Overview & Reviews
For 2003, Kia gives the Rio a number of upgrades. Among these are a new 104-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine; various suspension tweaks to improve ride and handling; larger disc brakes; new engine mounts and exhaust tuning for a quieter cabin; and reinforcements to the steering wheel and column to minimize vibration. Inside, look for revisions to the instrument cluster, center console and door panels -- the latter will include storage bins and bottle holders -- as well as new seat fabric. New standard features include child-seat anchors, rear heater ducts, auto-off headlights, variable intermittent wipers and, on the wagon only, a CD player. In addition, Kia has added dual map lights and a sunglasses case to the sedan's Upgrade Package, and will offer the Power Package, which provides power windows and locks. Finally, both Rios get fresh front fascias and wheel covers; the sedan gets a sharper-looking tail and the wagon gets an optional body-color spoiler.
- Small price, big warranty, peppy engine, attractive styling.
User Reviews:
Showing 61 through 65 of 65.00-
Love My Rio - 2003 Kia Rio
By rickierex - June 9 - 2:00 amI just love the way this car just fits around me, comfortable, solid performance and great gas mileage, and the looks are sleak and sporty!
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matts rio - 2003 Kia Rio
By matthew vance - May 24 - 10:00 amim 20 male and my 1st car was a 69 corvette so i decided to go practical probablly cause i dont wanna get 6 gallons to the mile. plus i wanted to buy a brand new car. so with a hefty down payment,there were some difficulties with the initial offer my payment did drop. but DONT BE SCARED BY THE 104 HORSE POWER IT DOES HAVE SO MUCH POWER. I MEAN I CAN PULL UP SOME BILLOWING WHITE SMOKE WITH MY TIRES ITO 2ND GEAR.I HAVE A 5 SPEED MANUAL. ALSO THE ACCELERATION IS AWESOME, THE CAR IS LIGHT SO U ARE COOL BT STOCK BASICALLY I CAN TAKE ANY 6 CYLINDER CAMARO OR NE HONDA. ITS A GREAT 1ST CAR AND HAS AWESOME POWER AND SO SO FUN TO DRIVE I HAVE A BLAST
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Nice ride - 2003 Kia Rio
By MisterT - April 22 - 2:00 amI went from driving a mid-size pick up to the Cinco, so there was a period of adjustment for me. The understeer from a front-wheel drive car does take a little getting used to. Two months later...I love it! The speed sensitive power steering could use a little tweaking. I have noticed low speed sharp turns have a strange feel to them. And I would say that the cabin noise at low speeds it a little louder than I would like. In general, both city and highway driving, my Cinco is a pleasure to drive. Definitely the most bang for the buck.
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Nice, inexpensive little car - 2003 Kia Rio
By Dan - March 27 - 5:33 pmBought this little car for my basic point a to point b daily work commute. Very happy with it so far. Very good to excellent condition with 64,000 miles on it. Good ride for its size, very good to excellent gas mileage (32-33 combined city/highway), very maneuverable, decent acceleration. Bought it used, purchase price was excellent (thats due to the rather high depreciation of Kias). Drove it from Nebraska to Arizona and back without any problems. Have become quite fond of and pleasantly surprised by this little car.
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Perfect for work and leisure - 2003 Kia Rio
By ericksenmad9 - January 10 - 10:00 amBought the car brand new. Only had one problem with it(rear wiper hose kinked). But that is what the warranty is for. Is used for work. Plenty of space for work equipment. Good gas mileage. Fun to drive. I actually have more fun driving my Kia than my Chevy or Ford. Perfect for those who do not have alot of money to invest. Definitely love the turning radius. The Cinco, with its hatchback design, gives plenty of room.
