I'm a small car guy through and through. If only I lived across the pond where the compact/sub-compact segments are a lively market. My wife drives a Nissan Murano, and while it's a nice comfy SUV, it's far too big and bouncy for my tastes - nevermind the gas mileage and running costs (ever price out a set of 4 SUV tires?)
I've looked at the smaller cars from BMW/Mini, Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota, Mazda, GM(Saturn), VW and even Ford (Chrysler is just not a consideration to me), and I have to say I'm favouring the Kia Rio5 Ex Sport model at the moment:
I really like the euro-hatch clean look of the Kia. And for a very reasonable list price of $20,700 CAD (18,250 USD) it comes fully loaded with things like:
15" Alloys
P195x55 tires
4-wheel discs w/ ABS
6-airbags (2 front, 2 side, 2 full side-curtain)
heated front seats (it gets cold up here dontcha know)
heated side mirrors
fog lights
sunroof
6 speaker CD stereo with MP3/WMA, Aux and USB inputs
A/C
alarm system
a kick ass 10yr/100,000km (or 160,000km extended) comprehensive warranty including roadside assistance
The list goes on and on and is actually pretty damn complete. The gas mileage is pretty darn good as well considering gas here has been teetering around $1.03 a litre lately (about $3.50 USD per gallon for you Yankees).
A quick first test drive also showed that Kia has really stepped up the quality game. The car felt and sounded very very solid. No squeaks, rattles or shimmies over various bumps and around corners. It handles very nicely. And while it doesn't have the street cred of a Mini Cooper, it's only shy by about 8 less horsepower. The interior looked and felt very solid as well. The back seat had significantly more room than my Integra 4 door too - although I think I've had only one adult passenger back there in the last two years anyway.
I chuckled the other day when I read a Motor Trend article that said that the Rio5 was faster through it's slalom course than both the Audi A3 (which a co-worker just bought at more than $40k) and the Mitsubishi Eclipse.
I also liked the fact that they didn't bother giving me a price where I had to add on things like floor mats, electric windows and mud guards to get a final price. They offer preselected no-fuss model selections which made calculating a price literally a 90sec affair.
If you're familiar with the 06 or 07 Kia Rio5 and have info to give me or if you want to dissuade me, please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear some opinions before I buy.
4 comments:
Richard:
You don't want any advice from me...remember I go out to run a couple of errands and come back with a new car. :-)
However, I've heard some good things recently about the quality of Kia's.
Is the MINI Cooper off your list of choices? If not, I would still highly recommend it - it is one of the MOST fun cars I have ever owned. Not to mention the fun community that surrounds the MINI as well.
@pedro,
Don't get me wrong. I like the Mini. But I can't justify the pricing to myself. To get what I want out of it, I'd have to forego the standard Cooper and go with the S. But right now that kind of monthly payment (and relatively sky-high interest rate) is just not in the cards.
Now if magically Lotus decides to bring the Elise over here, then we'd be talkin'. :)
Nice blog. We'll I've been hearing lots of good reviews about Kia.
I think buying a car really depends on your personal choice. It would be best if you buy the one which is suited to your lifestyle and the budget you have. It is important to be practical when buying a car. Fuel mileage and maintenance costs should be considered.
Whatever car it would be you just have to take good care of it and you can put some accessories like gm fender flares, your car would be great.
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