead |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 CRDi diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 10/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 10500 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Golf |
| Date of Entry | 27th January, 2007 |