Clik here to view.
Review: 2012 Kia Rio SX Take Two
For members of the North American Small Car Love Association, this might seem to be a golden age. Lately every manufacturer (with the notable exception of Volkswagen) seems to be taking the B-segment...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Question: Which New Car Would Make the Sneakiest Sleeper?
Old-timers will tell you that the Golden Age of the Sleeper ran from the end of World War II through the late 1960s, when you could take, say, a Grandma-spec ’61 Lancer wagon and stuff the engine...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Here Comes The Hotstepper — And By “Hotstepper” We Mean “Manual-Transmission...
In my fawning review of the Kia Rio 5-door, I noted that the six-speed manual transmission was only available with the base model. When the B&B complained, I commented that Loaded...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hyundai/Kia Fuel Economy Lawsuits In Motion, Compensation Could Total $100...
Well, we knew this one was inevitable. A compliant filed in Ohio court against Hyundai and Kia due to their overly optimistic fuel economy claims. Automotive News outlined the nature of the complaint,...
View ArticleHammer Time: Why Cheap Cars Don’t Sell
Consumer Reports recently came out with a study that featured the seven least satisfying new cars in today’s market. The worst? By a margin worthy of “Independence Day” going up against “Pluto Nash,”...
View ArticleThe Once-Lowly Kia Rio Comes Into its Own
The next-generation Kia Rio will receive styling to match its confidence as the brand’s best-selling vehicle. The automaker released design renderings of the looming 2017 Rio today, in advance of the...
View ArticleHer Name Was Rio, and She Looks Bigger Than Before
Kia Motors has pulled the wraps off of its next-generation Rio subcompact ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut later this month, revealing a newfound love of straight lines that couldn’t be more...
View ArticleAce of Base: 2017 Kia Rio LX
Yesterday, we learned the Kia badge might not be good enough for Stingers in its home country. Around here, the slinky sedan will still carry the nameplate, despite the brand’s humble beginnings....
View Article2018 Kia Rio EX 5-Door Review – Can a Subcompact Car Be Good Enough in 2017...
During a year in which Kia is about to drop a BMW 3 Series-rivalling sports sedan with a price tag that rises above $50,000, it’s not hard to see why the arrival of a new Kia subcompact hatchback goes...
View Article2018 Kia Rio EX 5-Door Review – This is How to Do Cheap
Cheap cars often get a bad rap. That’s not surprising – our status-obsessed society tends to look down upon any low-cost product, unless that product is so superior to its competition that it can be...
View Article2018 Kia Rio 5-Door EX Review – Reset Your Calibration
A few Beloit College professors have made plenty of hay over the years by publicizing their Mindset Lists — lists of the things each new class of incoming freshmen will not be able to relate to. For...
View ArticleAmerica’s Subcompact Car Market Is Now Just Half the Size It Was Three Years...
America’s demand for subcompact cars tumbled 26 percent in 2018, yet another result that points to the eventual demise of all but a few B-segment cars. 2018’s sharp drop – equal to roughly 94,000 fewer...
View ArticleNot Every Entry-level Car Is Searching for Missing Buyers
The first quarter of 2019 reflected a long-predicted cooling off of U.S. auto sales, with volume falling 2 percent. A few automakers bucked the trend, but the news was generally unpleasant. Of course,...
View Article
