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Acceleration
"Adequate around town with either transmission, but wants for highway-speed passing
power. Manual transmission shifts easily, has light clutch action. Smooth automatic
kicks down quickly enough to summon what power is available. "
Value
"Surprisingly well-constructed and backed by strong warranties, these smallest
Kias deliver a lot for the money, notably standard front side airbags and head-protecting
curtain side airbags. The base sedan offers no options, so if you want such features
as air conditioning, automatic transmission, or ABS, you must move up to the
costlier LX sedan or Rio5 hatchback. "
Ride
"Both sedan, Rio5 comfortable for compact cars. Some jouncing on wavy pavement.
Smaller bumps register with a thump. Larger ones cause occasional jolt. "
Economy
Manual-transmission test LX averaged 27.2 mpg. Automatic-transmission Rio5 averaged 23 mpg in test that included slight majority of urban commuting.
Noise
"Engine noisy during acceleration, cruises quietly. Moderate wind noise. Lots
of road noise over coarse pavement, some thumping over bumps."
Comfort - Front
"Good head, leg room. Firm, comfortable seats; driver's adjusts for height, rake,
has fold-down right armrest. Tilt steering wheel standard on all but base model.
Poor visibility to rear corners in Rio5."
Comfort - Rear
"Quite good for a compact. Adequate head, toe room. Leg room tight only if front
seat is well back. Fairly easy ingress/egress. Seat nicely contoured. Seatback
angle adjustable in Rio5, a rarity in this class."
Controls
"Gauges clear. Audio, climate controls angled toward driver, have large knobs,
buttons, are high-mounted, easy to reach. Most cabin surfaces are hard plastic,
but materials, assembly quality equal to many more-expensive cars. "
Cargo Room
"All but base sedan have split folding rear seatback. Sedan's doesn't lie flat,
rests above level of trunk floor, and opening is cramped. Release awkwardly placed
toward center of seats. Trunklid hinges dip into load area. Rio5's benefits from
hatchback load volume, seat bottom that flips forward, allowing seatback to lie
nearly flat. Release is handy. Interior storage features five small bins, but
no console box, and only a small glovebox. "
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