I'm thinking of buying an early Kia Rio.

I'm thinking of buying a 2004 Kia Rio 1.3 petrol for €2,250. Are they reliable and economical? Any issues to look out for?

Ger Glynn (Clare)

Apr 2014 Filed under: reliability

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Expert answer

Hi Ger,

To be honest, I would just avoid that generation of Rio at all costs. They're not especially reliable (engines, suspension and ventilation systems all give trouble) and the 1.3-litre petrol engine is quite underpowered, meaning you have to thrash it hard to keep up with the flow of traffic, which wrecks the fuel economy. On top of which the cabin is small, narrow and made of some staggeringly cheap and nasty plastic and they're basically awful to drive.

That generation of Rio was really the last of the truly bad Kias, before the company started to make some really good cars. Go, if you can, for a second generation Rio, made from 2006 onwards in both hatchback and saloon form. They're much more reliable, quite nice to drive and decently economical.

Hope that helps

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe