2003 Kia Rio Base review from North America

A running lamp went out shortly after delivery. I replaced it myself rather than bother with dealer.

Noticed excessive free play in clutch and adjusted myself after delivery. Easy to do without tools!

This is a follow-up to a review written a few months ago. (Base Model North America, 203 words)

Additional Pluses:

My Rio has a total of just over 2000 miles over a period of 4 months. While the miles are low this reflects driving to and from work (2.4 miles round trip) every day and a number of longer trips.

Mileage has been good at 28-32 highway and 22-26 city during winter. Experience says that should improve 10-20% during warmer weather.

Being Winter on the shores of Lake Superior this means cold weather. So far this car starts with the slightest touch of the key at below zero temperatures.

It drives well on snow and ice even when there are strong winds. I was worried about this after reading reviews of earlier Rios. KIA says they improved the anti-sway bar and front suspension for 2003. Handling has not been much of a problem except for 35-50 mph side gusts on exposed bridges.

When driving it is easy to forget I am in a very small car. It FEELS bigger than other small cars I have owned. It is hard to notice the difference between 55 and 80 mph without looking at the speedometer. Naturally, since this is a small car rough roads occasionally remind you that it has a short wheelbase.

The drivers seat is comfy for short trips and fair on longer ones. Lack of cruise control on my base model results in a cramped leg on occasion, but then I have fancier vehicles to take cross-country on trips if needed.

I have not detected any oil usage or any other mechanical variation from new condition whatsoever.

Minuses:

Some things are not ideal, the clutch is light and while easy to use it is sometimes difficult feel engage. Combine this with an engine which needs a few rpm to generate adequate torque and it adds up to an occasional stall taking off. This is only a problem if you want to creep off, never when going for a definite launch into traffic.

The non-power steering is fine for me, but others may need assist for hard, low speed turns.

Room: After coaching all day I drove from our contest to meet my wife at a social function. It was a lot harder to change into a suit in this car than it would have been in my VW camper. This car is not recommended for that purpose.

Summary at 4 months: Love to drive this car, sports car feel, fairly comfortable, well put together, full of features for a base model car.