2002 Kia Rio review from North America

We have had nothing major wrong with this vehicle. However, it does shake badly when the A/C is turned on, and the carpeting is definitely ultra low grade. A/C makes the car shake. Text overlays such as on stereo buttons and around the heating controls tend to peel quickly.

My wife bought this car as a replacement for her dying 86 Chevy. We were initially impressed with the vehicle and it's handling for the price. The Rio drives very similar to my '85 Honda Civic (which has 201,000 miles on it and is still going strong!). In the snow I definitely prefer my Honda Civic, but the Rio does not handle too badly. Some safety features such as the fact you cannot shift it out of park unless you have a key in and the brake depressed seem like overkill, but are a minor nuisance.

Sadly, my wife was driving it and was rear ended, driving it into another vehicle in front of her as well. It was about a 35 MPH crash straight into the read end, and I am thoroughly impressed by the results. Both airbags deployed, and both bumpers were pushed in as well as the trunk lid, but until you get up close, it's hard to see the vehicle was in a crash at all! The car was considered totaled by insurance, but it more than exceeded my expectations!

I definitely recommend the Rio (at least after 2002). We've been on several trips in it and are looking forward to purchasing our next incarnation of it!