2005 Kia Rio Review
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2005 Kia Rio appraisal values can range from $401 - $1,583.
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Edmunds' Expert Review
- Small price, big warranty, peppy engine.
- Unrefined handling, five-speed manual's rubbery shift action, mediocre fuel economy.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Kia Rio.
Most helpful consumer reviews
grinddesigns,09/03/2009
4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
Follow your owners manual like it is a Bible. You must change your engine timing belt at 60,000 miles ! Please do not make the same mistake that I did. If you search the Internet about this you will find 1,000 other people saying this, trust me change that timing belt at 60,000 and you won't be sorry. I never had a problem with this vehicle that was not because of my own negligence. If you change your oil regularly, keep an eye on all of your fluids, and be sure to change the timing belt at 60k, this car will be worth the money. This was my first vehicle and I learned costly lessons from not following the regular maintenance schedule so I advise you to follow most of it to a t.
Phil Hall,10/19/2009
4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 4A)
Normally, I would say that this is a nice car, decent (not great) milage, good features, all in all an ok vehicle. But there is one thing you need to make sure of: the timing belt. It says to replace it every 60000 miles, I would replace that far sooner because this is an interference engine--if the belt breaks when the car is running your engine will be shot. As in dead. New car time. This design choice alone must account for the lower Reliability rating. There is no reason whatsoever that a single point of failure should destroy an engine.
Ricky,05/30/2010
4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 4A)
I got this little Rio about a month ago and so far I am pretty happy with it. I feel like I got a great deal on the car and the fact the car was going to be better on gas than my old '91 Dakota. While the fuel consumption on this car isn't too bad, I definitely feel like it could be better. The engine is a bit lethargic for highway driving and the car itself does tend to feel a little "unsafe" doing anything over 60 mph. The interior is bigger than what someone would judge it would be by the outside. Handling is pretty precise and it extremely light! Overall, this car seems dependable and practical so far.
buyerbeware9,01/26/2013
4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
Purchased this car from the original owner and at first was delighted with car. Kia was in great shape inside and out about 40k miles. Car was maintained according to manufacturer. Took car for oil change to dealer and was told because I was second owner warranty was not transferable so any repairs would be on me. At 74,000k car just stopped dead
no warning. Had car towed to shop..what do ya know the
timing belt broke and destroyed top part of engine. I was never informed of this until after the fact you are to replace the timing belt at or before 60,000 K. Kia said so sorry we can't help you. I have owned many cars from Lexis, Toyota, Honda and American and NEVER had this issue BEWARE !