Overview & Reviews

The 2012 Kia Rio is fully redesigned.

• Stylish design inside and out
• Feels bigger than it is.
• Long warranty coverage
• Plenty of standard and optional features

• Engine can get noisy.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 24.00

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  All I wanted & more - 2012 Kia Rio
  By davedito - August 13 - 3:05 am

  I purchased my 12 Rio 5 LX one year ago last month...almost 27,000 miles...and I could not be happier. A month after I bought it (at 2,000 miles), I drove from the Hill Country to Joshua Tree NP in southrn California, about 2,400 miles round trip. At 80mph, I averaged 35mph. Not what the sticker said for highway mileage, but they didnt test at those speeds, either. Sine then, I driven to Caprock Canyons, Angel Peak (NM), and Myrtle Beach, SC (averaged 40mpg at 70mph). I just love driving this thing. If youre not getting decent mileage, you must be doing something wrong. Seriously wrong.

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  Best bang for your buck EVER! - 2012 Kia Rio
  By miketill18 - October 29 - 11:06 am

  Fun to drive! Peppy engine! 35.8 MPGs mixed driving. Awesome UVO system and stylish. What more could you want?

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  Almost perfect except MPG came up well short - 2012 Kia Rio
  By jjsteil - June 12 - 12:07 pm

  This is my 3rd KIA. 1st was a 2003 Sorrento then 2010 Soul ! which the RIO replaced. I have logged 1500 miles in the 1st month. Build quality is excellent. Interior fit and finish is excellent and the features you get for 20k cannot be matched by the competition. The car handles and drives much better than my soul with the 6 sp. trans. - pretty smooth although the 1.6L really works hard at 65 mph and up; always downshifting on slight inclines. The GDI engine is not living up to the 30/40 MPG on the window sticker. I divide miles driven by gallons pumped when I fill up; Im getting 25 city and 30-31 hwy. Big disappointment! With the except of the low MPG the car does not disappoint

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  Great car BUT, MPG not as expected - 2012 Kia Rio
  By auntkatie24 - March 25 - 10:27 pm

  i love my 2012 Rio5 SX Manual trans, however the Est. Fuel Economy hasnt come close to meeting what Kia says it does. It doesnt cost much to fill up, havent gone over $30 yet, but I fill up once a week and if I fill up at 1/4 tank I am lucky if I have 200 miles on my tank. It estimates around 350 till empty when I fill up. I am a very reserved driver since I bought this so I can get as much out of it as I can so I do not "hot rod" it. the gauge that shows me how much MPG I am getting says I am getting routinely, 28-30MPG but if that were true I should be able to get atleast 300 miles to a tank and I am not even reaching that. Otherwise I love my car! Great options, good looking, runs good

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  2012 Kia Rio SX Sedan - 2012 Kia Rio
  By d1g1t007 - September 24 - 5:33 pm

  I needed to get a new daily commuter car as I drive over 70 highway miles daily. Look at what you get from Toyota, Honda, Nissan in this same segment and compare all the features. I went to each dealer, Toyota had a sticker price increase of $1500 "market adjusted value" on the Corolla! Nonsense! I wanted something that would get good gas mileage (+36mpg), holds a couple golf bags and more in the trunk, and if needed, my family of 4 when were not in the sweet minivan. This car has extreme value at a low price... less than $18K out the door. You can electronically fold in the heated side mirrors, which have LED turn signals. The front lights have LED markers and the rear tail lights are all LED. Engine has the most horsepower in the segment and is direct injection technology. Big 17 inch wheels on the ground, USB port on radio which is built by Microsoft UVO and I could go on and on for the features. You will see many of these features only in higher segment cars. Japan auto makers are becoming dated fast with their features and technology and are overpriced for their value in todays market. KIA shares many of their platforms now with Hyundai and the quality of their build has dramatically improved with the RIO. I have been very satisfied for the first 1200 miles. If you are looking for good gas mileage, good trunk space, great features, LED lights aplenty, etc... do not overlook this car and forget completely about KIA in 2008. In 2012 they have transformed light years ahead of the competition.

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  Fun to drive, good MPG, Inexpensive - 2012 Kia Rio
  By shawnmh - August 24 - 3:02 am

  I bought this car new to replace my 91 Imperial and Im averaging 33 (70%/30% C/H) mpg at the pump and Im loving it. Although the ride isnt the smoothest, its definitely better than many others Ive driven in this class. When you turn the ECO setting off, you get a significant boost in power and throttle response. Handles great in the city, but acts like a small car would on the interstate. I love the SportShift, although not the quickest shifts, it is a blast through curvy roads. The high beams illuminate very well as do the regular lights. Steering has good feel and the car is very nimble up to about 45 when the electric steering starts to show. Design cues from Audi shows.

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  High MPG Driving Method-2012 Kia Rio 5 EX - 2012 Kia Rio
  By worknman - February 22 - 8:00 pm

  1.TURN ECO BUTTON ON AND LEAVE IT ON---2.PUSH THE GAS PEDAL SLOWLY-sudden pushing of the gas pedal turns off the ECO software and it stays off for minutes---3.when driving through the throttle dead spot from 20 to 40 miles per hour-PUSH THE THROTTLE DOWN SLOWLY UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS-then simply hold that throttle position-let the transmission pull the car up the hill---4.USE THE CRUISE CONTROL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE-the Kia C-C is excellent but you must set it right to get the most out of it---USE THE 2 AND 7 RULE-always set your cruise control at mph numbers that end in a 2 or a 7-NEVER 0 OR 5!---5.your best highway mpg will happen at 62 MPH SET ON CRUISE CONTROL-SEE FAV-FEATURES

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  KIA Rio5 an Excellent & Fun Value - 2012 Kia Rio
  By rfbronk1 - January 27 - 7:48 am

  Our 2012 KIA Rio5 is our second car. For around town use it is terrific - we get an overall 35 mpg. The five door is very usefu and the comfort is just fine. The styling is fine and the car really is fun to drive. We have a family car that is for trips but the Rio 5 is for everyday use. We could not find another vehicle for less money with a better warantry. The build quality is nice and the red paint is beautiful - the cloth interior is nice - this is just the perfect second car for us.

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  RIO 5 Door SX Is Best In Class - 2012 Kia Rio
  By btatr - December 21 - 6:39 am

  The 5 Door KIA RIO SX is clearly the best car in its class and the driving experience can only be described as pure fun. There are other competitors in this class that are better in one or two areas, but none have the overall combination of a terrific engine with an excellent 6 speed automatic transmission, lots of interior room, fantastic looks, an abundance of safety features, high tech gadgets, nimble handling, and the best warranty in the industry. The RIO is extremely comfortable on long trips, which is unusual for a small car. Can you believe the outside mirrors are heated electronically and fold into the car with the touch of a button? And it has a rear view camera!

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  Great milage - 2012 Kia Rio
  By georgeannv - August 22 - 1:31 am

  I drive a total of 60 miles a day to work and back home. I travel both on highway and city. I use the ECO feature when dealing with traffic and have on the average (depending on where I buy my gas) get 34mpg. I have noticed with lower grade stations, the perfomance is less. The pickup while using ECO is a bit regulated but with a quick click, you can turn it off and get the punch you need to pull quickly ahead. I replaced this car with a 2007 PT Cruiser which had horrible gas milage. I find the instrument panel great with the RIO SX model and love the rear screen view due to the limited viewing of the rear window. I would definitely recommend the Rio to other buyers. It is fun to drive!