07-11-2007, 09:33 AM
Review of my 07 Kia Rio rental, given to me while the Supra got some body repairs courtesy of a jackass who wanted my lane but didn't care to check that nobody was already there...
When I first stepped in, I couldnÔÇÖt help but think ÔÇ£Man, this is pretty nice.ÔÇØ Of course, the youngest car I own was built in 1993, so it would be hard for an 07 to not feel nice. Sadly, the feeling didnÔÇÖt really last long b/c the car conflicts itself constantly.
Some parts of the ergonomics are great: all controls are easily reached, the radio is slightly angled toward the driver, and the fit & finish is surprisingly good, considering itÔÇÖs a Kia. However, I have to wonder who is supposed to drive this car, as it is certainly not made for me. I have nowhere to rest my right arm comfortably, and my left canÔÇÖt be held at a proper, comfortable angle on the window sill or the armrest. The seat is enormous and flat, not unlike a park bench. The seats in my 240, notorious for having copious amounts of suck, hold me in better than these in the Kia, although the KiaÔÇÖs fabric is more comfortable (surprise, itÔÇÖs brand new). Otherwise the front has loads of room, you could probably manage a lap dance while youÔÇÖre driving.
The outside is nothing special, literally. There is not a single thing that struck me as I did my walk-around. This thing blends in like a snowflake in a blizzard.
The car wouldnÔÇÖt be a particularly bad city car. It has plenty of pep and gets around fairly well. ItÔÇÖs got a lot of lean, more than my stock 93 240sx, but for the most part it gets around. The steering is a little numb, but the stereo system is pretty sweet. The transmission shifted quite smoothly and gave me no signs that it is ready to violently remove itself from the engine bay. The engine is damn near silent at all speeds, which IÔÇÖm sure is due to a ton of sound-deadening, but I really like hearing my engine since it allows me to determine when a piston departs from the block.
I would hate to drive this every day if all I did was commute on the highway. Passing would be a truly scary proposition on a 2-lane highway with oncoming traffic less than 10 miles away. While cruising at 65 there is no noticeable change, in speed or engine noise, when putting the pedal to the floorboard. I guess the gerbils are at maximum efficiency at that point and I was just asking too much of them. If you are the owner of one of these and need to get somewhere quickly, the best thing you can do is install some form of hook and latch onto a large truck. I must say that I find it hilarious that the speedo even registers up to 140; thatÔÇÖs as high as my supra, except in reality no Kia known to mankind actually has potential to reach it. I noticed a lot of jerkiness which would make me think of wind blowing me, except there was forest on both sides which would prevent cross-winds. My only guess is a very switchy steering/suspension that just did whatever it wanted if you had less than 2 hands on the wheel.
All in all, a piece of crap. Every time you get in the car you can feel a small part of your soul sucked away and you find yourself to seem noticeably dumber for a short period of time after being in the car. Kia has come a long way (I actually made it through the week-long rental period without any catastrophic failures), but they still leave a lot to be desired.
When I first stepped in, I couldnÔÇÖt help but think ÔÇ£Man, this is pretty nice.ÔÇØ Of course, the youngest car I own was built in 1993, so it would be hard for an 07 to not feel nice. Sadly, the feeling didnÔÇÖt really last long b/c the car conflicts itself constantly.
Some parts of the ergonomics are great: all controls are easily reached, the radio is slightly angled toward the driver, and the fit & finish is surprisingly good, considering itÔÇÖs a Kia. However, I have to wonder who is supposed to drive this car, as it is certainly not made for me. I have nowhere to rest my right arm comfortably, and my left canÔÇÖt be held at a proper, comfortable angle on the window sill or the armrest. The seat is enormous and flat, not unlike a park bench. The seats in my 240, notorious for having copious amounts of suck, hold me in better than these in the Kia, although the KiaÔÇÖs fabric is more comfortable (surprise, itÔÇÖs brand new). Otherwise the front has loads of room, you could probably manage a lap dance while youÔÇÖre driving.
The outside is nothing special, literally. There is not a single thing that struck me as I did my walk-around. This thing blends in like a snowflake in a blizzard.
The car wouldnÔÇÖt be a particularly bad city car. It has plenty of pep and gets around fairly well. ItÔÇÖs got a lot of lean, more than my stock 93 240sx, but for the most part it gets around. The steering is a little numb, but the stereo system is pretty sweet. The transmission shifted quite smoothly and gave me no signs that it is ready to violently remove itself from the engine bay. The engine is damn near silent at all speeds, which IÔÇÖm sure is due to a ton of sound-deadening, but I really like hearing my engine since it allows me to determine when a piston departs from the block.
I would hate to drive this every day if all I did was commute on the highway. Passing would be a truly scary proposition on a 2-lane highway with oncoming traffic less than 10 miles away. While cruising at 65 there is no noticeable change, in speed or engine noise, when putting the pedal to the floorboard. I guess the gerbils are at maximum efficiency at that point and I was just asking too much of them. If you are the owner of one of these and need to get somewhere quickly, the best thing you can do is install some form of hook and latch onto a large truck. I must say that I find it hilarious that the speedo even registers up to 140; thatÔÇÖs as high as my supra, except in reality no Kia known to mankind actually has potential to reach it. I noticed a lot of jerkiness which would make me think of wind blowing me, except there was forest on both sides which would prevent cross-winds. My only guess is a very switchy steering/suspension that just did whatever it wanted if you had less than 2 hands on the wheel.
All in all, a piece of crap. Every time you get in the car you can feel a small part of your soul sucked away and you find yourself to seem noticeably dumber for a short period of time after being in the car. Kia has come a long way (I actually made it through the week-long rental period without any catastrophic failures), but they still leave a lot to be desired.