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The Kia Rio is a good car at an affordable price. Available as a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback, the Rio offers easy transportation while delivering impressive fuel efficiency in the city and on the highway. Many of its competitors, such as the Chevy Sonic, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris, have been replaced by larger and more expensive crossovers, but the Rio hasn't, and it's one of the best of the few subcompacts left on the market today. Power is provided by a 120bhp inline four-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Rio's lack of power can make speeding tickets an urban legend, but the Rio deserves credit for its well-tuned suspension. As one of the cheapest cars on sale today, the Rio's standard equipment makes it an enticing choice, and its low price makes it an undisputed choice in the sub-$20,000 market.

What's new for 2023?
Kia hasn't made any major changes to the small Rio for 2023. The only notable change is the addition of an oil level sensor that notifies the driver if the oil level needs to be topped off.
We think the few hundred dollars separating the base Rio LX from the S model is worth the extra cost. The S model adds a center armrest, cruise control, rear USB out, split rear seats with adjustable headrests, and keyless entry. The S also has desirable options like front collision warning with automatic emergency braking, SiriusXM satellite radio, LED headlights and more. Since the hatchback adds more cargo space and slightly better passenger volume, we'd recommend it over the sedan.

Engine, transmission and performance
The Rio is powered by a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 120 hp, and the only transmission option is a continuously variable automatic. It's not the fastest car on the block, but the 2021 hatchback model we tested hit 60 mph in an adequate 8.6 seconds - on par with many subcompact crossovers. More impressively, the Rio absorbs bumps well for such a small car, thanks to its solid construction and well-tuned suspension. The suspension also manages to control body roll well in corners. The numb steering doesn't communicate as much as we'd like, but the weight is nice and precise.

Real-world fuel economy and mileage
The EPA estimates the Rio sedan and hatchback will achieve 32 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. Those figures are identical to the Hyundai Accent and slightly better than the Nissan Versa. In our real-world 75-mpg highway fuel economy test, the 2021 Rio hatchback achieved 39 mpg, about 2 miles per gallon less than the EPA's highway estimate. For more information on the Rio's fuel economy, visit the EPA website.

Interior, comfort and cargo
Simplicity is the Rio's main feature, and that's no small thing. In fact, the vehicle features a clean and easy-to-use dashboard with buttons for climate and audio controls. There are plenty of hard plastics, but they're nicely textured and the overall feel of the interior is mature and refined for a subcompact car. Space in the Kia's front seats is more than adequate, but rear-seat passengers won't be too happy with the limited legroom. The Rio hatchback provides more trunk space than the sedan, but neither Kia model is a good choice if you plan to haul a lot of cargo. We were disappointed to find that the folded seats don't create a flat floor in the hatch. The center console is competitively sized, as are the door pockets.