SECOND-HAND: 2012-15 Kia Rio offers good value

It’s a curious thing when companies go to great lengths — and expense — to engineer cheapness.

Kia preserved with manual window cranks in its previous-generation Rio subcompact to telegraph affordability. The feature-laden little car had some premium standard gear, but executives felt roll-up windows demonstrated prudent penny-pinching that would appeal to certain buyers.

Ironically — those cheap windup window mechanisms cost more to produce than power-window motors. 

CONFIGURATION

Roll-your-own windows remained intact in base models of the third-generation Rio that arrived for the 2012 model year. In fact, a whole lot of the previous Rio carried over, tucked under some shapely California-designed sheet metal. Who says saving money has to be ugly?

Despite being wider, longer, and lower than the outgoing car, the Rio still employed the same old front-drive platform shared with the Hyundai Accent. As before, it was offered as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. Roll-up windows or not, the interior was pretty inviting.

The dashboard used squishy, expensive plastic on the face, with a hard dash top where it didn’t matter. The instruments and the switchgear belied the car’s low-budget mission — as did the long list of options, including keyless entry and ignition, heated front seats, rearview camera, leather seating and power-folding side mirrors.

The Rio is surprisingly accommodating for a subcompact, as one owner boasted online: “I’m over six feet tall, and I can sit in the back seat (and front) very comfortably.” Oddly, a number of owners commented on the front passenger’s seat low mounting position, relative to the driver’s seat, which adjusts six ways including height.

The lone available engine was Hyundai’s “Gamma” 1.6-L DOHC four cylinder that migrated from the old car, but updated to produce 138 hp. Two six-speed transmissions, a manual and an automatic, were offered.

All automatic-equipped Rios came with an “Active ECO” button, which dulled throttle response and changed the shift program to boost fuel economy. An optional Eco package added an engine stop/start system that cut the motor at every stop.

The Rio came with antilock disc brakes at all four corners, a great allocation of resources on a budget. The wee car earned four stars (out of five) for frontal protection and five stars for side protection in U.S. government crash testing.

DRIVING AND OWNERSHIP

Inexpensive econoboxes are rarely quick, and the Rio is hardly an exception.

Being a pipsqueak, however, lends the Rio some handling cred since a smaller car is easier to thread along a twisty road. The weighty electric power steering helps to some extent, but it delivers little feedback. And the Kia reflects a Korean fondness for cushy suspension settings and unbecoming body roll.

Fuel economy is reputed to be one of the Rio’s strong cards, although some owners beg to differ. The car scores very well in government fuel ratings — 6.8 litres/100 km in the city works out to 42 mpg — but in the real world expect mileage in the range of 30 to 35 mpg, owners say.

“If you need power leave the ECO button off. If you want great gas mileage leave the ECO button engaged,” advised one driver online.

Mechanically, the Rio has been a model citizen. There have been relatively few complaints regarding the car’s reliability since it debut four years ago.

The lone exception is a troubling complaint made by a small contingent of owners who have reported noisy engines. At fault is a defective timing chain and guide, which can produce a noticeable clattering sound under the hood.

Kia released a technical service bulletin (TSB) that instructs dealers to replace the engine sub-assembly and long block. The work order is restricted to a batch of 2013 Rios built between Aug. 9 and Oct. 9 2012. Concerned owners can contact their dealers and cite Service Action number SA134.

Beyond sonorous engine clatter, drivers have noted a few issues with water dripping from the air conditioner onto the floor (requiring new insulation), and a small number of faulty electric power steering units have been replaced.

Perhaps the biggest annoyance for most owners is the discovery that some models carry a canister of tire sealant and an electric air compressor in lieu of a temporary spare tire. Some feel emergency gear is not a great place to pinch pennies.

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