Overview & Reviews

What is the Kia Rondo? Kia likes to call the Rondo a crossover utility vehicle, which is certainly a trendy catchphrase. The only problem is that the Rondo looks more like a small minivan. In Europe and Asia, this type of vehicle -- known as "space wagon MPV" -- is quite popular. In fact, the Rondo has been sold in those markets (as the Kia Carens) for years.

Though it never really caught on with consumers, the Kia Rondo provides a surprising amount of functionality and flexibility for its size and price. As a cross between a minivan and a hatchback, the four-door Rondo can carry up to seven passengers. It's relatively nimble and filled with clever storage space. If you're in the market for a used compact crossover or something smaller than a minivan, the Rondo is a solid, if often overlooked, choice.

Most Recent Kia Rondo
The Kia Rondo was produced from 2007-'09. Originally, its base 2.4-liter four-cylinder produced 162 horsepower, while the 2.7-liter V6 produced 182 hp. For 2009, these were bumped up to 175 for the four-cylinder (167 in California emissions states due to SULEV emissions rating) and 192 for the V6. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard with the four-cylinder, and the V6 came with a five-speed automatic.

Although there is nothing fancy about the Kia Rondo, it still manages to overachieve in many areas. Available in two trims, LX and EX, the Rondo is nicely equipped from the base model on up. Even the lowest LX trim comes with important safety features, such as stability control and antilock brakes. Other satisfying standard features include 16-inch wheels, air-conditioning, full power accessories and an audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio jack. A third row of seats is optional on the LX and standard on the EX, which boosts total capacity to seven people.

Moving up to the EX trim level adds 17-inch wheels, leather upholstery, heated seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Other options include a sunroof, a navigation system, an iPod adapter and an upgraded stereo. For '09, leather, heated seats, a navigation system and an iPod interface became available.

In spite of its small size, the Kia Rondo is very functional. With the third-row seating option, the Rondo seats up to seven passengers, though the third row is certainly best suited for children. The second-row seats slide fore and aft, and fold flat in a 60/40 split. The optional third-row seats also fold flat, but in a 50/50 split. And there is no shortage of storage, including 10 cupholders.

In road tests, our editors found the Kia Rondo performed surprisingly well. Both the four-cylinder and V6 engines delivered smooth acceleration. The V6 was particularly responsive, offering punchy acceleration and commendable passing power. Its steering was decent, especially for a tallish family vehicle. Although we'd prefer less body roll, the Rondo never felt tippy. In many everyday situations, such as parking and negotiating traffic, the Rondo could fool you into thinking you were actually in a small car, which was exactly the point.

User Reviews:

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  So Far So Good, Mostly - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By So Far So Good - December 28 - 9:30 am

  Test drove many cars before I settled on my Kia Rondo. Found this to be the best fit for my family. My husband is over 6 feet tall & 200 lbs and still has plenty of head room and leg room. In the front and back seat. Mine has a third row seat we will probably never use but is nice to have. However, it is made for a small person or child. 3rd row sits very low and is for short trips only. Have only had my Kia for 3 weeks, but so far only one problem experienced. Found if the front windows are up and rear windows are down, there is a very loud sound vibration in the car. Not pleasant at all. Overall though a nice car to ride in and drive.

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  new to rondo - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By herb46 - December 19 - 7:50 pm

  i have owned many kias,currently a new amanti,and i have to say that many people with negative comments need to contact kia corporate !they will make sure your problems are resolved ! anyway,roommate needed to get rid of very old & tired olds ciers,so we went to my kia dealer,test drove a 2008 rondo lx-v6 with 41000 miles.all i can say is very nice ride !

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  good car - 2009 Kia Rondo
  By godesshay - December 11 - 12:54 pm

  I bought this car with 41,000 on it.i love how it handles it has lots of room its comfortable on long trips it fits 7 people with no problem with the 3rd row its a very quiet ride.i like the car it is built well to be a kia i was unsure about it before i bought it,but now it has impressed me :) it fits my family its good on long trips

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  I dont think you can do better f - 2009 Kia Rondo
  By Sloppy - November 23 - 1:26 am

  Bought it new,now has 20k km. this is an 09 EX 5 seater 2.4l. No other car offers ABS, ESC,traction control and 4 wheel discs, heated seats, mirrors and a WIPER de-icer! in this class or for the money. The four cylinder engine is smooth and you can barely hear it at idle. I dont understand people complaining about a lack of power. Top of second gear is over 60 mph, how much freeway merging power do you need? Build quality is second to none in my opinion. Quiet inside, very roomy, standard 6 speaker stereo is excellent, with Bluetooth and a USB port as well. Steering wheel mounted audio and cruise controls. Nicely weighted steering. Very smooth to drive. There is very little not too like

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  Fun - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By roger - November 3 - 9:40 am

  what a great little car. lots of cabin room for 4 golfers, cargo room for all golf bags +. Quiet & Smooth, plenty of (4 cyl) power. At 70 yrs. old, I can still have a fun drive with the manual auto shift. Power everything, air bags everywhere, with ESC, and ABS, all for 18K. Good job Kia.

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  Good SUV for a Cross-over - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Eduardo - October 16 - 8:10 am

  I bought this car mid 2007 and I really appreciated it. It is very reliable, performs very well. I traveled to CA (LA and San Diego), Grand Canyon and Las Vegas and also inside AZ state and in all trips the performance was outstanding besides the road conditions (ice, rain, desert). Also for my day-to-day activities has a good performance and it is very safe. My wife really appreciated it.

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  rental - 2009 Kia Rondo
  By majajh - September 30 - 8:13 am

  Good little car I rented. Only problem is wind noise, and struggles in mountainous areas.

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  A great MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By conwelpic - September 9 - 12:26 am

  “The Power to Surprise” the KIA slogan and its sure worked for me. The utility of this vehicle is incredible and can’t fault the fit and finish. It’s a very efficient design with an amazing amount of space inside for such a compact exterior package. With the chair like seating, outstanding visibility through the large side windows, it’s a joy to drive. The performance of the 4-cylinder never fails to impress me (it outperforms the 2.8L V6 on my previous vehicle) and provides great economy and very smooth shifts. I also noticed that even though it’s a tall vehicle it is not as susceptible to wind as much as my previous vehicle that was 10” shorter.

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  Great Family Car! - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By Happy Kia Owner - September 3 - 6:40 pm

  We did a lot of research before we bought this vehicle. We were replacing our 98 Ford Windstar, we wanted better gas mileage, but still versatility. So we rented this vehicle for the weekend, highly recommended. Took it to the ocean and for the weekend and got 25mpg (200m 60% Hwy & 40% city). It handles worlds over a minivan, fun to drive, and parking lots are easy. Purchase process, we talked to the car sales arm of the rental agency, said we wanted dark as possible interior and 7 seater, they brought in a Silver exterior, with black interior. Ultimately we purchased it for $13,000 with 7,000 miles on it and we have gotten 21.8mpg strictly in town driving, that is what we expected.

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  Interior Room Light - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By Rik Nieves - August 25 - 5:06 pm

  2008 Kia Rondo Why does my room lights( the 2 lights in the cargo bay) stay on whenever I turn my headlights on? Ive move the selector to: on/off/door and they never turn off. its distracting when driving at night. Any suggestions/remedies? YIKES!!! help.