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About a week ago we were able to test drive a Kia Rio for 10 days. My oldest will be getting her learners permit soon and what better way to find a car for her then review them? Also, this week is Teen Driver Safety Week, so it is like fate that it all goes hand in hand.

Kia Rio

When they brought us the car the first thing that struck me was the color. Oh my gosh, it was the prettiest blue and so shiny. Just in case you haven’t figured it out, I am attracted to shiny things. The second thing I noticed was the look of the car. It had a sporty, laid back look while still looking sleek and crisp. I knew my oldest was going to love this car. As soon as the people that dropped it off left, I started inspecting it. We popped the hood and found a sexy engine. Is it possible to call an engine sexy? I think so, because this was one hot looking engine.

After eyeing the engine, we looked to see how much room it had. We were pleasantly surprised that a cute little car like this had a lot of room. Now, it is not for a 5 person plus family but perfect for a new driver, couple or small family. The trunk has plenty of room for groceries, shopping or even a body. Okay, not a body, just kidding. It had plenty of leg room in the back and the front. I also loved the dashboard, again, very sleek.

After inspecting it, we waited for my oldest to get home and check it out. She squealed and called all her friends. Teenagers, they gotta tell everyone everything. After she calmed down we decided to go for a test drive. This was where things got really interesting. First, there is no key for the car. It is push button start all the way. Can I just say how much I love that? Because I do, it was awesome. After we started it we checked out all the features. Here are the ones that really made us happy:

1. It had Sirius satellite radio. Which came in handy when we went to PA.
2. It had a built-in navigation GPS. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this. We were able to input the info and go right to our destination. We also used the Restaurant feature when we were in PA and found the cutest little diner to eat at it. It also showed hotels, things to do, etc. It was awesome.
3. Rear-view built in camera. This was my girls favorite feature. She could just see acing the parallel parking part of her test. We loved it to because we could back up safely and not worry about people or things being in the way. I think all cars should have this feature and kudos to Kia for having it.
4. Steering wheel mounted controls- Okay, this was awesome. You could control the radio, etc but you could also sync your blue tooth for hands free talking. How awesome is that. There are devices out there that let you do that but this was right there. Super simple and easy, love it.
5. Another great feature was that you could hook up your iPhone or iPod and listen to your music. My almost-driver loved that.
6. Very easy and intuitive design. Which is essential for a first time driver. They need to feel like they understand the car and feel safe.

Speaking of feeling safe, not only is the Kia Rio 5 door sophisticated but it also has a huge amount of safety features like:

1. Front and rear crumple zones
2. Anti-lock brakes
3. Electronic Stability Control
4. Tire pressure monitoring system
5. Dual front and side airbags
6. Side-impact door beams
7. Electronic Brake-Force Distribution
8. Child Safety Locks
9. Emergency Trunk Release
10. Rear-vehicle camera

It also very fuel efficient, another huge plus for a first time driver. I think they don’t understand the cost that goes into owning a car. You have the car payment, insurance, maintenance, gas and incidentals such as oil and windshield wiper fluid. Also, you have to keep it clean, the tires checked, and washed. It is like having a huge child to take care of. So, being fuel efficient helps. You got 28–29 miles in the city and 36–37 miles on the hwy. Another awesome thing was it showed you how many miles you had before you needed to fuel up. I really liked that and when Dakotah ( you know her as Roxy) starts dating I will make sure the boy owns a Kia so he can’t claim he ran out of gas. Because I will know that he knew he was almost out of gas. Yep, I am one smart Mama.

The Kia Rio 5 door starts out at $13,600 for the basic build, which is an amazing, amazing price. I let Dakotah go on the website and build her dream Rio. When she was finished the total price was $17,435. Which is still very inexpensive. She really loved the car and declared this was the car for her, but I nixed that. I told her we needed to test other cars because buying your first car is a very important decision. It seems like I am always saying a little prayer when it comes to my oldest and the next stage in her life. All in all, we loved the Rio and was sad to see it drive away. However, the left us the Sorento and little did we know, by the end of the first day we would be in love and talking about buying one at the first of the year. Stay tuned for that review!

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Have you ever driven a Kia or own one? What are your thoughts?

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