CarBuyersNoteBook

Kia Rio

With an entry level MSRP of only $12,000, the Kia Rio is still the least expensive little car Kia makes, and it continues to fill up a niche once occupied by the Chevy Chevette and the Ford Escort. If such a thing as a generic car existed, a plain-container car that you could buy off the shelf at a discount price and still expect it to take you from one place to the next, that car today would be the Kia Rio.

Offered in both sedan and five door hatchback models, the Rio’s four cylinder engine was chosen to its budget-friendly attributes not its performance. It will get you from here to there in the city, but don’t expect to feel too excited about it. Earlier versions of the Rio were so cheaply made that some finance companies would not write loans for them; so dismal was the resale value. Kia has improved on that, and while the trim levels are all still pretty basic, the 2009 model is a vast improvement over what was coming out of their factories five years ago. As all the major auto manufacturers gear up to offer the best, cheapest little car for 2010, it will be interesting to see if Kia will be able to hold onto its niche.