The Kia Rio is a good car at a great price. Available as either a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback, the Rio offers simple transportation while delivering impressive city and highway fuel efficiency. Many of its competitors, such as the Chevy Sonic, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris have since been replaced by larger and more expensive crossovers but the Rio hasn’t, and it’s one of the best of the few remaining subcompact models on the market today.
Power comes from a 120-hp inline-four bolted to a continuously variable automatic. The Rio’s lack of power can make speeding tickets urban legend, but it deserves some credit for a well-tuned suspension. As one of the cheapest cars sold today, the Rio’s standard equipment makes it a tempting choice, and its low price makes it a no-brainer in the sub-$20,000 market.
Engine Performance
The Rio is powered by a 1.6-liter inline-four engine with 120 horsepower, and the only transmission choice is a continuously variable automatic. It’s not the quickest car on the block, but a 2021 hatchback model we tested got to 60 mph in an adequate 8.6 seconds on par with many subcompact crossovers. More impressively, the Rio soaks up bumps well for such a small car thanks to its solid structure and well-tuned suspension. It also does a good job of controlling body roll in corners.
Fuel
The EPA estimates the Rio sedan and hatchback will earn 32 mpg in the city and 41 on the highway. Those figures are identical to the Hyundai Accent's and slightly better than the Nissan Versa's. In our real-world 75-mph highway fuel economy test, a 2021 Rio hatchback achieved 39 mpg, some two miles per gallon lower than the EPA highway rating.
Price
LX Sedan $17,645
S Sedan $18,285
S Hatchback $18,585
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