Used Kia Rio Hatchback 2001 - 2005 review
Spacious and cheap, but bland in too many ways
More used reviews:
- (2011 - 15)
- (2011 - 15)
- (2017 - 20)
See used cars for sale
Small
Jump to:
What's the used Kia Rio like?
Ownership cost
Our recommendations
Reliability
Stuart Milne
Updated: 1 January 2006
How we test cars
What's the used Kia Rio like?
The Rio is not particularly nice to look at, it's not particularly nice to drive and it isn't particularly well finished. In fact, it's pretty bland.
However, although it does nothing particularly well, it does nothing particularly poorly either. It's a decent all-rounder and, most importantly, it's really, really cheap.
Overview
Spacious and cheap, but bland in too many ways
Pros
- It's roomy, has a big boot
- and is cheap to buy
Cons
- It won't excite you, and - even at these prices - the cabin feels cheap
Used cars available now
In partnership with
Kia Rio
1.5 CRDi GS 5dr
£690
Kia Rio
1.4 Domino 5dr
£799
Kia Rio
1.5 CRDi LS 5dr
£849
Kia Rio
1.25 1 Euro 5 5dr
£895
Kia Rio
1.4 1 5dr
£995
Kia Rio
1.4 1 5dr
£995
Kia Rio
1.4 Ice 5dr
£999
Kia Rio
1.4 Domino 5dr
£1,095
Kia Rio
1.4 1 5dr
£1,190
See all available cars
See used cars for sale
The drive is limited by stodgy handling, with too much body roll in corners and vague steering. Noisy engines lead to problems with refinement, but other mechanical noises are kept well at bay, and the car does ride comfortably at any speed, though.
All the latest deals, offers and much more from the What Car? team. Don't miss out.
See our full privacy notice for more details.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
There's not much adjustment for the seats or steering wheel, but at least there's plenty of space for the car's other occupants, thanks to one of the biggest cabins in the supermini class.
Where the Rio really struggles, however, is cabin quality. The materials are cheap and unappealing, and way off the standards set by European rivals.
Tips & Advice
Make sure you’re insured for the test drive
Short-term car insurance – also called test-drive insurance – will ensure you’re legal when you’re shopping for your next car
Ownership cost
How much does cost to run a Kia Rio?
The Rio was one of the cheapest cars on the market when it was new, and, with residual values being far from spectacular, used models can be picked up for the kind of cash you'd pay for a much older competitor.
advertisement
scroll for more
However, running costs aren't spectacular for the class, mainly because of the size of the car and the size of the engines. The 1.3 will return an average of 39.8mpg, while the 1.5 will only manage 38.7mpg. Insurance costs are also lower on the 1.3, which is in group 3, whereas the 1.5 is in group 6.
Servicing costs will be where Rio owners lose out. It's one of the costliest superminis to maintain, and that gap in price between the Rio and its mainstream competitors is a bit too large.
Tips & Advice
Organise your motoring life
Whether you need to keep tabs on your insurance renewal, sort breakdown cover, or book a service, My What Car? has you covered
Can I buy a car with cash?
Paying cash isn’t always an easy way to a new car – and you may not be able to get the big discounts you might expect
Our recommendations
Which used Kia Rio should I buy?
There are two engines, but neither is particularly capable. Both need to be worked hard to make half-decent progress and are coarse at speed. The 1.3 has 74bhp and is a bit short on flexibility and pace, but it does have the advantage of being cheaper to buy and run. And, although the 1.5 has 97bhp, doesn't perform that much better on the road.
The 1.3 comes in three trims - standard, L and LX. Don't bother with the standard - equipment is so basic that even power steering is omitted. L is slightly more generous, with power steering and height adjustment on the wheel. LX trim adds anti-lock brakes, central locking and electric mirrors. It doesn't cost much more than the L, and the ABS alone is worth the extra cash.
advertisement
scroll for more
The 1.5 is only available in SE trim, which gives you everything on the LX plus air-con, alloy wheels, electric front windows and seat height adjustment.
Tips & Advice
Avoid ULEZ and clean-air zone fines
If you regularly drive into a clean air zone, you’ll want to ensure your next car is compliant to avoid costly fines
How reliable is the Kia Rio ?
Kia Rio
Read reliability
Used cars available now
In partnership with
Kia Rio
1.5 CRDi GS 5dr
£690
Kia Rio
1.4 Domino 5dr
£799
Kia Rio
1.5 CRDi LS 5dr
£849
Kia Rio
1.25 1 Euro 5 5dr
£895
Kia Rio
1.4 1 5dr
£995
Kia Rio
1.4 1 5dr
£995
Kia Rio
1.4 Ice 5dr
£999
Kia Rio
1.4 Domino 5dr
£1,095
Kia Rio
1.4 1 5dr
£1,190
See all available cars
About the writer
Name: Stuart Milne
Title: Digital editor
Follow Stuart Milne on
Stuart has been a motoring journalist for more than 25 years, writing and editing for a wide range of consumer titles. Today, Stuart is responsible for the smooth running of whatcar.com and all of its related social and digital channels. And he’s the man responsible for making sure you're able to find What Car?’s industry-leading content whenever you search for it.
News and advice
Slideshow
Cheapest SUV PCP finance deals
You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a great new SUV – we've used our car Target Price research to find the 10 cheapest PCP finance deals, and they cost from just £156 a month
Sponsored
The most (and least) reliable small cars
Small cars are ideal for new drivers, so reliability is key. We reveal the most and least dependable models…
Wed Dec 22 2021
Feature
Used test: Kia Rio vs Skoda Fabia
If you're looking for a great small car the Rio and the Fabia are two of our favourites, but which one makes the most sense bought used? Read on to find out
Tue Sep 3 2019
Feature
Used test: Kia Rio vs Skoda Fabia
If you're looking for a great small car the Rio and the Fabia are two of our favourites, but which one makes the most sense bought used? Read on to find out
Fri Apr 26 2019
See all latest advice