2004 Kia Rio Reviews, Pricing & Specs

You get what you pay for. I would say that it is an OK value for what you get though. My car has a little over 100,000 miles and I got it for 2,300, so that is a lot cheaper than you would be able to get most cars with that kind of mileage for. My main complaint is that it seems to be built really cheaply. I haven't had any real mechanical problems yet, but several minor things show that it is built cheep. I feel like one day something is going to go horribly wrong and destroy the car. Until that happens though I'm satisfied with it. It's cheap transportation.May 03, 2013

The car runs wonderfully, no mechanical problems if properly maintained - the timing belt being the only mechanical problem the car has ever had and like I said, that was my fault. But the electrical is strange. The car keeps putting the check engine light on, even though no mechanic can find a problem with my car. And there's an odd thumping noise in the rear of the car that NO ONE can identify. It's like its possessed and running merrily along, odd quirks and all. I sometimes feel like I'm driving my coffin because the light comes on so often and I always wonder "is that the same code again or is the car going to die any second?" But its always that same harmless evap code again, and again, and again...Oct 03, 2012

You don't buy a Kia Rio for power or look, you buy a Rio beacause you need a small car that start in the morning, is economical to run and cheap on maintenance. Don't expect to have a smooth ride, since it's a bit underpower and noisy, especially on the highway. Winter perfomance are allright with good winter tires. Power sterring and AC are optional and works great. Dec 13, 2011