Kia Rio (2005 - 2011) 1.5 CRDi 2 (2009) 5d Owner Review

I miss some of the features of the higher spec model I previously drove. This being the '2' it doesn't have electric mirrors or a temperature gauge like my old LX, it does however have the bullet-proof diesel engine, the folding armrest, the comfortable seats, and the frugality I became accustomed to. I like how I can surprise boy racers with this car's acceleration, which is a bit faster than that quoted in this guide, and I like the fact that it's so reliable that I can go on a long journey without having to worry that it will let me down. I have never seen one of these broken down at the side of the road. Some have complained about the gearbox being 'clunky'. I haven't found this to be the case at all, and I often drive other more prestige cars belonging to family members and find that this gear change is much more useable. The only thing lacking in this gearbox which would make it more practical, is another gear. This '2' model has 14" alloys with high profile tyres, which actually makes it slightly higher geared than the LX with its 15" wheels. The downside of this is that the '2' struggles to maintain 4th gear at 30mph and 5th at 40mph, without vibration. The only weaknesses I have found in this car are the rear hub bearings with integral ABS sensors, the suspension drop links and the track-rod ends. These parts won't stand up to the battering they get from our potholed roads. I was quite happy with my 2006 LX but I came across this '2' for sale at a bargain price. It was a cat D repaired car, with only 59K genuine miles, which had sat in a garage for years before being put back on the road, so at £1900 it was a bargain I wasn't going to miss. I intend to drive it until I'm too old to drive and I'm pretty sure it will keep going until then.