2001 - 2002 Kia Rio Pre-Owned Review

In the end, if you believe the J.D. Power and Associates and Consumer Reports ratings, that position anything Kia makes as below average, you probably shouldn't

The fact that the Rio was only plagued with a single recall is a sure sign of designers and engineers paying close attention to details. (Photo: Kia Canada)

go out and snap up a used Rio. But such surveys don't speak a specific model's entire story, and the fact that the little car was only plagued with a single recall is a sure sign of designers and engineers paying close attention to details - mixed with the fact that simple cars like the Rio experience less opportunity for complicated programs to muddle up their good reliability records.

Being that the cars sold for $11,995 in 2001 when new, albeit was just about as basic as the mind could imagine, the Rio holds its value quite well. Initially, loading the Rio up moved the price above the $16,000 mark, but still reasonable considering the full load of features. Obviously what a car is worth in 2001, when new, is going to affect the asking

The Rio has managed to hold its value well in the used car market place, a testament to overall quality and practicality. (Photo: Kia Canada)

price for the same year car in 2004. For instance the top price as shown by Ontario's AutoTrader.ca is $13,885 (May 29, 2004) for a top-of-the-line RS version. The cheapest Rio on the popular web-based service shows a 2001 model going for $8,900.

When push comes to shove there's only one thing that forces cars to hold their values, a demand for the supply. The fact that Rios are still worth so much in the marketplace, says a lot about how people feel about it. Like me they probably appreciate its stylish outer appearance and better than average interior. They probably enjoy its "peppy" performance and more so, look forward to zipping by refueling stations day after day, all the while laughing at owners of large sport utility vehicles.