2001 Kia Rio

One can't help but be leery of any product that touts being the "lowest-priced available in America." When that item happens to be a new car, the matter takes on an even greater degree of significance. (Just ask anyone who'll admit to being even remotely involved with the ill-conceived Yugo experiment.)


Happily, the new Kia Rio is better built, better backed and just plain better than that sorry Yugoslavian specimen. Having spent a week in a Rio, we came away aware that, while it's not without flaws, this Korean subcompact sedan—joined by a wagon variant for the 2002 model year—really does have what it takes to fulfill the basic motoring needs of many budget-constrained buyers.

Powering the lightweight Rio is a 1.5L four-banger. Rated at 96 horses, it has enough spunk for most motoring situations.

While it opens at a mere $9,390 (which includes $495 in destination fees), the Rio is hardly a Spartan offering. Highlighting the roster of standards is a reasonably peppy 96-hp DOHC four-cylinder engine. This 1.5-liter MI-Tech (Millennium Innovation Technology) powerplant has multiport fuel injection as well as tuned intake and exhaust manifolds. Backing the engine is a standard 5-speed manual transmission or $875-option 4-speed automatic.


The chassis has unibody construction. Stopping power is handled by power-assisted vented front discs and rear drums; 4-wheel antilock brakes are a $400 option. Front suspension is the common MacPherson-strut/coil-spring independent configuration, while the semi-independent rear utilizes a torsion axle and coils.